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I saw an interesting program last night on the History Channel about various engineering feats undertaken by the Romans. While there are plenty to choose from, I have listed five which are worthy of consideration.Briefly describing them:1) While with some 40,000 or so troops, Julius Caesar was stopped at the Rhine while on his way to oppose a barbarian army. He proceeded to built a vast, sturdy bridge allowing his troops to cross.2) Domitian's contribution to the Colosseum was two underground levels of trap doors, and levers as part of the Romans' cruel fascination with entertainment battles.3) Trajan built a marvelous system of shops, law courts, in his Forum.4) The Pantheon was an engineering marvel, the largest open concrete dome of the ancient world.5) Caracalla made use of aqueduct water, heated in the basements of the complex, to bring hot water to the Baths. The complex also held a variety of other amenities, making it a ancient version of a modern country club.
I voted for the baths. From what I know about them, they were open to pretty much everyone and were built by the government for them. This by itself is impressive. The videos I have seen on them are amazing too.
That's a good choice, Cousin Avi. The Baths were open to all Roman citizens, so rich and not-so-rich would have visited there. I think it was amazing how the water arrived through aqueducts and was heated below the Baths in a system of pipes and ancient water heaters. On the program I was watching, it was shown how this was down with the help of servants or slaves working in down below the baths, keeping the fires burning and ensuring things were in order.The ruins of the Baths of Caracalla still exist today. Has anyone here visited them? I studied in Rome for a semester but never saw them.
I studied in Rome for a semester but never saw them.
Wow you're lucky.I haven't visited the ruins either. One more note about the baths: another program I watched had a group of scholars trying to build one without using technology they wouldn't have. Needless to say, theirs was crap in comparison.
It's really fascinating when we think about the kinds of advancements made by prior ages based on the technology that man possessed at some point in time. I can say that each age is the master of its own technology; no matter how primitive we may think early man was, I think that we would have a hard time keeping up with him if we had to use the resources available in his time.This is why, as you mentioned, a modern scholar's version of a Roman structure or engineering feat would very well fall flat. How long would it take modern man to build the Pantheon again if he could only use Roman-era tools? How about Hadrian's Wall? These were significant feats that the Romans built, even by today's standards. That's why they exist today, even if in ruins. Even things that are more modern, such as St. Peter's Basilica in Rome (~16th Century), are still used today, despite their age. Meanwhile, a house that was built in 1950 could very well be falling apart some 56 years later. Some of the feats of previous ages are truly amazing.
I can say that each age is the master of its own technology; no matter how primitive we may think early man was, I think that we would have a hard time keeping up with him if we had to use the resources available in his time.
I've never seen it put like that but I totally agree. And nowadays our architecture sucks in comparison IMO because most buildings are made by businesses trying to be cost efficient. Back then emperors and rulers did not put as much focus on whether their creations would cost a lot because they took money from taxes to build them. If today's governments had the same mentality, no doubt we could create some amazing architecture. Image if the US took the money they spent on the war in Iraq and built a base on the moon or something.
I caught part of this program last night on repeat and hearing about these engineering feats astounds me still. Make me want to go back in time to see the glory that was Rome. It probably would have been best to go back in post-Caracalla times since you'd be able to enjoy the engineering marvels made during that era and of eras past.
