PRACTICAL-MINDED MASTERS

Today, the Pantheon is considered a marvel of engineering. It has the largest unsupported concrete dome ever built – and so well built that it has survived the last 1900 years with minimal maintenance. So precise are the dimensions of the dome that if a sphere of 4330 cm were inserted under the dome it would fit exactly on all sides, its bottom only two cm short of the floor. How did the Romans achieve these effects without the use of computers and with a numerical system that made any form of advanced mathematics almost impossible?

Philip Matyszak

It is impossible to manage precise feats of engineering without an equally precise system of measurement and the mathematics to turn those measurements into something coherent. Thankfully, the Romans have left texts showing their homework. For example, the technicalities of constructing a building that will stand for the next two millennia are laid out in the De Architectura of Vitruvius. The practical-minded Romans did not indulge in the joys of pure mathematics for its own sake as the Greeks did. Nevertheless, when the Romans needed Greek mathematics they freely used the discipline – or simply used the Greeks who did. Apollodorus of Damascus was the designer of the Pantheon in Rome, and he indulged in even more complex mathematics in his treatise on siege engines. His Poliorcetica explains both the…

You're reading a preview of

Ancient History (Digital) - 1 Issue, AH 53

DiscountMags is a licensed distributor (not a publisher) of the above content and Publication through Zinio LLC. Accordingly, we have no editorial control over the Publications. Any opinions, advice, statements, services, offers or other information or content expressed or made available by third parties, including those made in Publications offered on our website, are those of the respective author(s) or publisher(s) and not of DiscountMags. DiscountMags does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, truthfulness, or usefulness of all or any portion of any publication or any services or offers made by third parties, nor will we be liable for any loss or damage caused by your reliance on information contained in any Publication, or your use of services offered, or your acceptance of any offers made through the Service or the Publications. For content removal requests, please contact Zinio.