Roman City Project

Project

Designing a Roman City

Time Frame:  Assign as homework, can do in class if desired by teacher.  Takes a few hours to complete if done neatly.

Supplementary Material Recommended:  City: A Story of Roman Planning and Construction, by David Macaulay, (Houghten Mifflin, 1974), also found in video format under the same name as a production of Public Television.

You have just been named governor of the Roman province of Idahonia, a farming province in the extreme west of the empire (and unknown to many historians).  You have been commanded by the emperor to build a city there as you capital and your base.  The year is 30 BC.  You have until Tuesday to submit your plans to the Emperor.  You must follow the instructions below exactly.

1. City must be on a large, white piece of thick paper, and done either in pen or colored pencil, not just pencil.
2. City must have all the following Roman buildings and amenities, in areas that make them easy to access and use.

v  A wall around the city, with an arched gate facing each direction, as well as watch towers.

v  A road into the city, connecting it with the Roman road network

v  The city must be built to house 50,000 people, per Roman order

v  The city must be laid out in a grid pattern, and the streets must be named or numbered

v  An aquaduct connecting the city to a water supply, and fountains throughout the city to supply drinking water.  You need several reservoirs in the city to store the water

v  A central Forum for meetings

v  At least one large market and possibly some small ones in areas with high population

v  Enough public thermae, (Baths) for your citizens.

v  An amphitheater for gladiatorial contests, horseraces, and other entertainment

v  A theater for plays and performances

v  A section of town for the wealthier citizens

v  A section of town for the working people, with insula (apartment houses)

v  An armory for your soldiers and their equipment, and a stable for their horses

v  Any other buildings or businesses you feel would make the city better

v  Temples for the worship of the gods

v  Your own housing

3. You may work individually or in pairs.  If working in pairs, you will also need to do a floor plan and drawing of your house, using the traditional Roman design of walls, courtyard with atrium, surrounding rooms and gardens and whatever else you decide to put in.  It is NOT a fair division of labor for one person to design a whole city and the other to design only a house.
4. You need a compass rose, a  map key, and a scale showing the size of your city.
5. Project will be graded on whether or not you have all the structures listed above, on neatness and accuracy, and on creativity.  You do not have to color it, but it will look better if you do.  Neatness counts.
6. Project is worth 75 points.  Enjoy.  Late projects half off on second day, after that you will get a zero.