Roman Architecture These three structures demonstrate the beauty and utility of Roman architecture. The Pont du Gard at Nîmes in France (above) is a bridge over a river carrying an aqueduct that supplied millions of gallons of water per day to the Roman city of Nîmes in Gaul; the water flowed in a channel at the very top. Although this bridge was built largely without mortar or concrete, many Roman aqueducts and bridges relied on concrete and sometimes iron rods for their strength. The Pantheon in Rome (left), a temple dedicated to all the gods, was built in its present form around 130 C.E., after earlier temples on this site burned down. Its dome, 140 feet in diameter, remains the largest unreinforced concrete dome in the world. Romans also used concrete for more everyday purposes. The Coliseum in Rome (below), a sports arena that could seat fifty thousand spectators built between 70 and 80 C.E., was the site of gladiatorial games, animal spectacles, and executions. For a brief time it was also used for mock naval battles, but this proved to be impractical.
(Pont du Gard: © Masterfile Royalty Free; Pantheon: Gianni Dagli Orti/The Art Archive at Art Resource, NY; Coliseum: © Gerard Degeorge/Bridgeman Images)