#4
The Romans created urban centers that looked and functioned much like our urban centers do today. Pick an example of an actual coliseum, arena, or civic center in your area. Describe its style and function as if it were a Roman building in a Roman city.

Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia could be compared to the Roman basilicas. These buildings were large, served many functions, and demonstrated the practicality of the Romans. Philips Arena opened in 1999 and is one of the top multi-use facilities in the world. Its maximum capacity is 21,000 people. It serves as the home of the Atlanta Hawks of the NBA, Atlanta dream of the WNBA, and then easily transforms into an ice rink used by the Atlanta Thrashers. In addition to sports, many other types of events are held at Philips Arena, such as musicals, plays, concerts, comedy shows, and evangelistic events. I have attended all of these events and Philips Arena is a part of many of my childhood memories.

If Philips Arena were a Roman basilica, it would serve many purposes. This is where people would go when they wanted to do inside group activities. When you enter you would be in a long hall with a large variety of shops and booths on each side of you. People would be buying and selling products and services. It would also be one of the city’s main meeting places. People would be standing in groups having conversations. As you walk through the hall with the shops, you would see doors every few feet on either side. These doors would lead to meeting rooms and a huge auditorium. Inside the auditorium politicians would give speeches and judges would hear court cases. Philips Arena would have been one of the most important Roman buildings. (253)