The Romans invented concrete. The concrete was poured into wooden forms or molds. Due to these molds, arches could be built. The Romans used concrete arches to construct great buildings like the Colosseum. The concrete was also used to create domes like the Pantheon. They also used concrete to build the underwater port facilities at Caesarea in Israel.
The Romans built thousands of miles of roads. All of these roads connected the Roman Empire. The Romans invented the milestone. These gave the mileage to the nearest large city.
The Romans built aqueducts to bring fresh water from springs into the city. Most of the aqueducts were built underground; however, in some places above ground channels were needed. The water was carried through lead pipes. This required mining and transporting the lead from mines in Spain. What was extraordinary about the aqueduct is they were completely operational without pumps.
Another accomplishment of the Romans was the massive walls that were built around the Roman cities. Both inner and outer walls were constructed. The inner wall was the tallest so attackers could not fire into the town. The outer wall was several feet below ground to make tunneling under it difficult. A gatehouse was built so people had to pass through to enter the city. The gatehouse housed soldiers, weapons, and food.
Appian Way | 312 BC | ancient Roman highway |
Circus Maximus | 300BC | chariot race track - could seat 250,000 |
The Pantheon | 27 BC | dome added under Hadrian in 124 A. D. - used as church since 609 A. D. |
Theater of Marcellus | 13 AD | theater |
The Colosseum | 80 AD | a third of a mile in circumference, three tires of arches, seated 50,000 |
Emperor's Palace | 85 AD | emperors lived surrounded by an army of servants and officials |
Trajan's Column | 113 AD | marble shaft dedicated to Emperor Trajan |
Hadrian's Arch | 117-138 AD | triumphal arch built during reign of Emperor Constantine |
Castel Sant' Angelo | 136 AD | tomb built by Emperor Hadrian for himself |
The Baths of Caracalla | 211-217 AD | public bath built during reign of Emperor Caracalla |
The Aurelian Wall | 272 AD | built to keep out barbarians |
Arch of Constantine | 324-337 AD | triumphal arch build during the reign of Emperor Constantine |