A Gallery of the Roman Empire: 3D Gallery

Pantheon

Located in Rome, Italy
Great Example of Roman Engineering: vaulted dome, arches, and concrete
This building was originally built for Romulus, the "founder" of Rome
Now it is a Catholic Church
Many famous Renaissance artists are buried here, including Raphael
The 16 columns in the front are solid stone that each weigh 60 tons! (120,000 pounds)
Somehow, this stone was brought from Egypt to Rome. In Egypt, each column had to be brought over 60 miles from the quarry to reach just the Nile River
Construction for the front of the Pantheon began by Caesar Augustus's chief engineer. In fact, his name is still carved into the stone (Agrippa)
However, the original Pantheon was struck by lightning and burned... twice. The Dome was not added to the Pantheon until Emperor Hadrian around 120 AD.

The Oculus of the Pantheon

There is much more to see of the Pantheon when you step inside...
The domed roof is made out of concrete (talk about heavy!!)
It's believed the concrete was all poured in sections all at the same time, so the roof could harden into 1 solid mass as it dried
The domed roof is the largest unsupported concrete dome in the world!!!
This dome is 142 feet in diameter, and the peak of the dome is about 142 feet off the ground.
Notice the hole in the ceiling? That is actually a whole in the ceiling!
The whole is called, the Oculus, which means "eye."
Light shining through the oculus believed to connect ancient Roman priests with the gods.
On April 21st, at noon, light of the sun will pass exactly through the oculus and saturate the coutyard outside with light too.
In order to support such a heavy dome, the walls are 20 feet thick and also made of concrete.
The ceiling used to be covered with bronze; that us until Pope Urban VIII took it down in order to cast cannons for war....
Think you would get wet if it rained? You are right. Although the floor can get slick, the floor is also slanted so that water could drain away from the center and into gutters outside of the building.
Talk about an engineering masterpiece!!

The Colossuem

Welcome to the Roman Colosseum!
Construction for this massive arena began in 72 AD under Emperor Vespasian. Construction finished in 80 AD under his successor, Titus.
This building is a fantastic example of Roman Engineering through arches and concrete.
In it's operation, a statue was included in every arched opening of the building. However, next to none of these statues remain today.
It is believed that a giant bronze statue of Nero (98 feet tall) stood in front of the Colossuem. So giant, it was called the Colossus of Nero, indicating what the Colossuem was named after!
This statue was likely destroyed when the Roman Empire was sacked by Germanic tribes.
Speaking of destroyed, huge south sections of the Colosseum were destroyed in an earthquake in 1349 AD. Much of the broken stone was used to build palaces, churches, hospitals, and buildings throughout Rome.
Games here did not end until around 435 AD.

The Colosseum: Inside the Belly of the Beast

Upon entering the Colosseum, you realize how imposing the atmosphere is.
All kinds of events took place on the stage of this arena:
Animal Exhibitions: outrageous events took place including apes riding dogs or driving chariots, or elephants dancing to cymbals played by other animals.
Animal Fights: Nero once had 400 tigers fight bulls and elephants in the arena. In the dedications of the Colosseum in 80 AD, 5,000 animals were believed to have been killed. If an animal refused to fight, hot irons and darts were poked into the animals to entice them to participate.
Humans fighting animals: Claudius once had his Praetorian Guard fight against panthers; Nero did the same with bears and lions. Criminals were sometimes covered with animal skins and then thrown to the wild beasts for food. Physicians would often study the human remains to learn more about anatomy.
Reenactments: Mythological and historical events were sometimes acted out in real time, often with gruesome endings. "Heracles" was burned to death on a pyre; Another man was required to hold his hand on burning coals until they shriveled up; "Icarus" would fall from the sky into a crowd of wild animals.
Criminal Persecutions: A robber was once crucified in the Colosseum, but he took too long to die. Animals were sent in to eat the victim piece by piece.
Armed Conflict: Certainly the most memorable of events in the Colosseum were fights between people, usually war captives, criminals, and slaves. Romans thought they were generous for giving captives another chance at life through Colosseum trials. Gladiator schools were created to train these individuals to fight (Spartacus was a member of one of these schools when he rebelled against Rome). Winning these conflicts meant fighting in the next holiday's entertainment as well. After 3 years of fighting, sometimes gladiators could be freed from bondage. Some gladiators loved the fame and spotlight they received. Others complained or committed suicide to avoid an even more gruesome death in the arena.

The Colosseum: An Engineering Achievement

Although not the largest Roman arena in the world, the Colosseum was still a sight to behold.
The arena could hold up to 50,000 people!
Below the stage included underground passages where wild animals, machines and gladiators would be kept before their "performance."
Parts of the floor could then be raised or lowered from the ground at any time.
The floor was often covered in sand. Slaves were often responsible for getting rid of sand between competitions that had gotten too bloody and replacing it with new sand.
Aqueducts carried water into the Colosseum, and the entire floor could be flooded in a brief notice in order to stage fake naval battles.
Awnings suspended above the Colosseum provided shade to viewers; fountains could spray scented water to cool viewers; torches could be lowered in at night so viewers could still see what was happening.
Free people, men and women, could typically attend gladiator events for free! Sometimes, they were provided with food from the Emperor.
The Colosseum could also be a place where citizens could communicate with the emperor to: pardon prisoners, free a slave, cheer for favorite gladiators, or to decide their fates.

Flatford Mill

Flatford Mill (Scene on a Navigable River) is an oil painting by English artist John Constable, painted in 1816. It is Constable's largest exhibition canvas to be painted mainly outdoors, the first of his large "six-foot" paintings [more]

The Fighting Temeraire

The Fighting Temeraire tugged to her last berth to be broken up, 1838 is an oil painting by the English artist J. M. W. Turner. HMS Temeraire was one of the last second-rate ships of the line to have played a distinguished role in the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. [more]

The Hireling Shepherd

This is a painting by William Holman Hunt, a leading British Pre-Raphaelite.

Ophelia

Ophelia is a painting by British artist Sir John Everett Millais, completed between 1851 and 1852. It depicts Ophelia, a character from Hamlet, singing before she drowns in a river in Denmark. [more]

The Music Lesson

The Music Lesson or Lady at the Virginals with a Gentleman by Jan Vermeer, is a painting of young female pupil receiving the titular music lesson. [more]

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A Gallery of the Roman Empire