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1. The Pantheon, Rome, Italy (c.128 AD)
Rome's best preserved ancient monument - at 42 feet in diameter, its dome is still the largest unreinforced concrete dome ever built.
The secret of its longevity is only a recent discovery. Roman concrete includes calcium carbonate lumps called "lime clasts", which provide "self-healing" properties.
Water seeping in through cracks in the concrete has been shown to dissolve the calcium carbonate, creating a solution which then recrystallizes to plug the gaps.
2. The Maison carrée, Nîmes, France (c.2 AD)
Possibly the best-preserved Roman temple anywhere. It's also a textbook Roman temple, as described by the architectural writer Vitruvius. Built in the Corinthian order, it has a deep porch (portico) with six frontal columns (hexastyle) leading up to a triangular pediment.
Unsurprisingly, it provided the model for many neoclassical buildings around the world, including Thomas Jefferson's Virginia State Capitol building.
3. The Verona Arena, Verona, Italy (c.30 AD)
Verona's amphitheatre was built c.40 years before the Colosseum to host gladiators. Incredibly, it's still in use today as a concert venue, and its elliptical shape and tiered seating layout are remarkably similar to modern stadium designs.
At its height it could accommodate 30,000 people. It has been rocked by earthquakes during its history and was restored most notably during the Renaissance by the Venetian Republic.
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4. The Tower of Hercules, A Coruña, Spain (2nd Century AD)
The oldest lighthouse in the world, built by Emperor Trajan and modeled on the original plans for the Lighthouse of Alexandria. The tower was restored in the 18th century but the original Roman core remains highly visible.
In mythology, the construction site was the place of one of Hercules’ greatest victories - his defeat of the giant tyrant Geryon.
5. The Aqueduct of Segovia, Segovia, Spain (c.50 AD)
The mighty aqueduct in Segovia is among the best preserved Roman engineering feats - it was still being used as late as 1973.
The structure has been held together in perfect balance by gravity (no cement or mortar holding the stones together) for two millennia - each stone is perfectly shaped to fit tightly with the next.
6. Garni Temple, Garni, Armenia (c.77 AD)
Built at a mighty elevation of 4,600 feet, it's the "easternmost building of the Graeco-Roman world."
Slightly off-theme because the original building collapsed after an earthquake in 1679 and was rebuilt in the 20th century (albeit using the original stones).
The extent of Roman involvement in its construction is also debated. It was likely built by king Tiridates I with the support of Emperor Nero who provided him with Roman craftsmen.
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