The list of ancient roofs comprises roof constructions from Greek and Roman architecture, ordered by clear span. Roof constructions increased in clear span as Greek and Roman engineering improved. Most buildings in classical Greece were covered by traditional prop-and-lintel constructions, which often required interior colonnades for support. In Sicily, truss roofs are believed to have appeared as early as 550 BC. Their potential was fully realized during the Roman Empire, which saw trussed roofs spanning over 30 meters in width, covering the rectangular spaces of monumental public buildings such as temples, basilicas, and later churches. These spans were three times as large as the widest prop-and-lintel roofs and were only exceeded by the largest Roman domes. Almost no original classical roofs survive. The two best known exceptions, both circular or nearly so, are the small stone roof of the Tower of the Winds in Athens (perhaps 1st century BC) and the large Roman concrete roof of the Pantheon, Rome.
Greek roofing
Roman roofing
See also Record-holding roofs in antiquity Ancient Greek architecture Ancient Roman architecture List of Ancient Greek temples
References
Sources Hodge, A. Trevor (1960), The Woodwork of Greek Roofs, Cambridge University Press, pp. 38–44 Ulrich, Roger B. (2007), Roman Woodworking, Yale University Press, ISBN 978-0-300-10341-0
Further reading Klein, Nancy L. (1998), "Evidence for West Greek Influence on Mainland Greek Roof Construction and the Creation of the Truss in the Archaic Period", Hesperia, vol. 67, no. 4, pp. 335–374, JSTOR 148449
External links Traianus – Technical investigation of Roman public works





