Read Aloud the Text Content

This audio was created by Woord's Text to Speech service by content creators from all around the world.

Text Content or SSML code:

One of the most outstanding Roman civic projects is the aqueduct, which carried water over long distances. The Pont du Gard (Fig. 15.24) in southern France carried water more than 30 miles and furnished each recipient with some 100 gallons of water per day. Constructed of three levels of arches, the largest of which spans about 82 feet, the aqueduct is some 900 feet long and 160 feet high. It had to slope down gradually over the long dis-tance in order for gravity to carry the flow of water from the source.Although the aqueduct’s reason for existence is purely functional, the Roman architect did not neglect design. The Pont du Gard has long been admired for both its simplicity and its grandeur. The two lower tiers of wide arches, for example, anchor the weighty structure to the earth, whereas the quickened pace of the smaller arches complements the rush of water along the top level. In works such as the Pont du Gard, form follows function.One of the most impressive and famous monuments of ancient Rome is the Colosseum (see Fig. 15.20 in the Compare + Contrast feature). Dedicated in 80 ce, the structure consists of two back-to-back amphitheaters forming an oval arena, around which are tiers of marble bleachers.Even in its present condition, having suffered years of pillaging and several earthquakes, the Colosseum is a spectacular sight. The structure is composed of three tiers of arches separated by engaged columns. (This combination of arch and column can also be seen in another type of Roman architectural monument—the triumphal arch (Fig. 15.25). The Colosseum’s lowest level, whose arches provided easy access and exit for the spectators, is punctuated by Doric columns. This order is the weightiest in appearance of the three architectural styles and thus visually anchors the structure to the ground. The second level features the Ionic order, and the third level the Corinthian.