The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1878-01-24
OLD ROMAN BRICkW

There is no doubt as to the antiquity OF
the arch, pointed or round-the former
shape originates in the gable, and is exem-
pEfed by every child as he begins his
house of cards 1t is also the most natural
form for "horzontal' vaultings, built or
left in a wall; the true or radiating arch,
built of wedge e-shaped blocks, being natur-
ally adapted to the circular Shape. lhe
Romans never used my form but this and
the Cloaca Maxima consists of three arches
of this construction, one within another.
! Great constructions like the vaults OF
Mycenn and Tiryns, hewn as it were ont
of the solid substance of q wall, and sup
ported as part of it, and not as wedge-hke
blocks, by their own coherence, have moth
ing to do with the transition of the true
arch from Greek to Gothic. And there was
this special fitness in the radiating arch for
Christian and Northern Gothic work, that
| it lent itself in particular to architecture OF
domestic character and the minor materials
Baths and cloacp could not and needed not
all be carried out in the Pentelic marble
which Attic temples had at hand. The
utiltaran buildings of Rome are made ad-
mirable and impressive by scale and skill
in rough material and in them we pass in
some degree from the impressions of beauty
into those of disciplined and proportioned
force. The Pantheon as combining both
in the highest degree, must be forever con
sidered to hold the same position in Latin
: and derivative architecture, as the Par
thenon in pure Greek. But less costly
materials had to be used on a great scale
| throughout the empire. The magnitude OF
. Roman buildings was necessary to the
, greatness of Rome, and her citizens no
:, only used the travertine of their own hills
but applied themselves vigorously to brick
{ making. Brick odifces were so common
= in Rome up to the Augustan Age, as t.
= rive occasion to the Emperors boast tha
Il he Cor, more properly, Vipsanius Agrippa
4 had found Rome of brick (laterItam,) an'
4 left her of marble, or, rather, incruste'
= with 1t. 1t was not necessary to moul
blocks for the radiatipg arches. The thin
well-burned "tetradoron' or ''pentadoron
. tile answered every purpose, could b
worked in anyhow, or be manufacture
y anywhere; and, with its fresh cement
= lime burned on the day of using, was
y most imperishable. The arch, says Fel
J. tusson, was never properly understood IL
n. the Roman tiles were used for it, AS wit
b Babvlonian bricks of more distant TIME
= thew were daily dated, with time and plac
" makers name and Consulate, and are ofte
important chronological evidence. III
, Twenty-second Legion has been trace
- through great part of Germany by the bricl
j.. which bear its name Bricks of the SKI
and Ninth Legions are found at York, al
y lates thus obtained have been found
Eli sreat value in determining the period
Christian sepulchral chambers as in Il
H. cemetery of $. Domtilla, which contai
ly. dated tiles of Hadrian's ign Mr.. Parke
!" photographs of the House OF fuoehs GO
o' tain excellent specimens of first and secol
az century brick or tile work, and illustra
=" its excellent application to radating arch'
>, The use of less splendid materials seems
\, time to have worked both ways and min
ic tered to pride of science instead of pride
as state. Mr.. Street has explained, IN ms
ar uer equally interesting and convincing, h
1t the progress of architectural skill in bui
b inc vast structures with bricks or stones
small size no larger than man COZ
re, carry, gradually engrossed attention,
g. that men began to vie with each other
S. woodworking ingenuities of constructs
I'm and to think less of sculpture and paint
- or expression of SOLEMN or intens
~ thought. - The Contemporary Rcvie~.