The Romans were some of the greatest builders in the ancient world. The Romans also had architecture of their own. They learned how to use columns and arches in their buildings from the Greeks and Etruscans. They improved on the arch by inventing the dome, a roof formed by rounded arches.
Visitors still come to see the many attractions of Rome.
In the Italian city of Pompeii, a townhouse belonging to someone wealthy would include a front door, an atrium with a pool, bedrooms, an office, a kitchen, a garden, dining room, and a family shrine. Many of the people in Rome, however, were poor, so they usually lived in tall blocks of flats. The emperors put a 60-foot limit on the height of the blocks. The Romans also made new building materials, such as concrete . They mixed lime and soil, which would harden when it dried.