ADV History of the Arts Religion was extremely important during the Roman Empire, as the first Roman architects were priests. The priests would compose beautiful places exclusively for the gods. Many of these gods were adapted from other cultures, such as the Greeks (JCPS). This prevented uprisings in conquered territories. The Romans used many Greek ideas, but they used their own new materials and ideas to make the Roman Empire one of the most famous sites for extraordinary architecture. (Moulton, 56 v.1) the local population then worshiped in these places. The majority of public buildings in Rome consisted of temples intended to worship the gods. Roman architecture has influenced construction around the world and continues to do so today. Roman architecture was generally influenced by Roman religion, which is why Roman buildings were strongly religious. One of Rome's most impressive engineering achievements was the Pantheon. It is a Roman temple built by Emperor Hadrian, who reigned from 118 to 138 AD (Moulton, 94-95 v.3) and was dedicated to all the gods of pagan Rome ( DuTemple, 6). The Pantheon is dated back to the decade 118 to 128 AD. (Moulton, 94-95 v.3) The large concrete dome was one of the most notable features of the Pantheon. (Moulton, 56 v.1) The interior of the dome of the Pantheon is where the oculus is located, this is where the light was emitted, not only did the oculus illuminate the interior, but it also made the Pantheon structurally stronger. The Pantheon included columns, vaults, and domes to give it a rare design that amazes people around the world (DuTemple, 40). President Thomas Jefferson looked to the Pantheon when designing the ...... middle of paper ......atican. It was considered sacred because Christians believed that Saint Peter had been crucified. A large church was dedicated to St. Peter in the Vatican after Constantine's conversion to Christianity. “The church's altar was located directly above an early Christian shrine believed to mark the saint's burial site. Many other buildings developed around this church, connected to the center of Rome by a street lined with columns. This street has become a sacred path for Christians. (Moulton, 113-114 v.4) “The Romans are also known for their design of buildings called basilicas – rectangular meeting rooms with semi-circular apses (usually at one end), interior colonnades and tall clerestory windows. -way. » (JCPS) One of the most influential basilicas of the time was St. Peter's Basilica, which today is the center of the Roman Catholic religion (Moulton, 113-114 v..4).