Roman Civilization: The Pre-Christian Centuries

1. Roman Architecture (p. 137)
Architecture > Elements of Architecture > Structure > Mechanics
http://www.mhhe.com/ArtStudio/4/5/1.html
Click on the above link for a diagram of the forces at work in a round arch or vault. Arches are designed to effectively bridge large volumes of space by harnessing forces through their structure, both the static forces of gravity and potentially dynamic forces (see Fig. 6.7, p. 156). Look again at the Pont du Gard aqueduct, which exemplifies Roman engineering bilities with arches (Fig. 6.13, p. 161). How does it use arch forms to maintain its structure and to resist and channel these forces?

2. Trajan's Column (pp. 88-89)
Art > Shape > Composition > Rhythm
http://www.mhhe.com/HumanitiesStudio/1/1/2/3/2.html
The spiraling frieze on Trajan’s column depicts the emperor's conquests spiraling up the column (Fig. 5.27, p. 149). Each band uses a repetition of forms to establish a visual rhythm that propels forward the narrative of Trajan’s conquest of Dacia. Individual variations between the figures allow us to identify them and understand their function in the military campaign. To review the concept of visual rhythm, click on the link above. How does the use of repeated forms create visual rhythms in Trajan’s column between figures within individual bands, and between bands?