Midterm Flashcards
triumph
Who Built it: Began with Romulus
Purpose/Function: Triumph is a celebration march following a victory from the leading general. A person who celebrates the triumph is a trumpeter and becomes the highest class. This march also goes throughout Rome. There is a triumphal arch on the triumphal route,
Where: All throughout Rome on the triumphal route
When: 8th century BC
Larger Significance: religious procession, would march this route to praise and thank Jupiter
obelisk
Who Built it: Augustus brought from Egypt
Purpose/Function: specific one isused to figure out the days of the year, casts a shadow on the ground at noon to show what day, many obleisks are decorations in an area, tall pointed pillar
Where: from Egypt, brought multiple from egypt and set up all over rome
When:1st century BC
Larger Significance: brought from egypt and used in rome, augustus showed how he conquered this area and proved it by bringing these to rome
pontifex maximus
Who Built it: Early people in rome came up with the title
Purpose/Function: sacred office, Augustus assumes this role in his lifetime, head priest of Roman system, elected office, powerful office, this person would choose the vestil virgins
Where: in Rome
When: Augustus adopted this title in the 1st century BC
Larger Significance: showed how religious leaders had political power
pediment
Who Built it: ancient greeks used pediments and then was adopted by romans for things such as the building of the pantheon
Purpose/Function: A triangle shape created by the roof, a sculpture is usually placed here, this is usually found above a column, made from 2 sloping cornices
Where: part of doric and ionic orders
When: pediments seen in building as early as 6th century BC
Larger Significance: decorative for the builidng
spolia
Who Built it: architectures used spolia for decorations
Purpose/Function: reused pieces of something for a new purpose, colored columns and stones created this way
Where: examples of this seen on the arch of constantine
When: 4th century
Larger Significance: not original architecture but using previous peices in a new way
basilica
Who Built it: Septemius Severus began construction, Caracella completed it
Purpose/Function: used for civic purposes in ancient rome, later used for chirstian worship, public building for legal and other civic proceedings, rectangular,
Where: many, but first was in the east end of the roman forum
When: 3rd century BC
Larger Significance: multiple purposes, structure modified when it went from a public space for civil proceedings to a religious space during the reign of constantine
damnatio memoriae
Who Built it: Caligula suffered this first, seneatorial decree
Purpose/Function: senatorial decree damning a persons memory, those who suffered this had their portraits destoryed ir defaced and their names erased from public monuments, when domitian died the senate condemned his memory, Caligula suffered this first
Where: Roman Senate
When: 1st century AD
Larger Significance: That person was a ruler, but was erased from history, buildings erected in their honor were redirected and their statues had the heads removed and new ones placed on top, try to erase this person from history
acanthus
Who Built it: plant, but also carved by sculptors
Purpose/Function: acanthus leaves, weed that grows with big leaves, used by the Romans as oriental leaves, often carved into art, example is on the Altar of peace
Where: plant but also found in the corinthean order capital
When: first used by greeks and eventually used in roman art on friezes
Larger Significance: symbolized sense of hope because it returns each year
baths of agrippa
Who built it: Agrippa
Purpose/Function: giant spa complex, socialization
Where: Campus Martius
When: 1st century BC
Larger Significance: first public baths made in Rome, before this only private baths existed and you had to pay
Theater of Pompey
Who built it: Pompey
Purpose/Function: built it as his own monument, built out of tuff and concrete, 4 sided colonnade and planted trees around it to create shade
Where: in a flood plain, Campus Martius
When: 1st century BC
Larger Significance: first permanent theater built in massive flood plain
Arch of Constantine
Who built it: Constantine
Purpose/Function: triumphal arch on the triumphal route, built after his victory, triple passageway, largest erected in rome since the severen dynasty, shows battles from war on the frieze, has emperor on top,
Where: placed near the sun god statue, in the shadow of the colosseum
When: 3rd century
Larger Significance: first arch to openly commemorate a victory over another roman, honored a god but did not name it making us believe it is the christian god, parts of arch were from reused things, some taken from the monuments of trajan
markets of trajan
Who built it: Appollodorus
Purpose/Function: vertical high rises built of concrete, no one knows what these were used for, could have been an administrative center
Where: Quirinal Hill overlooking the forum
When: 2nd century AD
Larger Significance: transformation of a natural slope to a multilevel complex using concrete
Flavian Amphitheater
Who built it: Vespasian
Purpose/Function: Colosseum, largest arena for gladitorial combats and other lavish spectacles, name is because of its location next to the Colossus of Nero, animal hunts, gladiators were professional fights usually slaves, owners rented them out for profit, often become disguised executions (criminals sent without training and were killed)
Where: artificial lake on grounds of Nero’s Domus Aurea, next to colossus of Nero
When: 1st century AD
Larger Significance: built with concrete, largest and most important ampitheater in the world, spectacles held here greater than anywhere else
Pantheon
Who built it: Agrippa,
Purpose/Function: circular structure, temple, destroyed by a fire and rebuilt by domitian, caught fire again, reconstruction started by trajan and finished by hadrian, housed statue of the gods and the living emperor, now used as a church, 3 pantheons, open dome for natural light to come in
Where: Campus martius
When:1st century BC
Larger Significance: best preserved building in antiquity, most influential designs in architect history, ancient worlds largest dome
Roman Forum
Who built it: Augustus, paid homage to his adoptive father by completing some of caesars projects in the forum
Purpose/Function: major public ceremonial square of the city, had houses within, temples erected here, Augustus made his fathers shrine a center piece to the forum
Where: between the palatine and capitoline hil
When:1st century BC
Larger Significance: Augustus paid homage to adoptive father by completing this projects
Temple of Divus Julius
Who built it: Augustus
Purpose/Function: honor his father Julius Ceasar
Where: Roman Forum, center
When:1st century BC
Larger Significance: part of the forum along with other temples allowed this space to be a venerable center to roman public life
Column of Trajan
Who built it: Trajan
Purpose/Function: built for Trajan when he was emperor, product of warfare, symbol of victory, Trajan burried inside, 128 ft tall, toped with statue of emperor at one point, statue of st peter replaced it,
Where: roman forum
When: 2nd century AD
Larger Significance: Most poeple buried outside of town, big deal that trajan was buried here, reliefs covering the column, low reliefs here showing the war, symbolizes warefare and victory
opus sectile
Who Built it: used by artists and architects often in churches
Purpose/function: pieces of colored stones and marble cut up and put into designs, used on floors and on walls
Where: foors and walls in roman areas
When: used before 2nd century BC
Larger Significance: using pieces of broken materials to make a beautiful piece of art
travertine
Who Built it: architectures used this stone for building
Purpose/function: stone, endures for centuries, streaky, lots of imperfections, concretionary, sedimentary limestone
Where: many buildings and temples throughout rome, in columns
When: 2nd century BC
Larger Significance: was better then tuff, easy to access because found near rome
concrete
Who Built it: romans created there own “recipe” of concrete
Purpose/function: lime powder, water, volcanic sand and it hardens, often covered with something else
Where: found in Naples
When: 2nd century BC
Larger Significance: very strong compared to tuff used previously, less costly, fire resistant and could be used for architectural shapes that couldnt be done before
Pentelic Marble
Who Built it: architects and artists
Purpose/function: decoration, for building
Where: sculptures and strucutres, prettier then rough stone
When: 2nd century BC
Larger Significance: first kind of marble introduced to romans
Late Republic
Who Built it: Julius Ceasar ruled during this time
Purpose/function: influx of vast wealth from conquest of Mediterranean basin leads to collapse of oligarchy, Julius Ceasar ruled during this period, numidean yellow became a staple, basilica Julia was built in this time
Where: Rome
When: 200-31 BC
Larger Significance: period of roman history
empire
Purpose/function: roman world ruled by emperors
Where: rome
When: 31 BC- AD 337
Larger Significance: roman period of hisotry and rulers
late antiquity
Purpose/function: barbarian invasions, christianization, disintegration and transformation
Where: Rome
When: AD 337-600
Larger Significance: part of roman history
Julius Ceasar
Purpose/function: emperor who was a champion of the people, became very rich and made himself dictator for life, was eventually stabbed by 23 of his supporters, adopted Augustus to continue in his path
When: 1st century BC
M. Agrippa
Purpose/function: talented military person who wasn’t from Italy, led most of Octavian’s battles, interested in urban organization and urban amenities; builds giant spa (The Baths of the Romans)
When: 1st century BC
Augustus
Purpose/function: first person to put his face all over Rome, spreads portraits into every empire, revolutionizes coins by making messages about his power/ family wealth, brings in colored stones in order to enhance buildings
When: 1st century BC
Nero
Purpose/function: He accused Christian’s of the fire in AD 64. After this he starts a bigger palace project. He committed sucicde. He is important because he shows that Christian’s were starting to get persecuted for their beliefs.
When: 1st century AD
Vespassian
Purpose/function: He built the temple of peace (the forum). It was like a museum for the people of Rome to see
When: 1st century AD
Domitian
Purpose/function: He was the son of Aspasian. He was assassinated so Nerva got credit for the forum he was building. He used the palatine hill as his personal property and turns it into a palace of the emperors.
When:1st century AD
Trajan
Purpose/function: builds biggest and most ambitious forum with a massive ride of rock that was as high as the statue we see today; at time was the biggest Basilica in Roma and had gray granite.
When: 2nd century AD
Hadrian
Purpose/function: There was a mausoleum build for Hadrian, it was finished after his death. Hadrian wanted to be in the same ranks as Augustus. He ended up as a defied entity
When: 1st century AD
Maxentius
Purpose/function: He declared himself an emperor but he really wasn’t. He was ruling illegally. He tried to make Rome important again. He got killed by Constantine in the battle of Milvan Bridge
When: 3rd Century AD
Constantine
Purpose/function: Won and attributed his victory to the Christian god. Important because he made the Roman empire have religious freedom.
When: Early 4th century during civil war
Larger Significance: emperor who made roman empire have religious freedom
Ara Pacis, Altar of Peace
Who built it: Augustus
Purpose/Function: monument celebrates what most romans regarded as Augustus most important achievement, the establishment of peace, panels on the outside decorated with art and acanthus plants, mythelogical fugures showing Roma ?
When: 1st century BC
Where: Via del Corso originally but was excavated and moved next to the emperors tomb, made of luna marble
Larger significance: Augustus most important achievement which was the establishment of peace
Basilica Nova
Who built it: Maxentius started it beofore died, Constantine completed it
Purpose function: constantine dedicated this basilica to himself and installed his own portrait in the spot where Mazentius was going to put a statue for himself, brick face with concrete walls, quite large, lots of natural light allowed in
When: 4th century AD
Where: Via Sacra near the Temple of Venus and Roma, in Roman Forum
Larger Significance: no building of this size has been erected in the capital for hndreds of years, 1st basilica to be constructed in the city center since Trajan
Commodus as Hercules
Who built it:
Purpose/function: Commodos was remembered as a tyrannical ruler, comodous considered himself to be hercules and made the senate name him Hercules Romanus which declared him a God and he wanted to rename rome Colonia Commodiana, holds Herculese club in his right hand and wears hero lions headdress, holds apples in left hand that hercules had to obtain as the last of his 12 labors
When: 2nd century AD
Where: Capitoline museum
Larger Significance: He was considered a tyrant leader but was able to get the senate to decree that he was a god
Basilica SS Cosmas and Damian
Who built it: a pope
Purpose/function: church dedicated to st. cosmas and st damian, they were brothers, chirstian builidng, chirstians prayed to them for healing
When: 4th century
Where: Roman Forum
Larger significance: chirsitanity symbol of 2 brothers in contrast to paganism symbols of this time
Marcus Aurelius Sacrificing Relief Panel
Who built it: Marcus Aurelius, from a lost arch
Purpose/function: from an arch, commemoroate a wide range of imperial achievements, Marcus performs rites in honor of Jupitor after conclusion of a successful military campaign, in front of gods chief temple on capitoline hill,
When: 2nd century AD
Where: Palazzo dei Conservatori on Capitoline hill
Larger Significance: From an old arch and was preserved and not placed on constantines arch like some of the other reliefs
Equestrian Statue of Marcus Aurelius
Who built it: Pope Paul III
Purpose/function: guilded bronze equestrian statue, centerpiece selected by Pope Paul III for Michealnagelos new design for capitoline hill Museum, inspired many renaissance patrons to commission sculptures to portray them on horseback, mistakenly thought to portray Constantine, Marcus making a motion that he will not slay his foe but will spare him, marcus doesnt wear battle armour in this statue
When: 2nd century AD
Where: Capitoline Museum
Larger significance: most bronze statues were melted down and used but this one remained, statue conveys awe inspiring power of roman emperor
Mithraeum of San Clemente
Who built it: temple built by romans
Purpose/function: shrine dedicated to mithras, opening to natural light source always looking at sun, mithras holding a bull and unleashes his blood which means unleashing life itself
When: 2nd century AD
Where: Basilica San Clemente
Larger significance: probably a large number of followers which is why this was preserved, honor mithra the bull slayer
Obelisk of Montecitorio
Who built it: brought from Egypt by Augustus
Purpose/function: helps to tell the day of the year
When: 27 BCE-14 CE, 1st century BC
Where: Piazza di Monte Citorio
Larger significance: architecture uses the sun so they knew what day of the year it was
Triumphal Arch at Santa Maria Marggiore
Who built it: Pope Sixtus III
Purpose/function: first church in rome dedicated to the virgin mary, this arch has seens of chirst and mary, different from previous tirumphal arches, this is to honor chirsitain figures, rulers were thought of as symbols of light and peace, here it is for the real light and peace
When: 5th century AD
Where: Basilica Santa Maria Marggiore, Esquiline hill
Larger significance: arches used to symbolize victory from war
Republic
Who Built it:
Purpose/function: oligarchy in charge of the state, everyone is eligible to become part of majesty, 2 top jobs are the consoles, rome ruled by aristocratic families and builds and empire in italy and elsewhere
Where: Rome
When: 509-31 BC
Larger Significance: a period of roman history
