After Rome’s decline in 378 AD (Wilkes, 1992:265), parts of the amphitheater were restructured and used as chapels. The main sanctuary was built into the alcove, which originally housed the pulvinar (elevated imperial box) and vomitorium. Byzantine mosaics and frescos indicate that these chapels were created during the fifth century AD (Figure 4; Bowes and Mitchell, 2009:574-575; Isufi, 2006:11; Jacques, 1995:154; Karaiskaj, 2004:13; UNESCO, 2004:35-37). A second chapel and possible third were built on the north side of the stadium (Bowes and Mitchell, 2009:574; Bowes et al., 2003:392). Sometime during the seventh century, the arena began to be used as a graveyard, known as the necropolis. There are also several Byzantine art forms, dating from the ninth through eleventh centuries (Bowes and Mitchell, 2009:581; Bowes et al., 2003:391-392; Jacques, 1995:154-155; UNESCO, 2004:36-37). The cemetery ceased to be used by the inhabitants of Dyrrachium, at some point during the Middle Ages (Bowes and Mitchell, 2009:574; Bowes et al., 2003:388-389).
Figure 4. Byzantine mosaics and frescos (Ponce de Leon, 2013)
The last known mention of the amphitheater was by Marinus Barletius in the early sixteenth century. As the modern city of Durrës grew, the auditorium was covered over and forgotten about. Throughout the Ottoman expansion of the city, parts of the arena 's walls were used as foundations for homes (Bowes and Mitchell, 2009:570; Giandebiaggi and Vernizzi, 2013:527).
The mid August heat is blazing as crews break down the temporary stage from last night's concert. The stage was set in what looks to be almost a half mile long and football field wide dry river bed. I can see the appeal of placing a stage here with the Aventine and Palatine Hills on each side to accommodate hundreds of thousands of spectators who would be able to see the stage. Once the stage is broken down this prime real estate in the middle of Rome, Italy will serve as a large park, but it was not always this way, the same reasons this park is used for concerts today is why the Circus Maximus was constructed here in the Valley of Murcia, Rome.
Rome was devastated by the floods and earthquakes that hit them.”The Roman world was shaken by a violent and destructive earthquake … But the tide soon returned with the weight of an immense flood”(Doc F). Due to the flood and earthquake many people had lost their live due to the disaster. For example” Fifty thousand persons lost their lives in the flood”(Doc F). This shows that the roman population decreased dramatically cause them to lose man power in there army. Lastly, great plagues swept through Rome, causing them to go from a population of one million to 250,000(Doc F). This shows that Rome was not prepared nor ready to handle the immense casualties the took. Due to the decrease in population cause many problems. For example, “Recruitment of troops became more difficult … They need to pay troops added to the demands on the state's budget, just as declining production cut into tax revenues”(Doc F) This proves Rome had to make split second decisions therefore leaving them with their guard down and making them a target to enemies.
One example of public buildings built by Trajan was Trajan’s Forum. Trajan’s Forum was designed by the architect Apollodorus of Damascus. Trajan’s Forum contains a four-story, open air shopping mall, the Basilica Ulpia, where laws and government matters were handled, and Trajan’s Column. Trajan’s Forum was a huge architectural achievement because slaves and workers cut two hemicycles into the Capitoline and Quirinal hills. In the holes, warehouses and shops were built, and many streets were formed (Hammond). Another example of Trajan building public buildings is Trajan’s Column. Trajan’s Column is an 126 feet tall Column that depicts the invasion and conquering of Dacia. There are thousands of figures telling the story of the Dacian War. The figures are fighting, sailing, building, and negotiating in all of the intricate scenes (Curry). In 117, when Trajan died, his ashes were transported to Rome and he was buried under the column (Hammond). Another example of Trajan building public buildings is Trajan’s Market. Trajan’s Market is a four-story, open air shopping mall built between 107 and 110 CE. It contained the main building, a covered market, small shop fronts, and a residential apartment building. The market was situated behind Trajan’s Forum and had many functions, mostly commercial. The bottom three levels housed many shops. The shops sold fruits, vegetables, fish, wine, oil,
The Forum dates back to the 2nd century BCE. It underwent numerous alterations during the city’s history and at the time of the eruption was in the process of receiving an
Throughout this report, the uses and the importance that the arena had on Roman society will be discussed as well as the various factors in which it was allowed to do so. Using historical documents and sources the goal is to inform the reader in why the arena was so important to Roman society. The Colosseum, known as the Flavian Amphitheater and located just east of the Roman forum, is a massive stone arena that was commissioned around A. D. 70-72 by Emperor Vespasian. The iconic arena would not have been as popular as it is today if it wasn’t for the gladiatorial combats and wild animal fights which took place. The arena had a very important role in Roman society having a huge influence on the political side of Rome; the social ranking system and it gave the people a source of entertainment.
The Roman Empire was one of the greatest empires around it’s time period. They ruled their region with an overpowering military force. They also had compelling agriculture and religion. Much of their music, clothes, and other agriculture continued on throughout other empires. They shaped the world with their beliefs and ideas and without this empire the world would be very different. There were strong Roman emperors and also horrible emperors who ruined the empire. Caesar and Constantine were among the most popular emperors of Rome. Constantine ruled later in the Empires lifetime while Caesar earlier. The death of Caesar had a huge impact on this empire. Constantine gave the Roman Empire the main religion of Christianity. This questioned the original beliefs of the Romans. They totally changed their culture. Towards the fall of the Roman Empire, the empire was split into two parts. This weakened their strong military force and led to an invasion. Evidently this caused Rome’s fall. The Roman Empires fall was due to the death of Caesar, mass poverty among Rome’s citizens, rise of Christianity, split of empires, and the invasions of the barbarians.
Next, we have the Pantheon a wonderful temple in Rome which is now a church called Santa Maria ad Martyres. The Pantheon was built in 27-25 B.C. by magistrate, Marcus Agripa to commemorate the victory of Actium over Antony and Cleopatra. Unfoaryanty, the original temple burned down in 80 AD and it was restored between 193-211 by emperor, Septiums and Caracalla. Later, when Christianity replace paganism in Rome, the temple was give to Pope Boniface IV 608 AD. The Pantheon was the first to be Christianized in Rome. The Pantheon is 142 ft. wide and 142 ft. in height it is shaped as a sphere sitting on a cylinder. The place is resting in a solid ring wall while the outside is covered in cantilevered brick. The porch is made of 16 monolothic Corinituan
As of the second century, A.D., the Roman Empire measured nearly 3,000 miles from east to west and nearly 2,000 miles from north to south, with its total land area approximately one-half of the continental United States. Its population at this time, at its peak under Augustus, had increased from 50 million to as high as 70 million. At the time, only the empire of China had a populous that paralleled with the Roman Empire, and no other human group under a single government was as large as these two.
Towards the city’s heavily trafficked center the Roman Forum was constructed for convenient easy access of all the citizens. The foreground of the forum was occupied by a paved square with monuments to famous citizens. The temple to the Divine Julius, dedicated in 29 BCE to the deified Caesar, built in a Hellenistic style, is located in the background on the left; to the right is the temple of Vesta and the house of the Vestal Virgins, guardians of the everlasting flame; further to the right is the temple of the Dioscuri, Castor and Pollux dedicated in 6 CE Here the office of weights and measures was situated. The podiums of the temples of Caesar and the Dioscuri were often used as orators' platforms and it is in this part of the Forum that the meetings of the comitia took place. On the far right is the Basilica Julia built by Caesar. Its long façade occupies the entire south side of the Forum. (Owens, 154) Semi-circular in plan and having consisted of a tall stage building, theaters were a semi-circular orchestra and tiered seating area. Unlike Greek theatres, which were built on natural slopes, they were supported by their own framework of piers and vaults and so could be built anywhere and not where nature dictated. Amphitheatres (literally, ‘double theatres’) were elliptical in plan; with a central areana. (Bowra, 38)
The Roman Empire was or could be one of the greatest empires to have ever existed to this day. Just like many empires the Roman Empire fell to betrayal, religion, and war. Lasting from 27BC to 1453 the Roman Empire to me is the most interesting empire to talk about. When you take any history class that explores times outside the US, you hear about the Roman Empire being involved some way or somehow. The Roman Empire history can go on for days. I will pack most of the history into a small 5 page essay and if you don’t know anything about the Roman Empire, You will have a better understanding and will more than likely see why I believe the Roman Empire was one of the greatest of all time.
In the third century B.C., the time of the Punic wars, Roman power in the Mediterranean increased. This striving for power led to new building projects and styles at the Forum in which Rome tried to display its power. In this time Rome started to turn the Forum into a monument.
‘The Colosseum’ is regarded as one of the best work of the Rome architecture and engineering. It is situated in the centre of the city of Rome in Italy and is also known by the name of ‘Flavian Amphitheatre’ (Origins of the Colosseum, 2015). ‘The Colosseum’ is considered as one of the largest amphitheatre in the Roman Empire and also in the world. The building of ‘The Colosseum’ is highly impressive and is an important landmark for signifying the past history of Roman culture. The amphitheatre
The video called Ancient Rome – The Rise and Fall of an Empire “Revolution”, is a documentary that has many series and the first one I began with was featuring the story of Tiberius Gracchus. He is the son of Tiberius Gracchus the Elder and his mother was Cornelia Africana. In the beginning of the video it begins with show Tiberius Gracchus the Elder at his death ceremony he looked ill and quite pale with white foggy eyes with flies flying around him and Rome did a ceremony of his death. Before him was Gracchus sitting in a throne like chair and there were five dancers wearing a molded mask of Tiberius Gracchus the Elder’s face, like studied in class. It was just a big ceremony to remember him, speeches were given and then the cremation of
The arches of the Coloseum allowed great ventilation, stability, and passageways to keep the crowd comfortable all day. The most amazing construction had nothing to do with the show. The Romans had actually constructed a roof for the Coloseum. The roof was like a retractable sail covering most of the audience during the current event.
The Flavian amphitheater has gone through a substantial amount of transformation in the last two thousand years. This is because its function has changed through the years, affecting its structural composition and soundness. In its earliest years, it has served as a location for entertainment to the ancient Roman civilization and had fell into drastic neglect when Rome’s culture changed. People’s demand for bloody gladiatorial combats as well as wild animal fights grew less (History, 2009). Later, it transitioned into becoming widely used as a source of building materials and been scavenged to the point where two-thirds of the original