Images

A 1st century CE bronze gladiator helmet of the Samnite class. Roman gladiator helmets were richly decorated and plumed with ostrich or peacock feathers. This relatively plain example has the embossed head of Hercules at the front. Provenance...

A bronze sestertius from the reign of Roman emperor Titus (79-81 CE), which depicts the Colosseum or Flavian Amphitheatre. Clearly shown are the four arched stories, statues within the arches and the large monumental fountain - the Meta Sudans...

A cross-section of the Colosseum or Flavian Amphitheatre in Rome (begun in 72 CE). The diagram illustrates the four floors with wide access stairways and the outer decoration of (starting from the bottom) Doric, Ionic and Corinthian columns...

Construction of the Colosseum in Rome was begun in 72 CE by Vespasian and completed between 81 and 96 CE in the reign of Domitian. The arena hosted gladiator contests, wild animal hunts and public executions.

A section of the Great Wall of China just north of Beijing. The wall was begun in the 7th century BCE and significantly extended by the Ch'in emperor Qin Shi Huangdi from 220 to 210 BCE.

The Classical Orders of Architecture, rooted in ancient Greece and further developed by the Romans, are essential design principles shaping classical and neoclassical buildings. These orders - Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian - have their roots...

A portrait bust of Roman Emperor Vespasian (1st century CE), recovered from the River Tiber. (Palazzo Massimo, National Museum of Rome).

An illustration showing the principal architectural features of the Parthenon (447-432 BCE). The left side (A) illustrates the facade, the right side (B) illustrates the inner cella.

A drawing illustrating the floor plan of the Parthenon (447-438 BCE). The number of Doric columns in the outer colonnade (8x17) was unusual for a Greek temple (6x13). The cella contained the 12m high cult statue of Athena and the rear smaller...

A view from Filoppappos Hill of the Parthenon in Athens (447-432 BCE) built to house the giant statue of the goddess Athena, patron of the city.