The founding of Rome goes back to the very

early days of civilization. It is so old, it is today

known as 'the eternal city'. The Romans
believed that their city was founded in the year
753 BC by twin brothers Romulus and Remus,
who descended from the Trojan prince Aeneas
and who were grandsons of the Latin
King, Numitor of Alba Longa but Romulus
killed Remus in a quarrel over the location of
the Roman Kingdom Romulus became the
source of the city's name. Modern historians
though believe it was the year 625 BC.
By the time of Augustus,
Rome had grown from a
tiny settlement on the
Tiber River to a
metropolis at the center
of an expanding empire.
Under the republic
Rome became the
political capital of the
Mediterranean and a
symbol of Roman power
and wealth.
 The typical Roman city of the later Republic and
empire had a rectangular plan and resembled a
Roman military camp with two main streets—the
cardo (north-south) and the decumanus (east-
west)—a grid of smaller streets dividing the town
into blocks, and a wall circuit with gates.

 Older cities, such as Rome itself, founded before

the adoption of regularized city planning, could,
however, consist of a maze of crooked streets. The
focal point of the city was its forum, usually
situated at the center of the city at the
intersection of the cardo and the decumanus.
 ancient Romans used a consolidated scheme for city
planning, developed for military defense and civil
convenience. The basic plan consisted of a central
forum with city services, surrounded by a compact,
rectilinear grid of streets, and wrapped in a wall for
defense. To reduce travel times, two diagonal streets
crossed the square grid, passing through the central
square. A river usually flowed through the city,
providing water, transport, and sewage disposal.
 Although less visible level to the modern observer, ancient
Romans developments in housing and public hygiene are
impressive[peacock term], especially given their day and age.
Clear examples are public and private baths and latrines,
and under-floor heating in the form of the hypocaust,
double glazing (examples in Ostia Antica), and piped water
(examples in Pompeii).
 Multi story apartment blocks called insulae that catered to
a wide range of residential situations. These buildings,
solely intended for large scale accommodation, could reach
several floors in height. Insulae were often dangerous,
unhealthy, and prone to fires. There are examples in cities
like the Roman port town of Ostia, that date back to the
reign of Trajan and show how Roman architects met
residential needs in a variety of situations.
 Many European cities still bear reminders of the power of
ancient Rome, and throughout the western world the influence
of Roman power is still manifest. Architecture was crucial to the
success of Rome. Both formal architecture like temples and
basilicas and in its utilitarian buildings like bridges and
aqueducts played important roles in unifying the empire. The
construction of a roads with bridges helped communication
across the far flung empire.Aqueducts like the so-called Pont du
Gard enabled the Romans to provide adequate water supply to its
cities. City walls like the one in Autun in central France
protected the Roman cities. Cities provided a network of
administrative centers and acted as visible symbols of power
throughout the Empire. Many European cities and towns, most
notably London and Paris, were founded by the Romans.
 he buildings in these cities directly and indirectly served Roman power.
A building type known as the basilica served administrative functions.
The basilica acted like a town hall or court house in American cities.
The so-called Basilica Ulpia constructed by the Emperor Trajan at the
beginning of the second century AD can be used to exemplify this
category of building. A characteristic element of these basilicas was a
projection called an apse which served as the seat of the magistrate
responsible for dispensing the law. Accompanying the magistrate
would be an image of the Emperor, the source of the law. A sixth
century illustration of Christ being judged shows the seated Pontius
Pilate flanked by images presumably of the emperor. The semi-circular
line above the scene is best explained by seeing this as an echo of the
form of the apse. For a citizen of the empire the basilica in a Roman city
conveyed the idea of Roman authority. The associations with authority
was an important rationale for the use of the basilica type as the
standard form of the Christian church from the time of the Emperor
Constantine.
 Furniture in Roman houses tended to be sparse, since the occupants liked space and
simplicity in their decor. Beauty was created by mosaics, frescos and water features and
other features of Roman interiors rather than by use of elaborate furnishings. However,
the few items of Roman Empire furniture were elegant and costly, using excellent
materials and craftsmanship. Pictures of ancient Roman furniture painted on frescos and
other artworks, together with the few pieces still in existence today, have made it possible
to reconstruct with accuracy the furniture in Roman times.
 Much furniture that we take for granted was entirely unknown to the Romans. No
mirrors hung on their walls. They had no desks or writing tables, no dressers or
chiffoniers, no glass door curio cabinets for the display of bric a brac, tableware, or books,
no mantles, no hat racks. The main items of Roman furniture found in the best houses
were couches or beds ( lectus ), chairs and stools, tables and lamps. Adding chests or
wooden cabinets with doors, an occasional brazier, and still seldomer, a water clock, we
have assembled everything that can be called furniture, except perhaps for tableware and
kitchen utensils.

Roman State Chair.
 However this does not mean that Roman furnshings were dull and dreary. If we take into
account the decorations, the showy display of theatrium, and the singular beauty of
the peristylium, it is clear that the Romans put importance on a very few exquisite and
expensive pieces rather than attempting to fill up rooms with just this and that.