This thesis investigates the Flavian Amphitheatre, better known as the Colosseum, in its relation to setting, symbolic meaning and its afterlife. Crucial to the discussion is the ancient art of memory, through which the Colosseum&rsquo / s ambivalent role as a means of Imperial power is elucidated. Equally important, the buildings&rsquo / iconographic connotations are studied in terms of the architectural orders employed on the fa&ccedil / ade. The Colosseum&rsquo / s extended use and its later emblematic significance comprise the concluding discussion of the thesis.

This thesis investigates the formal aspects of the bath-gymnasium complex plan type which was developed in Asia Minor during the Roman era in relation to the development of the the imperial thermae in Rome, the capital city of the Roman Empire. Close resemblances in the architectural configuration of bath-gymnasium complexes and imperial thermae are analyzed in order to provide complementary insight concernin the evolution of Roman bath architecture and bathing tradition. The comparative investigation of the formal aspects of the plan types reveals the contribution of Asia Minor and its role in influencing the architectural developments in the capital. The thesis concentrates on the development of the bath-gymnasium complex plan type in Asia Minor and the imperial thermae in Rome in order to elucidate the outcomes of mutual influence in criss-crossing Greek and Italic features. Crucial to this investigation ,s the understanding of the multiple effects of historical processes such as Hellenization, Romanization and urbanization that were synthesized in the bath architecture of the capital and the provinces. Also, the symbolic, cosmological, and political aspects of Roman bath architecture are highlighted ,n this thesis.