Midterm 2 Flashcards
ANCIENT ROME AND THE AENID
Mythical founding of Rome!
Dome
Curved structure which has no angles and no corners and can enclose a massive amount of space
Concrete
Allowed for greater flexibility in design and significantly reduces construction time. Water-resistant and can harden underwater, making it vital for constructing roads, arches, aqueducts, and domes.
Arch
Architectural feature (often using a cornerstone) that compresses weight down and outwards while creating open space
Vault
Tunnels / ceilings created out of many arches
Caesar Augustus
Octavius Thurinus, later known as Julius Caesar Augustus (63 BCE – 14 CE), was the FIRST EMPEROR OF ROME and the grand-nephew and adopted son of Julius Caesar.
Master of messaging – using oration, art, and literature to boost his position and popularity as emperor
Initiated the Pax Romana (200 years of peace) after many years of war
Verism
Extreme realism (over-exaggerated wrinkles and scars in sculpture) meant to glorify the experience and wisdom of Romans
Romulus
A legendary figure in Roman mythology, credited as the founder and first king of Rome. According to the traditional accounts, he and his twin brother, Remus, were the sons of Rhea Silvia and Mars, the god of war. He symbolizes the strength, resilience, and martial prowess that Rome valued.
Remus
A crucial figure in the city’s mythic origins. His story emphasizes themes of brotherhood, rivalry, and tragedy. The tale of Remus’s death at the hands of his brother Romulus serves as a poignant reminder of the costs of ambition and the complexities of leadership and power.
Capitoline She-Wolf
Female wolf that took care of and fed Romulus and Remus. Now a huge Roman symbol!
Bust
Shoulder-Up Portrayal of a Person (ex: Capitoline Brutus)
Aeneas
REPRESENTS ROME
(reason/duty/control = civilized)
Destiny: his fate is to bring his people to Italy and found a city (his descendants would eventually found Rome). Embodiment of Pietas: chooses to leave his city and Dido out of duty
Juno is the goddess that impedes his journey. She does not like Aeneas because she hates the Trojans, and her favorite City is Carthage, which is where Dido is from.
Dido
REPRESENTS CARTHAGE
(emotion/irrationality = barbaric)
Great leader and very similar story to Aeneas initially. In the beginning, she is very similar to Aeneas (pietas)
- Builds up the flourishing city of Carthage after her husband dies when she was queen.
- Has many marriage proposals, but chooses to take care of her people instead
Maintains pietas until she is hit with cupid’s arrow and falls in love with Aeneas
Leaves her duties with Carthage to pursue this relationship (turns from “Pietas” to “Furur”)
Virgil uses Dido as a contrast to Aeneas.
Virgil
Author of The Aeneid. Virgil and Augustus wanted to give Rome a national, foundational story like the Iliad and Odyssey for the Greeks. On his deathbed, Virgil asked that the Aeneid be burned, and scholars are unsure why.
- Debate over whether Virgil was trying to justify the actions of Caesar Augustus and the Roman empire or to question them
Epicureanism
The aim of life is to seek pleasure (finding balance between two extremes that cause pain).
* Pleasure = Absence of pain
(desires & cares lead to pain)
* Highest pleasures are of the mind
* Generally avoided community involvement & political efforts
(because they cause pain lol)
* BELIEF IN ATOMS & MOLECULES (both body and soul) -> NO AFTERLIFE & NO RESURRECTION
Contrapposto
(Italian: “opposite”), in the visual arts, a sculptural scheme, originated by the ancient Greeks, in which the standing human figure is poised such that the weight rests on one leg (called the engaged leg), freeing the other leg, which is bent at the knee.
Stoicism
Most popular philosophy in Rome! (very practical way of living)
* Originated in Greece
* Mind over circumstances; we control our own happiness
* Logic and reason are the greatest good
* Originally very community-based, but now it is reemerging in an individualistic light
* Universe is ordered by divine reason (Logos), and a man cannot change the course of events
* No thing is “good” or “bad”. The only true good is the reasoning/judgement/motives behind our actions
* We should accept the things we cannot control and control our emotional reactions as we seek virtue
* Not concerned about the afterlife
Aqueduct
A watercourse constructed to carry water from a source to a distribution point far away
Triumphal Arch
A monumental structure pierced by at least one arched passageway and erected to honor an important person or to commemorate a significant event–OFTEN A WAR VICTORY.
Pietas
Duty to gods, state and family
-> “peity”
Relief Sculpture
Sculptures that are still attached. A type of art where figures are carved into a flat surface, creating a three-dimensional form that projects from the background
Laocoon
A Trojan priest of Apollo or Poseidon, tried to warn the Trojans about the wooden horse by saying “Beware of Greeks bearing gifts” and proving that the horse was hollow by throwing a spear at it. The gods favored the Greeks, so they sent two giant serpents to kill him and his two sons.
Augustus of Prime Porfa
Statue that Caesar Augustus looking like a powerful military leader and orator (includes cupid on a dolphin (Venus) -> CLAIMING DESCENT FROM THE GODS)
The Colosseum
Amphitheater built FOR THE PEOPLE by Emperor Vespasian on Nero’s grounds
Paid for with spoils of Jewish War
“Colosseum” actually referred to its proximity to a giant statue of Nero next to the amphitheater (this statue was later turned into Apollo)
Hypogeum: place under the stage to store animals and props. includes lots of trap doors to bring stuff up
The Pantheon
Temple to all the gods
Pan=many
Theos=gods
MASSIVE DOME
(oculus = open air)
Columns are one piece
Could accommodate a perfect sphere
Street level now
Why is the Capitoline She-Wolf so significant to Romans? From which story does it come?
1200 BCE - Aeneas flees the city of Troy at the end of the Trojan War and eventually settles in Alba Longa in Italy (Story of “The Aeneid”)
750 BCE - Romulus and Remus (descendants of Aeneas) are taken from Alba Longa as babies. They are rescued and nurtured by the She-Wolf then Romulus is accredited for founding Rome (after killing his brother Remus).
What type of government did the Romans have during the Republican period?
Representative Democracy
(much like the U.S.)
During the 500 years before Imperial Rome
How did the verism of the Roman Republic differ from Classical Greek sculpture?
Verism is very real, whereas classical is very ideal
What major architectural innovations did the Romans employ?
Concrete
The Arch
The Vault
The Dome
Urban Planning & Infrastructure
(grid layouts, aqueducts, roads, sewage)
How did the Aeneid serve to justify and legitimize Caesar Augustus’ position as the Emperor of Rome?
Virgil created the idea that Rome has had a destiny to become this great city. He helps to legitimize Caesar Augustus’ position by justifying all the bad stuff that Augustus did.
What virtues or attributes did the Romans most admire? How do we see these virtues and attributes exhibited in the Aeneid?
Pietas – duty to gods, state, and family
Gravitas – seriousness, sense of responsibility
Dignitas – dignity, self-respect
Virtus – courage, virtue, self-control
Aneas was a great fighter and wanted to stay in the war, but out of duty to the Gods he left
Why does Aeneas leave Dido? What does Aeneas represent? What does Dido represent?
Aeneas leaves Dido because of his duty (pietas) to the gods. He represents a civil man and dido represents the opposite (a barbaric lovestruck woman)
Who came up with the plan for the Trojan Horse? Why did the Trojans let the horse in?
The Cunning Odysseus
The Trojans let the horse in because Sinon told them that they would be foiling the Greek’s plan. Minerva (Roman Athena) helped build the horse in order to destroy Troy
What happened to Laocoon and his sons? Why?
The gods had already destined Troy to be destroyed, so when Laocoon and his sons try to warn Troy, they are Attacked by snakes sent by the gods
How did Caesar Augustus use art to promote his political image and the image of Rome?
His art persuaded others to believe that he was advocating for and protecting the democratic republic. He wanted everyone to think he was bringing them peace!
What are some of the major beliefs of stoicism? Epicureanism? Where did these philosophies originate?
Stoicism: originated in Athens
- virtue is the highest good
- emotional resilience
- fate and rationality (logic)
- interconnectedness
Epicureanism: originated in Athens
- pleasure is the highest good
- simple living (knowledge, friendship, love)
- absence of fear
- learning is a pleasurable experience
What happened to Pompeii/Herculaneum? Why is this event so significant to archeologists and art historians?
Huge volcano erupted and left both of these cities completely covered in ash. This is so significant because much of the architecture and art has been very well preserved after being left for thousands of years untouched!
What was the Colosseum used for? Why was it built?
Used for animal hunts, execution of prisoners, gladiator fights, naval battles
What does the name “Pantheon” mean? Why is it significant architecturally?
Pan = all
Theion = gods
Pantheon = all the gods
Architectural Significance: innovative use of concrete with the dome and oculus which has influenced architectural styles for centuries
THE NEW TESTAMENT AND EARLY CHRISTIANITY
Northern Kingdom of Israel destroyed by Assyrians:
“Scattering of Israel” -> Lost Tribes
Southern Kingdom of Israel taken captive by Babylonians:
“Babylonian Captivity” -> 1st Temple Destroyed
Pharisees
Pious Jews who believed in strict observance of the law of Moses and Jewish traditions and rituals. They SAW ORAL AND WRITTEN TRADITION AS EQUAL in authority (Matthew 23:23)
Sadducees
Elite, aristocratic group of Jewish elders who held great administrative power (especially over the temple). They REJECTED ANYTHING NOT EXPLICITLY WRITTEN in the law of Moses. They rejected the idea of angels, resurrection, immortality, final judgement, etc. The Sadducees were heavily influenced by Greek culture (Mark 12:18, Luke 20:27)
Scribes
Educated men who were looked to as interpreters and teachers of the law of Moses (but they did not have any specific authority).
Sanhedrin
Ancient Jewish court system and council that held significant religious, legal, and political authority.
Given permission by Rome to regulate the internal affairs of the Jewish people. Made up of 70 members of the Jewish elite (Pharisees, Sadducees, scribes, and elders)
Matthew
Also known as Levi, he was a tax collector before becoming a disciple of Jesus. His focus was on a Jewish audience so he wrote mainly of the fulfilment of prophecy.
Paul
Originally Saul from Tarsus, Cilicia (modern-day Turkey) He was well-educated and studied under Gamaliel, a prominent Pharisee teacher in Jerusalem, which gave him a deep understanding of Jewish law and scriptures.
Missionary and Apostle
Chi Rho
First two letters of the Greek word for Christ and came to symbolize Christ. Preceded the symbol of the cross
Catacombs
Large, underground burial chambers. NOT hiding places for Christians (that is a myth)
- Most early Christian art from this time period is found in catacombs
Shephard
Symbol of Christ