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C O U R S E L E C T U R E Porticus Aemilia Notes taken on January 24, 2014 by Edward Tanguay |
in the age of Augustus (63BC-14AD), Rome began to colonize cities around it
large warehouse on banks of Tiber
193 BC, restored in 174 BC
only small fragment survives
Livy (59BC-17AD) ##livy
wrote "Books from the Foundation of the City"
from traditional foundation of Rome in 753 BC through the reign of Augustus in Livy's own time
mentions Porticus Aemilia
under Septimius Severus
purported to represent all buildings
only have fragments, but some represent the Porticus Aemilia
Rome began trading more extensively
needed to store goods going out and in
disagreement about how warehouse looked
had barrel vault, difficult to make out of stone but easy to make out of concrete
Livy says it was tiered in four levels
open gates between barrel vaults
Market Hall in Ferentino
nicely cut ashlar blocks and voussoir blocks
it looks forward in architecture
experimentation in larger warehouse buildings
world's oldest shopping mall
the arcades in Trajan's Market are now believed by many to be administrative offices for Emperor Trajan
Emperor Trajan (53AD-117AD)
declared by the Senate as optimus princeps ("the best ruler")
presided over the greatest military expansion in Roman history
shops and apartments were built in a multi-level structure, and it is still possible to visit several of the levels