Custom «Art History Project » Essay Paper Sample

The ancient city of Rome was advanced in many ways. The combination of the intellectually advanced engineers and physically inclined architects were able to build Rome as if it fell from the heavens. The greatness of these architect's dreams, was equally expressed to all, from the slaves to Caesar. From the visions of men, visions that seemed to come from Apollo himself, visions that should not be tarnished with such things as words, but only enjoyed in silence, a great city was constructed. For that is where these dreams are born, the city of Rome.

Two of the most beautiful and famous attractions in Rome, even in the world, are the Colosseum and the Pantheon. The Colosseum, formerly known as the Flavian Amphitheater, is an elliptical amphitheater that is located at the center of Rome, Italy. It is the largest structure ever built in the Roman Empire. The construction of this masterpiece started during the Vespasian Empire. It was inaugurated by Titus in the 80 A.D and was finished by the Domitian Empire. It can approximately accommodate 80,000 people. It was basically used for gladiatorial contests and public spectacles such as mock sea battles, animal hunts, executions, re-enactments of famous battles, and dramas based on Classical mythology.

Today, the Colosseum is a major tourist attraction in Rome. Thousands of tourists travel to Rome and pay to view the interior arena. Also, it is now a site used for Roman Catholic ceremonies such as Pope Benedict XVI leads the Stations of the Cross called the Scriptural Way of the Cross on Good Fridays (STATIONS OF THE CROSS AT THE COLOSSEUM, n.d.).

The Pantheon is a structure that was built to serve as a temple to all the gods of Ancient Rome. "Since the French Revolution, when the church of Sainte-Geneviève, Paris, was deconsecrated and turned into a secular monument, the Panthéon of Paris, the generic term pantheon has been sparsely applied to any building in which the illustrious dead are honored or buried." (Oxford English Dictionary, 2008)

The Pantheon is basically a circular structure with a portico of three ranks of huge granite Corinthian columns under a pediment opening into the rotunda, under a coffered, concrete dome, with a central opening (oculus) to the sky. The Pantheon is an architectural genius that was used as a model by many succeeding structures and architectures. In the 16^th century, works of Bramante and Palladio used the Pantheon as a model. In the 20^th century, The "Grand Auditorium", of Tsinghua University, in Beijing (1917) and The Jefferson Memorial (1939-42), in Washington, D.C. were examples of these structures. However, up to this date, the architect of this masterpiece is still unknown.

The Pantheon and the Colosseum are both very important structural masterpieces in history. They serve as venues for the most important events in history. Both are cultural representations of Rome to the world. The architectural genius of both works serve as a model for future architectural geniuses. They also serve as venues for religious practices in Rome.

These structural masterpieces also differ in many senses such as their design, the events that they cater to, their use in Roman society and their purpose. The earliest use of the Pantheon is unknown; however, it is classified as a temple (Roman Pantheon, 2010). Furthermore, it is unknown as to how the people worshipped in the building, because the structure of the temple is so different from other traditional Roman temples.

The Pantheon and the Colosseum are both amazing architectural genius. They are very important in the sense that they are reminders for people to dream. Not only to dream, but to dream big. Nothing is impossible when people are determined to attain something. Such is the genius of the Pantheon and the Colosseum.

The Pantheon and the Colosseum are masterpieces that made an impact in the world. They made their way through time, through different historical events such as wars. They emerged victorious to deliver to the world their ultimate purpose which is to inspire people to dream and to achieve these dreams.

In conclusion, the Pantheon and the Colosseum proved to be not shaken by time. They stood victorious. They served as models for the future generations of artists and dreamers. The value that both of them exude is immeasurable. Understanding and appreciation of both architectural geniuses is important for every generation for them to be able to hear the message that they both deliver.