Background Info on the Pantheon
The Building Itself
Front of Pantheon with dedication to Agrippa
The Pantheon as we know it today was built by the Emperor Hadrian from 118-125 AD. It was meant to replace the Pantheon commissioned by Agrippa at the time of Augustus because the original burned down in 80 AD. For this reason, Hadrian had Agrippa's name and dedication inscripted on the pediment. The structure is made of pozzolana cement. This is a strong cement that the Romans created by combining lime with igneous rock from Pozzuoli in southwest Italy. The bottom base contained basalt, and the higher areas were constructed using lighter pumice. The purpose of the Pantheon was to serve as a temple to all the gods of the Roman religion.
The Architect
Bust of Apollodorus. He had a nose in real life...
The Pantheon is thought to have been designed by Apollodorus of Damascus, a Greek engineer. Most of his work was done under Trajan, and some of his designs include Trajan's Column and Forum, as well as a bridge over the Danube River. Although he contributed greatly to design of the Pantheon, he was banished by Hadrian in 130 AD over a disagreement regarding a temple design.
What's so unique about the Pantheon?
Da Dome
It only has the largest unreinforced concrete dome in the world...no big deal. Despite modern architectural developments and technology, no dome has yet surpassed the Pantheon dome in terms of height, width, and overall area. This astounds many architects, as this dome was built without the aid of modern building technology or machines. The Pantheon's revolutionary dome design, as well as its easily recognizable portico, influenced probably more future building designs than any other ancient structure (see later sections).