Roman Architecture sheds new light not only on many well-known monuments of the city of Rome but also on lesser-known examples from across the Roman Empire.

Rome and its empire were fundamental to the development of Western architecture, and its forms and motifs remain significant elements of our own constructions. Roman Architecture places the variety of ancient Roman architecture, from humble apartments to grand public structures, within the broader context of Roman society. It begins with the writings of the Roman architect Vitruvius, as a voice in a broader contemporary battle for the nature and value of architecture. What did the Romans believe about architecture? What was built, by whom, and why? How was architecture represented in texts and images?

The interplay of type and variation, a hallmark of Roman architecture, is traced back to the human actions and choices from which they originated. Janet DeLaine explores how the desires of patrons for originality and individuality were met by architects and builders working within the practical constraints of available materials and the ethical standards of religious and social norms to create new forms.

From early Rome to the late empire, this volume sheds new light on many well-known monuments of the city of Rome, as well as lesser-known examples from across the empire. By examining the central types of buildings at the heart of Roman society and their decoration, it reveals the symbolic nature of architecture in terms of competing displays of power and memorialization and explores how architecture helped to define what it meant to be 'Roman' in different eras and different regions of the empire.

Pages: 304, Dimensions: 16.8x16.8cm