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The scutum was a semi-cylindrical shield used by ancient Roman legionaries.

Scutum

The scutum was a semi-cylindrical shield used by ancient Roman legionaries.

The scutum was a semi-cylindrical shield used by ancient Roman legionaries.

Scutum

The scutum was a semi-cylindrical shield used by ancient Roman legionaries.

The scutum was a semi-cylindrical shield used by ancient Roman legionaries.

Scutum

The scutum was a semi-cylindrical shield used by ancient Roman legionaries.

The Temple of Edfu is an ancient Egyptian temple located on the west bank of the Nile in the city of Edfu which was known in Greco-Roman times as Apollonopolis Magna, after the chief god Horus-Apollo. It is the second largest temple in Egypt after Karnak and one of the best preserved. The temple, dedicated to the falcon god Horus, was built in the Ptolemaic period between 237 and 57 BCE.

Temple of Edfu Plan

The Temple of Edfu is an ancient Egyptian temple located on the west bank of the Nile in the city of…

The Temple of Edfu is an ancient Egyptian temple located on the west bank of the Nile in the city of Edfu which was known in Greco-Roman times as Apollonopolis Magna, after the chief god Horus-Apollo. It is the second largest temple in Egypt after Karnak and one of the best preserved. The temple, dedicated to the falcon god Horus, was built in the Ptolemaic period between 237 and 57 BCE.

Temple of Edfu Section

The Temple of Edfu is an ancient Egyptian temple located on the west bank of the Nile in the city of…

The Tower of the Winds, also called horologion (timepiece), is an octagonal Pentelic marble clocktower on the Roman agora in Athens. The structure features a combination of sundials, a water clock and a wind vane. It was supposedly built by Andronicus of Cyrrhus around 50 BC, but according to other sources might have been constructed in the 2nd century BC before the rest of the forum.

Tower of the Winds

The Tower of the Winds, also called horologion (timepiece), is an octagonal Pentelic marble clocktower…

The Corinthian order is one of the Classical orders of Greek and Roman architecture, characterized by a slender fluted column and an ornate capital decorated with acanthus leaves and scrolls. Although of Greek origin, the Corinthian order was seldom used in Greek architecture.

Greek Corinthian Order

The Corinthian order is one of the Classical orders of Greek and Roman architecture, characterized by…

The Ionic order column originated in the mid-6th century BC in Ionia. The Ionic order column was being practiced in mainland Greece in the 5th century BC. The first of the great Ionic temples was the Temple of Hera on Samos, built about 570 BC-560 BC by the architect Rhoikos. It stood for only a decade before it was leveled by an earthquake. It was in the great sanctuary of the goddess: it could scarcely have been in a more prominent location for its brief lifetime. A longer-lasting 6th century Ionic temple was the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

Roman Ionic Order

The Ionic order column originated in the mid-6th century BC in Ionia. The Ionic order column was being…

An arcade is a passage or walkway covered over by a succession of arches or vaults supported by columns. An engaged column is a column embedded in a wall and partly projecting from the surface of the wall, sometimes defined as semi or three-quarter detached. In Roman architecture they exist in profusion, most commonly embedded in the cella walls of pseudoperipteral buildings. Engaged columns are distinct from pilasters, which by definition are ornamental and not structural.

Roman Arcade with Engaged Columns

An arcade is a passage or walkway covered over by a succession of arches or vaults supported by columns.…

A barrel vault, also known as a tunnel vault or a wagon vault, is an architectural element formed by the extrusion of a single curve (or pair of curves, in the case of a pointed barrel vault) along a given distance. The curves are typically circular in shape, lending a semi-cylindrical appearance to the total design. The barrel vault is the simplest form of a vault: effectively a series of arches placed side by side, i.e., one after another.

Barrel Vault

A barrel vault, also known as a tunnel vault or a wagon vault, is an architectural element formed by…

A groin vault or groined vault (also sometimes known as a double barrel vault or cross vault) is produced by the intersection at right angles of two barrel vaults. The word groin refers to the edge between the intersecting vaults; cf. ribbed vault. Sometimes the arches of groin vaults are pointed instead of round.

Groin Vault

A groin vault or groined vault (also sometimes known as a double barrel vault or cross vault) is produced…

A, brickwork; B, tufa ashlar; R, opus reticulatum; I, opus incertum.

Roman Wall Masonry

A, brickwork; B, tufa ashlar; R, opus reticulatum; I, opus incertum.

A coffer in architecture, is a sunken panel in the shape of a square, rectangle, or octagon in a ceiling, soffit or vault. A series of these sunken panels were used as decoration for a ceiling or a vault. The stone coffers of the ancient Greeks and Romans are the earliest surviving examples.A, from Palmyra; B, Basilica of Constantine.

Roman Ceiling Panels

A coffer in architecture, is a sunken panel in the shape of a square, rectangle, or octagon in a ceiling,…

The circular so-called "Temple of Vesta" at Tivoli, of the early first century BCE, has been widely admired since the Renaissance. Its ruins sit on the acropolis of the Etruscan and Roman city of Tibur (now Tivoli), overlooking the falls of the Aniene in a picturesque narrow gully.

Temple of Vesta, Tivoli

The circular so-called "Temple of Vesta" at Tivoli, of the early first century BCE, has been widely…

The Temple of Venus and Roma (Latin: Templum Veneris et Romae) was the largest known temple in Ancient Rome. Located at the far east side of the Forum Romanum near the Colosseum, it was dedicated to the goddesses Venus Felix (Venus the Bringer of Good Fortune) and Roma Aeterna (Eternal Rome). The architect was the emperor Hadrian. Construction of the temple began in 121. It was officially inaugurated by Hadrian in 135, and finished in 141 under Antoninus Pius. Damaged by fire in 307, it was restored with alterations by the emperor Maxentius.

Temple of Venus and Roma, Plan

The Temple of Venus and Roma (Latin: Templum Veneris et Romae) was the largest known temple in Ancient…

The forum was built on the order of Emperor Trajan with the spoils of war from the conquest of Dacia, which ended in 106. The Forum was built from a vast stoa-lined piazza measuring 660 by 390 feet (200 × 120 m) with exedrae on two sides. The Basilica Ulpia was an ancient Roman civic building located in the Forum of Trajan. It was named after Roman emperor Trajan whose full name was Marcus Ulpius Traianus.

Forum and Basilica of Trajan

The forum was built on the order of Emperor Trajan with the spoils of war from the conquest of Dacia,…

The Baths of Caracalla were Roman public baths, or thermæ, built in Rome between AD 212 and 216, during the reign of the Emperor Caracalla. The extensive ruins of the baths have become a popular tourist attraction.

Thermæ of Caracalla, Plan of Central Block

The Baths of Caracalla were Roman public baths, or thermæ, built in Rome between AD 212 and 216,…

The Colosseum or Roman Coliseum, originally the Flavian Amphitheatre (Latin: Amphitheatrum Flavium, Italian Anfiteatro Flavio or Colosseo), is an elliptical amphitheatre in the center of the city of Rome, Italy, the largest ever built in the Roman Empire. It is one of the greatest works of Roman architecture and Roman engineering.

Colosseum, Half Plan

The Colosseum or Roman Coliseum, originally the Flavian Amphitheatre (Latin: Amphitheatrum Flavium,…

Diocletian's Palace (Dioklecijanova palaca in Croatian) is a building in Split in Croatia that was built by the emperor Diocletian at the turn of the fourth century AD. The Latin name of the city, Spalatum, was drawn from that of the nearby Greek colony Aspalathos, which in turn was named after a white thorn common in the area. Contrary to popular belief, it has nothing to do with the Latin word for palace, palatium.

Palace of Diocletian, Plan

Diocletian's Palace (Dioklecijanova palaca in Croatian) is a building in Split in Croatia that was built…

"Semi-columns (Roman). Engaged columns of the Maison Carrée, Nîmes, France." -Whitney, 1911

Semi-Columns

"Semi-columns (Roman). Engaged columns of the Maison Carrée, Nîmes, France." -Whitney,…

Christian architecture is Syria diverged from Roman traditions. The abundance of hard stone, the total lack of clay or brick, the remoteness from Rome, led to a peculiar independence and originality in the forms and details of the ecclesiastical as well as of the domestic architecture of central Syria.

Church at Kalb Louzeh

Christian architecture is Syria diverged from Roman traditions. The abundance of hard stone, the total…

A pendentive is a constructive device permitting the placing of a circular dome over a square room or an elliptical dome over a rectangular room. The pendentives, which are triangular segments of a sphere, taper to points at the bottom and spread at the top to establish the continuous circular or elliptical base needed for the dome. In masonry the pendentives thus receive the weight of the dome, concentrating it at the four corners where it can be received by the piers beneath.

Diagram of Pendentives

A pendentive is a constructive device permitting the placing of a circular dome over a square room or…

In the Giraud Palace and the great Palazzo della Cancelleria, pilasters appear in the external composition, and all the details of doors and windows betray the results of classic study, as well as the refined taste of their designer.

Façade of the Giraud Palace, Rome

In the Giraud Palace and the great Palazzo della Cancelleria, pilasters appear in the external composition,…

An illustration of a roman diptych with gold leaf. A diptych is any object with two flat plates attached at a hinge.

Leaf of Roman Diptych

An illustration of a roman diptych with gold leaf. A diptych is any object with two flat plates attached…

A sundial is a device that measures time by the position of the Sun. In common designs such as the horizontal sundial, the sun casts a shadow from its style (a thin rod or a sharp, straight edge) onto a flat surface marked with lines indicating the hours of the day. As the sun moves across the sky, the shadow-edge progressively aligns with different hour-lines on the plate. Such designs rely on the style being aligned with the axis of the Earth's rotation. Hence, if such a sundial is to tell the correct time, the style must point towards true North (not the north or south magnetic pole) and the style's angle with horizontal must equal the sundial's geographical latitude.

Sundial

A sundial is a device that measures time by the position of the Sun. In common designs such as the horizontal…

In the common vertical dial, the shadow-receiving plane is aligned vertically; as usual, the gnomon's style is aligned with the Earth's axis of rotation. As in the horizontal dial, the line of shadow does not move uniformly on the face; the sundial is not equiangular.

Vertical South Dial

In the common vertical dial, the shadow-receiving plane is aligned vertically; as usual, the gnomon's…

In polar dials, the shadow-receiving plane is aligned parallel to the gnomon-style. Thus, the shadow slides sideways over the surface, moving perpendicularly to itself as the sun rotates about the style. As with the gnomon, the hour-lines are all aligned with the Earth's rotational axis. When the sun's rays are nearly parallel to the plane, the shadow moves very quickly and the hour lines are spaced far apart. The direct East- and West-facing dials are examples of a polar dial. However, the face of a polar dial need not be vertical; it need only be parallel to the gnomon.

Polar Dials

In polar dials, the shadow-receiving plane is aligned parallel to the gnomon-style. Thus, the shadow…

The sestertius or sesterce was an ancient silver coin during the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire.

Sestertius

The sestertius or sesterce was an ancient silver coin during the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire.

An illustration of a Roman cithara.

Roman Cithara

An illustration of a Roman cithara.

An illustration of a section of the interior of a large house clock.

House Clock

An illustration of a section of the interior of a large house clock.

In horology, the recoil or anchor escapement is a type of escapement used in pendulum clocks. An escapement is the mechanism in a mechanical clock that maintains the swing of the pendulum and advances the clock's wheels at each swing.

Anchor Escapement

In horology, the recoil or anchor escapement is a type of escapement used in pendulum clocks. An escapement…

The ground plan of the baths of Pompeii, Italy.

Baths of Pompeii

The ground plan of the baths of Pompeii, Italy.

The ground plan of the baths of Caracalla. The Baths of Caracalla were Roman public baths, or thermae, built in Rome between AD 212 and 216, during the reign of the Emperor Caracalla.

Baths of Caracalla

The ground plan of the baths of Caracalla. The Baths of Caracalla were Roman public baths, or thermae,…

Four stringils in which the hollow for collecting the oil or perspiration from the body may be observed.

Four Stringils

Four stringils in which the hollow for collecting the oil or perspiration from the body may be observed.

An illustration of the interior of a common English House Clock.

English House Clock

An illustration of the interior of a common English House Clock.

An electrical remontoire can be either a gravity or spring type. In it, the weight or spring is rewound electrically, with a motor or solenoid. It is used in clocks with traditional mechanical movements which are run on electricity.

Electrical Remontoire

An electrical remontoire can be either a gravity or spring type. In it, the weight or spring is rewound…

An illustration of Hope Jone's dial-driving device. "Each time that a current is sent by the master clock, the electromagnet B attracts the pivoted armature C, and then the current ceases the lever D with the projecting arm E is driven back to its old position by the spring F, thus driving the wheel A forward one division. G is a back stop click, and H, I fixed stops." —Britannica, 1910

Dial Driving Device

An illustration of Hope Jone's dial-driving device. "Each time that a current is sent by the master…

"In 1872 Penaud discarded the rigid screws in favour of elastic ones...Penaud also india-rbber under torsion for the whale-bone and clock springs of the smaller model is remarkable for its lightness, simplicity and power." -Britannica, 1910

Screw-Model

"In 1872 Penaud discarded the rigid screws in favour of elastic ones...Penaud also india-rbber under…

An illustration of a Roman standard.

Roman Standard

An illustration of a Roman standard.

An illustration of a Roman standard.

Roman Standard

An illustration of a Roman standard.

The Temple of Edfu is an ancient Egyptian temple located on the west bank of the Nile in the city of Edfu which was known in Greco-Roman times as Apollonopolis Magna, after the chief god Horus-Apollo. It is the second largest temple in Egypt after Karnak and one of the best preserved. The temple, dedicated to the falcon god Horus, was built in the Ptolemaic period between 237 and 57 <small>BCE</small>. A, pylon; B, obelisks; C, entrance; D, temple courts; E, porticus; F, pronaos (court with colonnades); G, naos; H, sanctarium.

Temple of Edfu, Floor Plan

The Temple of Edfu is an ancient Egyptian temple located on the west bank of the Nile in the city of…

The so-called Attic base is the form which most frequently occurs; and consists of two tori separated by a cavetto, the whole having a plinth as basis; the upper torus being less high and projecting than the lower.

Attic Base in the Temple of Minerva Polias

The so-called Attic base is the form which most frequently occurs; and consists of two tori separated…

Rectangular block under the soffit of the cornice of the Greek Doric temple, which is studded with guttae. It is supposed to represent the piece of timber through which the wooden pegs were driven in order to hold the rafter in position, and it follows the sloping rake of the roof. In the Roman Doric order the mutule was horizontal, with sometimes a crowning fillet, so that it virtually fulfilled the purpose of the modillion in the Corinthian cornice.

Mutule, Side View

Rectangular block under the soffit of the cornice of the Greek Doric temple, which is studded with guttae.…

Rectangular block under the soffit of the cornice of the Greek Doric temple, which is studded with guttae. It is supposed to represent the piece of timber through which the wooden pegs were driven in order to hold the rafter in position, and it follows the sloping rake of the roof. In the Roman Doric order the mutule was horizontal, with sometimes a crowning fillet, so that it virtually fulfilled the purpose of the modillion in the Corinthian cornice.

Mutule, Front View

Rectangular block under the soffit of the cornice of the Greek Doric temple, which is studded with guttae.…

Ante-fixae, the vertical blocks which terminate the covering tiles of the roof of a Roman, Etruscan, or Greek temple, as spaced they take the place of the cymatium and form a cresting along the sides of the temple. The face of the ante-fixae was richly carved with the anthemion ornament.

Ante-fixae

Ante-fixae, the vertical blocks which terminate the covering tiles of the roof of a Roman, Etruscan,…

Ante-fixae (from Latin antefigere, to fasten before), the vertical blocks which terminate the covering tiles of the roof of a Roman, Etruscan, or Greek temple; as spaced they take the place of the cymatium and form a cresting along the sides of the temple. The face of the ante-fixae was richly carved with the anthemion ornament.

Ante-fixae

Ante-fixae (from Latin antefigere, to fasten before), the vertical blocks which terminate the covering…

The Overlap of Leaf is a Roman candelabrum design.

Overlap of Leaf

The Overlap of Leaf is a Roman candelabrum design.

The Roman Leaf design is shown as a capital of a column in Pantheon, Rome. The spoon-like roundings of the points of the leaves, as well as the deep incisions are designed to look good from a distance.

Roman Leaf

The Roman Leaf design is shown as a capital of a column in Pantheon, Rome. The spoon-like roundings…

The Roman Capital Leaf has rounder and broader tips.

Roman Capital Leaf

The Roman Capital Leaf has rounder and broader tips.

The Leaf Displayed is often used as a design on Roman reliefs, however, it is more richly developed on Florentine Pilasters.

Leaf Displayed

The Leaf Displayed is often used as a design on Roman reliefs, however, it is more richly developed…

The Roman Cup is an artificial foliage design that has serrated edges, made to look like natural desgins.

Roman Cup

The Roman Cup is an artificial foliage design that has serrated edges, made to look like natural desgins.

The Roman Ornament design is also called the "Medicean Pilaster".

Roman Ornament

The Roman Ornament design is also called the "Medicean Pilaster".

The Roman Ornament is a marble biga design that is from an imitation of an original in bronze.

Roman Ornament

The Roman Ornament is a marble biga design that is from an imitation of an original in bronze.

This Roman Ornament design comes from a "Florentine Pilaster". It is a richly decorated marble relief that comes from Uffizi, Florence.

Roman Ornament

This Roman Ornament design comes from a "Florentine Pilaster". It is a richly decorated marble relief…

The Laurel branches were found in a the silver treasure of Hildesheim, Rome.

Laurel Branches

The Laurel branches were found in a the silver treasure of Hildesheim, Rome.

These Laurel Design Fragment is a design found on a Roman marble relief.

Laurel Design Fragment

These Laurel Design Fragment is a design found on a Roman marble relief.

The Scroll ornament vine is a Roman relief design.

Scroll Ornament Vine

The Scroll ornament vine is a Roman relief design.

The Roman Ornament Vine is used as a vertical border.

Roman Ornament Vine

The Roman Ornament Vine is used as a vertical border.

This Roman column is a fragment taken from the Vatican, Rome.

Roman Column

This Roman column is a fragment taken from the Vatican, Rome.

The Roman Festoon is a bouquet of fruit shown between two animal skulls.

Roman Festoon

The Roman Festoon is a bouquet of fruit shown between two animal skulls.