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what are the differences between Roman and Greek Architecture?(ancient)?

and are they any good websites on this subject?

Public Comments

1. The largest difference between Greek and Roman architecture is that Roman architecture used curves throughout the building. The buildings usually contained domes and circular figures, and were circularly shaped throughout. A great majority of Greek architecture used straight lines, except for the columns.
2. The Architecture of Ancient Rome adopted the external language of classical Greek architecture for their own purposes, which were so different from Greek buildings as to create a new architectural style. The two styles are often considered one body of classical architecture. Just look both up on wikipedia... they both have extensive articles with links.
3. I think this one is best answered by the "which came first: the chicken or the egg?" Roman architecture was hardly original. In fact, they borrowed heavily from the Greeks and most of their buildings were in the Hellinistic style (which is the age of development in the Greek city-states after the death of Alexander).......even their famous "arch" is borrowed from the Etruscans. Ancient Roman architecure is therefore a fusion of Hellinistic Greek styles and Etruscan...... I think the difference would be in materails used....most structures in Rome and indeed some parts of the Ancient Roman world were made out of travetine marble, which is locally found. They were also the first to start using concrete widely and many non-public buildings are made out of concrete....that is how they were able to build appartments several stories high (what we might call a low-mid rise structure in today's terminology)
4. roman pillars expand in the middle to make them look big greek pillars have the grooves running virtically romans genernlly more advanced--they made aquducts ect.
5. The difference between Roman and Greek architecture is the arch - which the Romans had and the Greeks did not. The arch allowed the Romans to build larger and taller structures than the Greeks. So the Romans built on a more massive scale - including aquaducts that ran for miles. The use of circular buildings is Greek, but belongs in the Hellenistic period after the classical period. The Mausoleum of Halicarnasus is a prime example of a round Greek building. So round Roman buildings look non-Greek if you are comparing them to the classical Greek buildings and not the Hellenistic.
6. Romans got a lot of influence of Greeks architecture ( I don't want to say the copied it) they modified Greeks' styles, for example the Corinthians one, they had a more "queeny" additions. However, they create the arc. In addition to the use of arc, Romans invented the aqueduct, and had an excellent and well planned road system ( bridges included).