Pantheon

David Pickering

Humanities

Classical Response Paper

3-9-11

The Roman Empire dominated the world for over a century and it’s no surprise that they left behind monumental structures that have lasted through the centuries and are still standing today. Rome was a force that the world had never seen before and what better way to show off power than by creating massive structures that dwarfed everything around them. The most important and influential of these structures was the Pantheon. Even though the Coliseum is more recognizable and much larger, the Pantheon has influenced more structures and has had a direct impact on life today and the way we build things.

Construction of the Pantheon began in 118 AD in Rome, Italy and ceased in 126 AD under the authority of Emperor Hadrian. Upon its completion it became one of the most iconic structures of the Classical Age. The Roman Pantheon which is still standing today is actually the second of two that were built. The first one was built in 25 BC by Emperor Marcus Agrippa but was destroyed by a fire in 80 AD. Unlike the Coliseum, which served as a place to house entertainment, the Pantheon was a place of spiritual enlightenment and worship. Pantheon gets its name from “pan” which means everything and “theon” which means divine. Everything divine refers to the many gods that were worshiped by the Romans. Until this time, temples were strictly for the use of priests. The Pantheon could be used by anyone to worship the Gods.

The design of the building was like nothing of its time. The entrance of the Pantheon features a portico with eight columns, which were common in Greek architecture. The portico leads into a rotunda that is capped with a dome. At the time it is believed that the rotunda was painted blue and gold to draw a closer connection to the heavens. The very center of the dome is a thirty foot wide oculus which lets in sunlight. The proportions of the Pantheon are consistent with Roman symmetry. The height from...