Roman Flashcards
Ancient Roman Republic
509 BCE – 27 BCE
Roman Empire
27 BCE – 476 CE
how did continents differ in the past
since so much trade was by water, continents might be less significant than ocean routes for spread of cultures
The origins of Roman culture are
mythical
how is the culture mythical
in the literal sense, there are competing origin stories about how it was founded
before what we call the Roman civilization there were
earlier civilizations in the region, such as the Etruscans
Rome became a Republic governed by
landowning males
when did the Republic start to break down
In 60 BCE, Julius Caesar formed a ruling party
Key cultural values of the Empire
- more diverse than many other cultures
- Romans merge Greek religious belif and merge it with their own
- Adapt and adopt many Greek forms
- more centralized
- recognized the value in subduing populations if you can prevent unrest by giving services
how was Rome more diverse than other cultures
they allowed the worship of other gods
Verism
extreme realism in depiction
Verism can also be called
“warts and all” realism
Verism is most associated with
ancient Roman ancestor portraits
Verism was often used to idealized
age
The ancient Roman Republic is seen as a
city state
In 27 BCE, what did the new empire do
changed art
what were the biggest religions still alive today
- Christianity
- Islam
- Budahism
what was the turn of the century marked by
the religions spreading beyond their country’s border
After the Republic fell, it changed from _____ to ____
polytheistic to monotheistic
Head of a Man shows verism through its
detailed hair, beard, eyebrows, wrinkles
During the Ancient Roman Republic, what was sculpture used for
- remember great leaders
- pay tributes to ancestors
bust
sculpture of shoulders up
during the 300 BCE, what were the Romans doing
looking and admiring the Greek art
The Ancient Roman Republic was big on
coping other culture’s art
what do the eyebrows look like on the Heda of a Man
a crown of laurel leaves
the sculptures of Roman busts would have been ______ compared to Greece
less painted
what were the busts commonly focused on
worshiping ancestors
How were Roman Temples different than Greek temples
- Roman was smaller in size
- Roman was enclosed not open like in Greece
- The columns are for decoration, not structural support
- There was fewer sculptures around the temple
- it would have been raised higher than Greek
Roman temples were found
in centralized areas
unlike Greek temples, roman temples only had
one side with stairs not all sides
what did the enclosed temple mean
- the interior was bigger
Roman temples were used as
stores for loot
The Sculptures carrying ancestor busts were often used in
funerals
what was having a bust of the ancestors seen as
being upper class
Typically, politicians wanted to be seen as
young men, not old wrinkled men
moving away from ancestors, sculpture was seen more and more as
repersenting the emperor and not upper class
as the sculpture was shifted to emperors,
- more resources of the state were dedicated to the sculptures
When was the Agustus of Primaporta likely made
when he was an old man and after his death
what separates roman art from greek
often the roman sculptures were wearing clothes
the breastplate of Agustus of Primaporta is a
narrative story
According to the beliefs at the time, what happens when an emperor dies
they become a god
what does the hand gesture of Agustus of Primaporta show
- seen as a blessing of the troops
- seen as a welcome to the troops
what do the Agustus of Primaporta statue represent him as
- a leader
- a general
- a descendent of gods
what is the child at the foot of Agustus of Primaporta
a cupid
what does cupid represent
child of love and the connection to Venus
Roman art focuses on
emperors
is it true that most Greek art was actually Roman
YES
Women in politics
had no direct role in politics but could have indirect roles
what are examples of roman statue types to represent the empire
- Column of Trajan
- Equestrian Statues
- The Arch of Titus
Column of Trajan
a free-standing column topped with statues
what happened to the statues at the top pf the Column of Trajan
they were replaced with a Christian sculpture
around the tower of the Column of Trajan was
a narrative story of the triumph of emperor as the Romans cross the river
what was Neptune seen as on the Column of Trajan
blessing the soldiers as they pass
eclecticism
taking from many sources
what cultures did Romans take as sources
Greek and Egypt
Equestrian statues were made from
gilded bronze
as time goes on, people did what with bronze statues
they lost the ability to cast huge bronze statues like equestrian statues
Roman buildings were
major success of their empire
why were Roman buildings a huge success
they were made from concrete and incredibly strong
what does the Arch of Titus commemorate
Titu’s success over Isreal and Jerusalem
The triumphal arch monument forms for
political purposes
what are the benefits of the round arch
- stronger
- allows bigger rooms
did the Romans invent the round arch
no
How did the romans use greek order of architecture
it was freer, with less rules
What does a detail from the Arch of Titus show
spoils from the Temple of Solomon
why is the invasion of the Temple of Solomon important
shows that the emperor expanded the empire
the Roman temples were
in all differnet shapes
What does the Imperial Procession show
there was lots of variety in the figures which shows naturalistic repersentation
details from the Imperial Procession
- the drapery is very detailed
- showed depth with faces at different depths
- children actually look like kids
what was the point of the Imperial Procession
tribute to the emperor
What was common for Roman bridges
spans long distances
what was an amphitheatre used for
popular place for entertainment
in Roman culture death was seen as a
spectacle
The Greek buildings did not have this
multiple levles
How did a 2D mosaic from the floor show depth in Roman art
- figures farther away show less depth
- there is a sense of foreground and background
- figures farther away were smaller
- there was shading on the central figures
what were the really important political changes under Constantine
- He received a vision before a battle that lead to the win - led to his acceptance of Christianity
- The Edict of Milan
- Moves the capital of the Empire to Constantinople
- Accepts support of Christianity - makes it acceptable
- After his death, Christianity became the official state religion of the Roman Empire
Edict of Milan
legalizes Christianity
Rome was the first culture to
embrace a monotheistic culture
Why is the Roman Basilica important
it would become Christian churches
What was a Roman Basilica used for
a court of law
In the late empire, what happened to realism
it declined drastically
what was a common explanation for the shift from realism
symbols of the emperors were more important than the individual
The Tetrarchs shows
the 4 co Roman emperors ruling together
Abstraction
Meaning to simplify something into its geometric components
Later busts of emperors were more about
- the position and not the people
- there was less focus on realism
Roundels vs the bottom of the Arch of Constantine
- The roundels had unique bodies with simple drapery
- the bottom had unequal body proportions with a precession that is uniform
As the Empire emerges from the Republic, what happens to verialsm
it is seen as the a representation of Republican values
While they were in many ways brutal colonizers, they often brought many
developments to their colonies (roads, fresh water, sanitation…)
Pantheon meaning
Temple to all the gods
Apse of the Roman Basilica
The semi-circular portion at the end
What are the roundels at the Arch of Constantine an example of
the re-use of decorations as they are from earlier sites
