# List of ancient Greek and Roman roofs

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

List of ancient Greek monuments by descending largest clear span :
| Monument | Location | Region | Date | Type of roof | Width between cella walls | Clear span between colonnades | Largest clear span |
| Temple of Olympian Zeus (or Olympeion) | Agrigento | Sicily | | Truss | 12.85 | 1– | 12.85 |
| Temple of Heracles | Agrigento | Sicily | 5th century BC, early | Truss | 11.84 | 1– | 11.84 |
| Temple E | Selinunte | Sicily | 480/70 BC | Truss | 11.70 | 1– | 11.70 |
| Parthenon | Athens | Greece | | Prop-and-lintel | 19.20 | 11.05 | 11.05 |
| S. Biagio | Agrigento | Sicily | | Truss | 10.35 | 1– | 10.35 |
| Athene | Syracuse | Sicily | | Truss | 19.82 | 1– | 19.82 |
| Erechtheion | Athens | Greece | | Prop-and-lintel | 19.80 | 1– | 19.80 |
| Treasury of Gela | Olympia | Greece | | Truss | 19.68 | 1– | 19.68 |
| Temple of Athena Alea | Tegea | Greece | | Prop-and-lintel | 18.94 | 1– | 18.94 |
| Temple of Zeus | Olympia | Greece | | Prop-and-lintel | 13.26 | 18.52 | 18.52 |
| Temple C | Selinunte | Sicily | 550 BC | Truss | 18.50 | 1– | 18.50 |
| Megaron | Gaggera | Sicily | | Truss | 18.47 | 1– | 18.47 |
| Athenians | Delos | Greece | | Prop-and-lintel | 18.34 | 1– | 18.34 |
| Temple D | Selinunte | Sicily | 540 BC | Truss | 18.20 | 1– | 18.20 |
| Temple of Hera | Agrigento | Sicily | | Truss | 17.68 | 1– | 17.68 |
| Temple of Concordia | Agrigento | Sicily | | Prop-and-lintel | 17.55 | 1– | 17.55 |
| Temple A | Selinunte | Sicily | | Truss | 17.50 | 1– | 17.50 |
| Temple of Apollo | Delphi | Greece | | Prop-and-lintel | 10.72 | 17.32 | 17.32 |
| Temple G | Selinunte | Sicily | | Truss | 17.93 | 17.15 | 17.15 |
| Temple F | Selinunte | Sicily | 530 BC | Truss | 17.12 | 1– | 17.12 |
| Temple of Isthmia | Isthmia | Greece | | Prop-and-lintel | 11.7 | ~7.0 | ~7.0 |
| Temple of Poseidon | Sounion | Greece | | Prop-and-lintel | 16.53 | 1– | 16.53 |
| Heraion | At the mouth of the Sele River near Paestum | Italy, Lower | | Prop-and-lintel | 16.14 | 1– | 16.14 |
| Artemis | Kalydon | Greece | | Prop-and-lintel | 16.14 | 1? | 16.14 |
| Kardaki Temple | Corfu | Greece | | Prop-and-lintel | ~6.0 | 1– | ~6.0 |
| Second Temple of Hera | Paestum | Italy, Lower | 480/70 BC | Prop-and-lintel | 10.85 | 15.9 | 15.9 |
| Temple of Athena/Ceres | Paestum | Italy, Lower | | Prop-and-lintel | 15.70 | 1– | 15.70 |
| Apollo | Delos | Greece | | Prop-and-lintel | 15.70 | 1– | 15.70 |
| Basilica | Paestum | Italy, Lower | 550–10 BC | Prop-and-lintel | 11.44 | 15.6 | 15.6 |
| Tavole Palatine | Metapontum | Italy, Lower | | | 15.60 | 1– | 15.60 |
| Bouleuterion (S) | Olympia | Greece | | Prop-and-lintel | 11.07 | 15.53 | 15.53 |
| Bouleuterion (N) | Olympia | Greece | | Prop-and-lintel | 10.80 | 15.40 | 15.40 |
| Temple of Apollo | Bassae | Greece | | Prop-and-lintel | 16.81 | 15.23 | 15.23 |
| Rhamnous | Attica | Greece | | Prop-and-lintel | 15.17 | 1– | 15.17 |
| Metroon | Olympia | Greece | | Prop-and-lintel | 15.08 | 1– | 15.08 |
| Temple of Hera | Olympia | Greece | | Prop-and-lintel | 18.37 | 14.84 | 14.84 |
| Temple of Hephaestus (or Theseion) | Athens | Greece | | Prop-and-lintel | 16.24 | 14.74 | 14.74 |
| Artemis | Corcyra | Greece | | Prop-and-lintel | 17.37 | 14.1 | 14.1 |
| Temple of Asclepius | Epidauros | Greece | | Prop-and-lintel | 13.95 | 1– | 13.95 |
| Temple of Aphaia | Aegina | Greece | | Prop-and-lintel | 16.28 | 13.85 | 13.85 |
| Apollo | Syracuse | Sicily | | Truss | 19.70 | 13.6 | 13.6 |
| Apollo | Corinth | Greece | | Prop-and-lintel | 18.47 | 13.45 | 13.45 |

## Roman roofing

List of Roman monuments by descending clear span :
| Monument | Location | Region | Date | Type of roof | Clear span |
| Throne room of the Flavian Palace | Rome | Italy, Central | 192 AD | Truss | 31.67 |
| Roman Theatre | Aosta | Italy, Upper | Augustan | Truss | 30.49 |
| Diribitorium | Rome | Italy, Central | 117 BC | Truss | 29.60? |
| Coenatio Iovis | Rome | Italy, Central | 192 AD | Truss | 29.30 |
| Constantine's Basilica | Trier | Germany | 300 AD | Truss | 26.05 |
| Odeon of Agrippa | Athens | Greece | 115 BC | Truss | 25.75 |
| Temple of Venus and Roma | Rome | Italy, Central | 135 AD | Truss | 25.75 |
| Basilica Ulpia | Rome | Italy, Central | 113 AD | Truss | 25.16 |
| Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls | Rome | Italy, Central | 385 AD | Truss | 24.27 |
| Old St. Peter's Basilica | Rome | Italy, Central | 330 AD | Truss | 23.68 |