Sculpture and painting of the Republican period, initially reflected Etruscan influences. As the empire expanded, exposure to other cultures and the art of Greece reflected a more eclectic style. The building of religious buildings and palaces was of importance, but also they began to concentrate on the needs of the whole community, of the ordinary people, for which they developed new building forms, new structural principles and new building materials. The most important development in this period was that of concrete. Concrete in contrast to stone, was