Athenian cultural dominance continued throughout the Roman period, and the buildings added to the Agora reflect the educational role of the city, a role that ended only with the closing of the pagan philosophical schools by the Christian emperor Justinian in A.D. 529.
Bearing, in machine construction, a connector (usually a support) that permits the connected members to rotate or to move in a straight line relative to one another. Often one of the members is fixed, and the bearing acts as a support for the moving member. Most bearings support rotating shafts against either transverse (radial) or thrust (axial) loads.
Beam Bearing on Concrete. Last Revised: 06/16/2011. A bearing plate takes the reaction of a steel beam and distributes that force over a larger area that is made of a material that is not as strong as steel. The action is essentially the same as a footing that distributes a large load to softer soil.