Why did ancient Rome’s buildings fall to ruin?

Ancient marvels lost to memory

Ancient marvels lost to memory, The Forum of Nerva, Born from myth, Reshaping power’s future, Building cities, Palaces of leisure, The empire that swallowed continents, A slow decay, The hollowing of a great city, No people, no purpose, Reconstruction without cause, A dome that won’t give in, The chemistry of durability, Earthquakes

Few of Rome’s architectural triumphs remain today, victims of a Middle Ages that couldn't replicate or preserve them. That’s because a pivotal Roman technology, once essential, had vanished from memory for centuries.

The Forum of Nerva

Ancient marvels lost to memory, The Forum of Nerva, Born from myth, Reshaping power’s future, Building cities, Palaces of leisure, The empire that swallowed continents, A slow decay, The hollowing of a great city, No people, no purpose, Reconstruction without cause, A dome that won’t give in, The chemistry of durability, Earthquakes

The once grand and vibrant Forum of Nerva, for example, fell into decay after Rome’s fall. It turned into marshland over time, and became home to crude houses for generations. Now, only the ghostly remains of its foundations remain.

Born from myth

Ancient marvels lost to memory, The Forum of Nerva, Born from myth, Reshaping power’s future, Building cities, Palaces of leisure, The empire that swallowed continents, A slow decay, The hollowing of a great city, No people, no purpose, Reconstruction without cause, A dome that won’t give in, The chemistry of durability, Earthquakes

Legend tells that Romulus founded Rome in 753 BCE, but what started as a myth soon transformed into a powerful city-state with unmatched ambition and military might.

Reshaping power’s future

Ancient marvels lost to memory, The Forum of Nerva, Born from myth, Reshaping power’s future, Building cities, Palaces of leisure, The empire that swallowed continents, A slow decay, The hollowing of a great city, No people, no purpose, Reconstruction without cause, A dome that won’t give in, The chemistry of durability, Earthquakes

Ambitious and adored, Julius Caesar disrupted republican order, centralizing power and triggering civil wars. His assassination in 44 BCE couldn’t stop the momentum, as Rome was ready for emperors to guide its fate through imperial rule.

Building cities

Ancient marvels lost to memory, The Forum of Nerva, Born from myth, Reshaping power’s future, Building cities, Palaces of leisure, The empire that swallowed continents, A slow decay, The hollowing of a great city, No people, no purpose, Reconstruction without cause, A dome that won’t give in, The chemistry of durability, Earthquakes

Roman cities were marvels of planning, featuring grids of stone streets, aqueducts channeling water, amphitheaters for spectacle, and forums for commerce. Each colony echoed Rome itself, and architectural sophistication was spread across the known world.

Palaces of leisure

Ancient marvels lost to memory, The Forum of Nerva, Born from myth, Reshaping power’s future, Building cities, Palaces of leisure, The empire that swallowed continents, A slow decay, The hollowing of a great city, No people, no purpose, Reconstruction without cause, A dome that won’t give in, The chemistry of durability, Earthquakes

Roman baths weren’t just for hygiene; they were social hubs. The Baths of Caracalla, for one, housed libraries, gardens, and gyms. Elaborate heating systems known as hypocausts warmed water and floors, which shows how Roman luxury was oftentimes fused with engineering brilliance.

The empire that swallowed continents

Ancient marvels lost to memory, The Forum of Nerva, Born from myth, Reshaping power’s future, Building cities, Palaces of leisure, The empire that swallowed continents, A slow decay, The hollowing of a great city, No people, no purpose, Reconstruction without cause, A dome that won’t give in, The chemistry of durability, Earthquakes

At its peak, Rome's empire stretched from Britain to Egypt, spanning over 1.9 million sq miles (five million sq km). This vastness required sophisticated administration, roads, and unity in law, culture, and architecture.

A slow decay

Ancient marvels lost to memory, The Forum of Nerva, Born from myth, Reshaping power’s future, Building cities, Palaces of leisure, The empire that swallowed continents, A slow decay, The hollowing of a great city, No people, no purpose, Reconstruction without cause, A dome that won’t give in, The chemistry of durability, Earthquakes

The Western Roman Empire eroded as it was taken over by internal decay, leadership struggles, and financial strain. The city of Rome was ultimately sacked by the Visigoths in 410 CE, and within 60 years the Western emperor was officially dethroned.

The hollowing of a great city

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But the primary culprit of Rome’s ruins was population collapse. As the empire fell, urban demographics followed suit. Rome once housed a population of around 800,000 before it was sacked in 410 CE, and fewer than 30,000 remained by 600 CE.

No people, no purpose

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With cities shrinking and luxuries forgotten, great structures were abandoned. Earthquakes shattered them, weather wore them down, and scavengers stripped their marble for lime.

Reconstruction without cause

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Most ruins weren’t resurrected because there was simply no reason to. The needs of the time had shifted. But even when there was motive to maintain the architecture, some structures were impossible for medieval people to recreate.

A dome that won’t give in

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Two millennia later, the Pantheon still boasts the world’s largest unreinforced concrete dome. New findings in 2022 uncovered its secret: Roman concrete contains quicklime in the mix that allows it to 'heal' itself when cracks form.

The chemistry of durability

Ancient marvels lost to memory, The Forum of Nerva, Born from myth, Reshaping power’s future, Building cities, Palaces of leisure, The empire that swallowed continents, A slow decay, The hollowing of a great city, No people, no purpose, Reconstruction without cause, A dome that won’t give in, The chemistry of durability, Earthquakes

The concrete used to build Rome’s structures contain lumps of calcium carbonate called “lime clasts,” which was once believed to be a sign of poor mixing. Experts now know that when water enters cracks in the concrete these react with the calcium carbonate, which forms a solution that recrystallizes and seals the damage like a living material.

Earthquakes

Ancient marvels lost to memory, The Forum of Nerva, Born from myth, Reshaping power’s future, Building cities, Palaces of leisure, The empire that swallowed continents, A slow decay, The hollowing of a great city, No people, no purpose, Reconstruction without cause, A dome that won’t give in, The chemistry of durability, Earthquakes

Natural disasters also played a brutal role in the destruction of architectural marvels. Earthquakes or volcanic eruptions in places like Pompeii and Constantinople shook monumental buildings to the ground. Lacking the modern tools to rebuild, locals often scavenged ruins rather than restoring them.

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