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Roman Columns
Roman columns were therefore often used to
support beams or arches on which the upper parts of
buildings, walls or ceilings rest. Roman Columns enabled the
ancient Romans to build vast edifices with the humblest
materials, to build bridges, aqueducts, sewers,
amphitheatres, and triumphal arches, as well as temples and
palaces. The application of Roman Columns extend to domes and cupolas, to
floors and corridors and roofs, and to various other parts
of buildings where economy of material and labor was desired.
It was applied extensively to doorways and windows and is
an ornament as well as a utility.
Description of Roman Columns
Columns are vertical,
upright pillars. Columns may provide support or simply be
purely decorative. The lower portion of a column is called
the base or stylobate. The middle section is called the
shaft. The upper portion of a column is called the capital.
The area which the column supports is called the
entablature.
Types of Roman Columns -
Doric Columns - Simplest Style of Columns
The Doric order or style of
columns are the oldest and simplest of the classical styles.
An example of the Doric column can be shown in the image at
the top of the page. The oldest and simplest of the three
main orders of classical Roman architecture are
characterized by heavy fluted columns with plain,
saucer-shaped capitals and base. The capital of the Doric
column consists of a cushion-like convex molding known as an
"echinus" and a square slab called an "abacus." The first
level of the arches at the Colosseum are framed by half
columns of the Doric order. The Doric style Roman Columns
were considered to be able to hold more weight..
Types of Roman Columns -
Ionic Style of Columns with Spiral Scrolls
The Ionic order, invented by the Asiatic Greeks is more
graceful, though not so imposing as the Doric style. The
capital is more ornamented than the Doric. The shaft is
fluted and more slender. The Ionic Roman columns are
characterized by the capital which is formed with two
opposed volutes (spiral scrolls). The second level of the
arches at the Colosseum are framed by half columns of the
Ionic order.
Types of Roman Columns -
Corinthian Columns - Most Decorated Style of Columns
The most ornate of the three main orders of classical Greek
architecture. The Corinthian order exhibits a greater
refinement and elegance than the other two styles of
columns. The Corinthian Roman columns are characterized by
slender fluted columns.
The capital have an almost
bell-shaped capital decorated with acanthus leaves.
Corinthian Roman columns were often surmounted by a more
ornamented entablature. The third level of the arches at the Colosseum are framed by half columns of the Corinthian order
or style.
Roman Columns in the
Colosseum
The architecture of the
Colosseum is dominated by its sheer size and the height of
the different levels of the Colosseum is created by the use
of different columns on each of the three main levels. The
arches of the Colosseum are framed by half-columns of the
Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian orders. The first level is 34
ft high and the Doric arches are 23 ft high and 14 ft wide.
The second level, in the Ionic "order" or style, is 38 ft
high and the arches measure 21 ft high and 14 ft wide and
the third level, in the Corinthian style, is 37 ft high with
the arches being 21 ft high and 14 ft wide. The fourth or
top level of the Colosseum is 45 ft high and had no arches.
Roman Columns
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