Roman Architecture PDF
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2 3 4 For Molly Cotton First published in Great Britain 1982 by B. T. Batsford Ltd This paperback edition first published 1998 by Routledge 2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon, OX14 4RN Transferred to Digital Printing 2008 © 1982 Frank Sear The right of Frank Sear to be identified as the Author of this Work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilized in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data 5 A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library ISBN 0–415–20093–8 eISBN 9781134635771 Publisher’s Note The publisher has gone to great lengths to ensure the quality of this reprint but points out that some imperfections in the original may be apparent. 6 Contents Foreword Acknowledgments List of Illustrations 1Republican Rome 2Roman Building Types 3The Age of Augustus 4Roman Architects, Building Techniques and Materials 5The Julio-Claudians 6Two Roman towns: Pompeii and Ostia 7The Flavians 8Trajan and Hadrian 9North Africa 10The European Provinces 7 11The Eastern Provinces 12The Late Empire Glossary Bibliography Index 8 Foreword In writing this book I often found myself mentally explaining and discussing difficult points with the students I have taught in London, Oxford and Adelaide, who always find Roman architecture more difficult than Greek; perhaps not surprisingly because it covers such a large time span and is the product of such culturally and ethnically diverse people. The fact that the Romans were also skilful engineers makes it an even more complex subject. Bearing this in mind I have aimed to be clear rather than comprehensive. I have selected what I regard as the most significant buildings of each era or province, and have in each case attempted to put them into their historical or cultural context. Another author may have chosen different buildings; the choice is a subjective one and I will not pretend that I have not included many of my own favourite buildings. The first eight chapters are mainly concerned with Italy and I have selected the end of Hadrian’s reign as the most suitable point to break off to discuss the provinces. The Late Empire, when provincial cities were as important as the capital, draws all the threads together and is a fitting subject for the last chapter. Rather than constantly interrupt the narrative with explanations about materials and techniques I have devoted a separate chapter to these matters. I was also aware that a purely chronological and geographical approach neglects the 9 development of particular buildings, such as theatres, houses and baths. Therefore I have summarized building types in a separate chapter. My first contact with architectural history was when I was reading Classics at Cambridge under the guidance of Hugh Plommer. I am grateful to him for reading the manuscript of this book and offering much helpful advice. I was fortunate to have as my research supervisor Donald Strong, whose many perceptive articles on Roman architectural ornament have greatly added to our understanding of the subject. John Ward Perkins enlarged my knowledge of Roman buildings when I was a Scholar at the British School at Rome. I was fortunate to accompany him on several of his trips around the Roman Campagna, and once to the top of the Pantheon dome. His recent death has robbed the world of a foremost authority on Roman Architecture. Martin Fredericksen was able to read some of this book when it was in draft and discussed much of it with me when he visited Australia in 1979. Of younger scholars I would like to mention Janet DeLaine of Adelaide University whose grasp of engineering principles has saved me from many a pitfall in my chapter on building methods. She is also responsible for many of the drawings which illustrate the text. The errors, which I fear are many in a work of this kind, are all mine. FS ADELAIDE 1982 I am pleased to be able to offer this revised edition, in which I have made some corrections and alterations to the text and added a full bibliography. 10
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