The Romans were master builders. They invented the dome and greatly expanded the use of the arch. They also invented concrete, a mixture of broken stones, lime, sand, volcanic ash, and water.
Roman emperors erected elaborate temples, enormous stadiums, and other magnificent public buildings to remind the Roman people of their wealth and power. Rome’s first emperor, Augustus, boasted, “I found Rome a city of bricks and left it a city of marble.” The work of Rome’s builders still stands today in parts of its once great empire—a glorious legacy to their building genius.
