List of ancient Greek and Roman roofs

Roof constructions increased in clear span as Greek and Roman engineering improved.

Most buildings in classical Greece were covered by traditional prop-and-lintel constructions, which often required interior colonnades for support.

In Sicily, truss roofs are believed to have appeared as early as 550 BC.

[1] Their potential was fully realized during the Roman Empire, which saw trussed roofs spanning over 30 meters in width, covering the rectangular spaces of monumental public buildings such as temples, basilicas, and later churches.

These spans were three times as large as the widest prop-and-lintel roofs and were only exceeded by the largest Roman domes.

The truss roof of the 4th-century church Old St. Peter's Basilica , Rome . The triangular frame of beams of the main nave is largely self-supporting, as the forces are carried along the beams rather than acting vertically on them.