ABSTRACT
If we want to argue for the strength of Roman influence, a key piece of evidence is pro vided by the role in early medieval architecture of the basilica, which was the dominant form of Roman buildings. A basilica is a rectangular building, generally with a rounded end (or apse) at one of the short sides. A spectacular surviving example is the emperor’s basilica in the Roman city of Trier (Germany), now used as a Protestant church, but in the Roman period a meeting-hall, in which the emperor’s throne was located in the apse to give it greater grandeur (Fig. 31).
