Publisher's Synopsis
This text presents a systematic discussion of the planning of Roman bascilicas during the late Republic and early Empire, from the second century BC to the second century AD. Basilicas were buildings of major economic, political and religious significance in Roman civic life. The clarity and coherance of their designs makes them ideal subjects for metrological analysis - scrutiny of the dimensions with which they were laid out. The core of the text, based on fieldwork in Italy and archaelogical research, is an examination of 35 bascilicas drawn from Italy and the western Roman provinces, supported by numerous plans, tables, and bibliography. The conclusion highlights the carefully formulated set of principles and proportions with which the Roman architects designed buildings of this type.
