Name: Understanding Greek and Roman Technology: From Catapult to the Pantheon
Released: 2013-12-16T00:00:00.000Z
Cast: Stephen Ressler

Available on Prime Video

Ancient Greece and Rome are home to some of the most creative engineers; modern research is shedding new light on these wonders; buildings, infrastructure systems and machines; their impact on the evelopment of civilization.

Educational · 2013 · 32 min

Starring Stephen Ressler

EPISODE 1

Technology in the Classical World

An exploration of ancient Greek and Roman engineering; the technological edge that allows the Greeks to beat the Persians at the Battle of Salamis; a preview of an important piece of technology.

32 min · 1 June 2020
EPISODE 2

The Substance of Technology - Materials

The engineering materials available in classical antiquity; the simple physics of compression and tension; considering stone, wood, clay, copper, bronze and iron; the influence of their use and properties on technological systems.

28 min · 1 June 2020
EPISODE 3

From Quarry to Temple - Building in Stone

The journey of an important construction material; following a block of stone from a quarry to its final resting place in the wall of a Greek temple; how stone blocks are extracted from solid bedrock, moved many miles, and then fitted together.

30 min · 1 June 2020
EPISODE 4

Stone Masonry Perfected - The Greek Temple

A classical-era temple; the achievements of Hellenic civilization; its origins; its architectural consistency; the principles of Greek temple design; its structural limitations.

28 min · 1 June 2020
EPISODE 5

From Temple to Basilica - Timber Roof Systems

Why no wodden roof from a Greek temple has survived; how these structures are engineered; how Greek and later Roman architects cover large interior spaces with increasingly sophisticated timber roof systems.

30 min · 1 June 2020
EPISODE 6

Construction Revolution - Arches and Concrete

How the physics of the arch solves the problem of the tensile weakness of stone; how standard bricks and concrete greatly simplify and reduce the cost of monumental building; these technologies are the key to Rome's construction revolution.

34 min · 1 June 2020