The list of ancient roofs comprises roof constructions from Greek and Roman architecture ordered by clear span. Roof constructions increased in clear span as Greek and Roman engineering improved. Most buildings in classical Greece were covered by traditional prop-and-lintel constructions, which often needed to include interior colonnades. In Sicily, truss roofs presumably appeared as early as 550 BC.[1] Their potential was fully realized in the Roman period which saw over 30 m wide trussed roofs spanning the rectangular spaces of monumental public buildings such as temples, basilicas, and later churches. Such spans were thrice as large as the widest prop-and-lintel roofs and only superseded by the largest Roman domes.[2]
Greek roofing edit
Image | Monument | Location | Region | Date | Type of roof | Width between cella walls | Clear span between colonnades | Largest clear span |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Temple of Olympian Zeus (or Olympeion) |
Agrigento | Sicily | Truss [3] | 12.85 | – | 12.85 [4] | ||
Temple of Heracles | Agrigento | Sicily | 5th century BC, early | Truss [3] | 11.84 | – | 11.84 [4] | |
Temple E | Selinunte | Sicily | 480/70 BC | Truss [3] | 11.70 | – | 11.70 [4] | |
Parthenon | Athens | Greece | Prop-and-lintel [3] | 19.20 | 11.05 | 11.05 [4] | ||
S. Biagio | Agrigento | Sicily | Truss [3] | 10.35 | – | 10.35 [4] | ||
Athene | Syracuse | Sicily | Truss [3] | 9.82 | – | 9.82[4] | ||
Erechtheion | Athens | Greece | Prop-and-lintel [3] | 9.80 | – | 9.80[4] | ||
Treasury of Gela | Olympia | Greece | Truss [1] | 9.68 | – | 9.68[4] | ||
Temple of Athena Alea | Tegea | Greece | Prop-and-lintel [3] | 8.94 | – | 8.94[4] | ||
Temple of Zeus | Olympia | Greece | Prop-and-lintel [3] | 13.26 | 8.52 | 8.52[4] | ||
Temple C | Selinunte | Sicily | 550 BC | Truss [3] | 8.50 | – | 8.50[4] | |
Megaron | Gaggera | Sicily | Truss [3] | 8.47 | – | 8.47[4] | ||
Athenians | Delos | Greece | Prop-and-lintel [3] | 8.34 | – | 8.34[4] | ||
Temple D | Selinunte | Sicily | 540 BC | Truss [3] | 8.20 | – | 8.20[4] | |
Temple of Hera | Agrigento | Sicily | Truss [3] | 7.68 | – | 7.68[4] | ||
Temple of Concordia | Agrigento | Sicily | Prop-and-lintel [5] | 7.55 | – | 7.55[4] | ||
Temple A | Selinunte | Sicily | Truss [3] | 7.50 | – | 7.50[4] | ||
Temple of Apollo | Delphi | Greece | Prop-and-lintel [3] | 10.72 | 7.32 | 7.32[4] | ||
Temple G | Selinunte | Sicily | Truss [3] | 17.93 | 7.15 | 7.15[4] | ||
Temple F | Selinunte | Sicily | 530 BC | Truss [3] | 7.12 | – | 7.12[4] | |
Temple of Isthmia | Isthmia | Greece | Prop-and-lintel [3] | 11.7 | ~7.0 | ~7.0 [4] | ||
Temple of Poseidon | Sounion | Greece | Prop-and-lintel [3] | 6.53 | – | 6.53[4] | ||
Heraion | At the mouth of the Sele River near Paestum | Italy, Lower | Prop-and-lintel [3] | 6.14 | – | 6.14[4] | ||
Artemis | Kalydon | Greece | Prop-and-lintel [3] | 6.14 | ? | 6.14[4] | ||
Kardaki Temple | Corfu | Greece | Prop-and-lintel [3] | ~6.0 | – | ~6.0 [4] | ||
Second Temple of Hera | Paestum | Italy, Lower | 480/70 BC | Prop-and-lintel [3] | 10.85 | 5.9 | 5.9[4] | |
Temple of Athena/Ceres | Paestum | Italy, Lower | Prop-and-lintel [3] | 5.70 | – | 5.70[4] | ||
Apollo | Delos | Greece | Prop-and-lintel [3] | 5.70 | – | 5.70[4] | ||
Basilica | Paestum | Italy, Lower | 550–10 BC | Prop-and-lintel [3] | 11.44 | 5.6 | 5.6[4] | |
Tavole Palatine | Metapontum | Italy, Lower | 5.60 | – | 5.60[4] | |||
Bouleuterion (S) | Olympia | Greece | Prop-and-lintel [3] | 11.07 | 5.53 | 5.53[4] | ||
Bouleuterion (N) | Olympia | Greece | Prop-and-lintel [3] | 10.80 | 5.40 | 5.40[4] | ||
Temple of Apollo | Bassae | Greece | Prop-and-lintel [3] | 6.81 | 5.23 | 5.23[4] | ||
Rhamnous | Attica | Greece | Prop-and-lintel [3] | 5.17 | – | 5.17[4] | ||
Metroon | Olympia | Greece | Prop-and-lintel [3] | 5.08 | – | 5.08[4] | ||
Temple of Hera | Olympia | Greece | Prop-and-lintel [3] | 8.37 | 4.84 | 4.84[4] | ||
Temple of Hephaestus (or Theseion) |
Athens | Greece | Prop-and-lintel [3] | 6.24 | 4.74 | 4.74[4] | ||
Artemis | Corcyra | Greece | Prop-and-lintel [3] | 7.37 | 4.1 | 4.1[4] | ||
Temple of Asclepius | Epidauros | Greece | Prop-and-lintel [3] | 3.95 | – | 3.95[4] | ||
Temple of Aphaia | Aegina | Greece | Prop-and-lintel [3] | 6.28 | 3.85 | 3.85[4] | ||
Apollo | Syracuse | Sicily | Truss [3] | 9.70 | 3.6 | 3.6[4] | ||
Apollo | Corinth | Greece | Prop-and-lintel [3] | 8.47 | 3.45 | 3.45[4] |
Roman roofing edit
Image | Monument | Location | Region | Date | Type of roof | Clear span |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Throne room of the Flavian Palace | Rome | Italy, Central | 92 AD | Truss [6] | 31.67 [6] | |
Roman Theatre | Aosta | Italy, Upper | Augustan | Truss [6] | 30.49 [6] | |
Diribitorium | Rome | Italy, Central | 7 BC | Truss [6] | 29.60? [6] | |
Coenatio Iovis | Rome | Italy, Central | 92 AD | Truss [6] | 29.30 [6] | |
Constantine's Basilica | Trier | Germany | 300 AD | Truss [6] | 26.05 [6] | |
Odeon of Agrippa | Athens | Greece | 15 BC | Truss [6] | 25.75 [6] | |
Temple of Venus and Roma | Rome | Italy, Central | 135 AD | Truss [6] | 25.75 [6] | |
Basilica Ulpia | Rome | Italy, Central | 113 AD | Truss [6] | 25.16 [6] | |
Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls | Rome | Italy, Central | 385 AD | Truss [6] | 24.27 [6] | |
Old St. Peter's Basilica | Rome | Italy, Central | 330 AD | Truss [6] | 23.68 [6] |
See also edit
References edit
- ^ a b Hodge 1960, p. 41
- ^ Ulrich 2007, pp. 148f.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am Conjectured by Hodge 1960, pp. 38–44
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap Hodge 1960, p. 39 (table)
- ^ Hodge 1960, p. 43
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t Ulrich 2007, p. 149
Sources edit
- Hodge, A. Trevor (1960), The Woodwork of Greek Roofs, Cambridge University Press, pp. 38–44
- Ulrich, Roger B. (2007), Roman Woodworking, Yale University Press, ISBN 978-0-300-10341-0
Further reading edit
External links edit
- Traianus – Technical investigation of Roman public works