The Romans only began to achieve significant originality in architecture around the beginning of the Imperial period, after they had combined aspects of their originally Etruscan architecture with others taken from Greece, including most elements of the style we now call classical architecture. They moved from trabeated construction mostly based on columns and lintels to one based on massive walls, punctuated by arches, and later domes, both of which greatly developed under the Romans. The classical orders now became largely decorative rather than structural, except in colonnades. Stylistic developments included the Tuscan and Composite orders; the first being a shortened, simplified variant on the Doric order and the Composite being a tall order with the floral decoration of the Corinthian and the scrolls of the Ionic. The period from roughly 40 BC to about 230 AD saw most of the greatest achievements, before the Crisis of the Third Century and later troubles reduced the wealth and organizing power of the central governments.
the romans only began to achieve significant originality in architecture around the beginning of the imperial period after they had combined aspects of their originally etruscan architecture with others taken from greece including most elements of the style we now call classical architecture they moved from trabeated construction mostly based on columns and lintels to one based on massive walls punctuated by arches and later domes both of which greatly developed under the romans the classical orders now became largely decorative rather than structural except in colonnades stylistic developments included the tuscan and composite orders; the first being a shortened simplified variant on the doric order and the composite being a tall order with the floral decoration of the corinthian and the scrolls of the ionic the period from roughly 40 bc to about 230 ad saw most of the greatest achievements before the crisis of the third century and later troubles reduced the wealth and organizing power of the central governments