How Did Romans Build Their Architecture

Of the many things that made Romans one of the greatest ancient civilizations, her architecture was near the top of her accomplishments. For the basis of their architecture, the Romans borrowed extensively from the Greeks, mimicking their iconic columns and colonnade structures. While their early architecture was heavily based on the Greeks, it was their advancements in the use of the arch and their invention of concrete where the Romans came into their own and set themselves apart from other civilizations at that time.
The invention of concrete opened new doors architecturally for the Romans. It allowed them to build in irregular shapes and replaced rubble as wall filler in their buildings. The use of concrete made it possible for the Romans to construct permanent structures on a much larger scale than they were previously able to. When used as a wall filler it enabled them to use irregular shaped stones for the face of the wall with brick ends to hold it all together. This new building technique was called Opus Incertum. Two other wall building techniques …show more content…
The arch served in many important structures in ancient Rome. It allowed them to build strong and permanent bridges as a part of their extensive system of roads. This was important because it allowed the Romans to move their armies around the empire more efficiently, bridging rivers and chasms that could cost the them precious time to bypass. Another important function of the arch is that it made the construction of the aqueducts possible. The Romans constructed massive multilevel aqueducts that carried water great distances and provided the much-needed resource to Roman cities. The arch could also be ornamental, as in the great triumphal arches found throughout the Roman empire. These structures served no practical purpose, but were constructed to commemorate great military victories and were a lasting reminder of the power of