Chris Condon                                 Adopted Piece                         10-26-14

1)     The Pantheon

2)     Architect: Apollodorus of Damascus

3)     126 AD, Roman Imperial period

4)     Made entirely of concrete, an unusual medium for a monumental structure of his type at this time

5)     Rome, Italy

6)     Commissioned by the Roman emperor Hadrian, built as a temple to all of the Roman gods

7)     First, lighter variations of the same concrete are used as we move up the structure. At the base of the building, a basalt-based material was used, while a lighter pumice-based concrete was employed near the top. The concrete is also thinner at the top than at the bottom. Second, we move to the oculus at the crest of the dome. This innovative design was employed to act as a sort of relieving triangle and to remove weight from the weakest point in the dome. It also acts to divert the force of gravity to the base of the dome, instead of the weaker center. Finally, we examine the small indents in the ceiling of the temple, which are visible in the ceiling of the structure these seemingly stylistic breaks in the filling of the concrete actually serve to help support the dome. While removing weight from the immense dome, they are stepped within each concavity, ultimately preserving the structural integrity of these spots. We can also observe that in between the indents a sort of lattice-work of supports are created, giving the building's roof a strong skeletal support system.

8)     The Pantheon, with its monumental stature and its Greek facade, was an extremely innovative architectural work in its time. It functioned as an homage to the Roman pantheon of gods, and what is interesting is that the movement of the sun in the sky assures that the sun never shines on one statue through the oculus for longer than another. It's intent, so much like other monumental structures, is not very clear cut. We do not know if the Romans really believed in this pseudo-Greek multitude of deities, or if the temple was just intended to assert the power and majesty of the Emperor.

9)     Economically, we may draw many parallels between the pantheon and the Parthenon. With both structures, we observe an era of great prosperity in an area that dominates the surrounding areas. This points to truly vast amounts of wealth within the empire at the time of construction. Socio-political circumstances are similar as well, as we can see in even just the leaders at the time. A strong, centralized state was present in both societies, and this led to a relatively stable period in which construction took place. The leaders also debatably used the temples as a symbol of power and authority, and not simply a place to pay tribute. Finally, we come to the most evident purpose of the Pantheon: religion. Although many historians debate over whether Romans really believed in their Greek-like deities, one thing is for certain: that the gods were very important to the construction of this work. We see statues of the Gods inside the temple, which were likely meant to be revered by followers of the official religion of Rome. The temple has since been converted into one of the most recognizable Catholic Churches in the world, and will likely stay that way for many years to come.