The Arch of Victory

 

Since the age of Rome, great triumphal arches have been built to glorify the conquests of a great leader.  One of the oldest known was the 29 BCE Arch of Augustus that once graced the road by the Temple of Vesta in Rome.  The arch commemorated the victory of Augustus over Marcus Antonius at Actium.  The arch no longer exists and only coins of the era give any idea as to its design. 

Around 1806, Napoleon ordered the construction of the 19m tall by 23m wide, L'arc de Ttriomphe du Carousel.

The L'arc de Triomphe du Carousel was built to honor the great French victories of the previous year.  It was modeled after the 23m tall by 25m wide, 203 C.E. victory arch of Roman Emperor Septimius Severus.

For his greatest arch, in 1806, Napoleon decided to create the gigantic-Arc de Triomphe, one of the largest arch's ever built (the 1982, triumph arch in Pyongyang is 10 m higher) to honor military victories. Based on the 1st century 15m tall Arch of Titus, the Arc is a massive 50m tall and 45m wide and took over 30 (although construction was halted for nine years due to regime changes) years to complete.

Columns-Keys to Grand Government Buildings

The Greeks designed three classic forms of columns for their largest buildings.  These were easily identified by the designs on their capitals (the top part upon which the weight of the roof rests).  These were the Doric, Ionic and Corinthian styles.


Doric Column is the simplest design with little or no embellishment on the capital.  The columns were also wider at the bottom and most often is without a elaborate base, resting directly on the support floor.


Ionic Columns have the distinct scroll design, or volute as the Greek would call it, at the capital.

The Corinthian Column is the most elaborate of the three.  Classic Corinthian columns are slender, usually fluted (vertically grooved), decorated with a capital of leaves (most often the acanthus) and scrolls.

Cathedral

Cathedrals are huge Church's dedicated to the glory of God. They are also hold the official throne (seat) of a bishop, Archbishop, Cardinal or the Pope. Many of the World's greatest Cathedrals were constructed during the Middle Ages and Renaissance. Often taking up to a century to build, Cathedrals were a massive undertaking that when completed became both a religious and economic center for their community.

The Cathedral Flying Buttresses

As Cathedrals got bigger, especially taller, a technique to strength the wall to hold the additional weight was needed. The builders of the Middle Ages came up with a unique design to meet this difficulty, the Flying Buttress.

The Flying buttress was an additional arch support that was "free standing" outside the main walls of the building. This additional support allowed the walls to be thinner and rise to here to fore unknown heights.

When You want a real Palace You want Hampton Court

The great palace complex of Hampton Court, home to the kings and queens of England (and later the United Kingdom) for more than three centuries.

Built as a palace with comfort and luxury as its hallmarks, Hampton Court continued to expand over the centuries.

Stained glass windows of the highest quality proclaimed the power and glory of those who ruled from Hampton Court.

Henry VIII was the first king to live here, his visage has reminded countless generations of his power.

The Royal Court of Arms of the House of Tudor.

Time and tides wait for no man, so the clock at Hampton Court tells both-the better for the royal family to travel the river to London Town.

Powis Castle-Where a Fortress became a Palace

For more than 700 years Powis Castle has been in continuous use in Wales. The original keep is still very prominent. Powis Castle is the ancestral home of Lord Herbert, the Sixth Earl of Powis.

Over the centuries the purpose of the castle slowly changed from the defense of the lord's family and property to that of a luxurious home of the rich.
Arrow loops became glass windows. Battlements were planted with trees and flowers and beautiful works of art replaced the implements of war.

The hillside, once clear of pant life to give archers a clear killing ground are now covered with acres of lush gardens and dozens of bronze statues.

Today, Castle Powis has all the modern amenities available, but the "look" of a castle is still visible.

The lords of Powis now have a modern home in an ancient castle. The castle is now more of a palace than a machine of war, but its location on the top of this hill clearly demonstrates the military reason the castle was first built.

Medieval Cathedrals-Built to the Glory of God

Cathedrals of the Middle Ages were massive structures often taking up to a century or more to build. These massive, and expensive, structures represented the dedication to Gods glory that the populous of the community felt. Cathedrals also represented the importance the community held in their country. It was a virtual necessity to have a cathedral if a city was to be considered an important civic center.







Canterbury-10th & 11th Centuries, Canterbury, England







Notre Dame de Paris-12th Century
Notre Dame de Paris













St. Laurence-11th Century, Ludlow, England


Lincoln-12th Century, Lincoln, England

The Keystone-Key to the Arch

The keystone was one of the greatest architectural discoveries of history.



A keystone is the architectural piece at the top of an arch. The keystone, using the pull of gravity, locks the other pieces of the arch into position.

A keystone can be a simple block or an elaborate decorative piece, either way it is the key to the strength of the arch design.

The Roman Amphitheater

>Verona Amphitheater
One of the true hallmarks of every Roman city was the amphitheater. They were essential for the "games" that were used to entertain the populous. The wealth of a city was always evident in the size and quality of its amphitheater.

>the Flavian Amphitheater (Colosseum) the height of Roman design.










Elevators were a Roman invention that made the "games" ever more exciting as animal, gladiators and even fake volcanoes could be made to appear directly out the bowels of the very earth. The layout of the elevators is clearly evident in this amphitheater in Napoli.

Aqueducts-the Water of Life

The Roman aqueduct system was one of the greatest of the Roman engineering feats. Every city in the Empire needed an adequate water supply, if nature did not provide local sources than Roman engineers used aqueducts to solve the problem. The Segovia Aqueduct still suppled water to the city in the 19th century.

The Pont du Gard in France is an excellent example of the skills of the Roman engineers.

A multi-tiered system guaranteed that water would flow to the most vital aspects of a city's water system first (drinking, bathing, toilets). The upper tier was for less necessary water usage (private homes, gardens etc.). In time of drought the water was diverted from the upper tiers to only the lower until the crisis abated.

Rome itself was served by seven great aqueducts. Each serviced the needs of the cities million inhabitants. The great baths, public fountains, toilets, and sewers all relied on the millions of gallons of fresh water the aqueducts brought to the city every day.

Through This Portal

The main entrance to heated swimming area of a Roman Baths was the portal to the daily ritual of cleanliness and community interaction. Thousands of feet per day for centuries entering though this doorway have worn the granite lintel into a smooth curve. One can only imagine what the baths looked like in the glory days of the empire when visiting the baths was a civic responsibility of all citizens.

Roman Flushing Toliets

Artist drawing of the toliets in the Theatre of Pompey in Rome. This was a 100 seat toliet complex.

Seats at the Roman Port City of Osta, Italy.

Toilets from Roman controlled Corinth, Greece

Sewer drainage line at the baths in Wroexeter, England

Romans were very proud of their public toilets that used running water to flush away the human waste into sewers. The seats were open to each other, approximately 46 cm apart, to encourage communication among the users. These were unisex toilets so your neighbor to one side might be male and female to the other. Toilet paper was unknown, instead you used a sponge on a stick that you dipped in fresh water, cleaned yourself and replaced for the next user.

In the last picture I find it very interesting that 1900 years ago the Romans at Wroxeter had flushing toilets while those visiting the historic site today have to use the port-a-pot seen in the background.