Geometry in Ancient Greece and in Ancient Rome

In the previous entry, we mentioned the abundant existence of geometric shapes in Ancient Egypt,

specifically pyramids. In the case of Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome, we can also find several geometric

forms in architecture. 


One of them which is very present in Ancient Greece is the cylinder. This is usually found in the columns of the temples. The Parthenon is an extremely famous temple of Ancient Greece. It is located on the Acropolis of Athens (capital of Greece) and it is dedicated to the goddess of the city, Athenea.


Figure 1

Note. The Parthenon


The cylinder is a “three-dimensional geometric figure characterized by two identical and parallel bases

connected by a continuous curved surface” (Encyclopaedia Britannica, n.d.).  There are different types,

although the most typical one is the circular cylinder, which turns out to be the type of cylinder used in the

columns of Ancient Greece. As the name itself indicates, a circular cylinder has circles in some parts, the bases.

The part that connects the centres of the bases is a straight line called the axis and the perpendicular distance

between the bases is the height of the cylinder.


On the other hand, in Ancient Rome, one of the most distinguished geometric forms was the semicircle. A semicircle is the half of a circle, which is a “geometrical curve, consisting of the set of all points the same distance (the radius) from a given point (the centre)” (Encyclopaedia Britannica, n.d.).


An outstanding example in architecture is the Colosseum, in which semicircular arches can be seen

throughout the exterior of the building. They are semicircular because arches’ upper parts are shaped like

that geometric figure. This architectural element helps support the structure of this amphitheatre, which means

that arches are also functional and not just decorative (National Geographic, 2024). 


Figure 2

The Colosseum

 

Note. National Geographic Viajes, 2024.


Over the years, there has been a clear separation between two fields: sciences field and humanistic field.

However, they are actually complementary, as we have been able to see in this entry of this blog, in the

Graeco-Roman world we encounter geometric shapes. 


References: 


Encyclopaedia Britannica. (n.d.). Cylinder. https://www.britannica.com/science/cylinder-mathematics


Encyclopaedia Britannica. (n.d.). Circle. 

https://www.britannica.com/search?query=circle


National Geographic Viajes. (2024). Todo lo que no sabías sobre el Coliseo de Roma. 

https://viajes.nationalgeographic.com.es/a/todo-que-no-sabias-sobre-coliseo-roma_21153

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