Roman Flashcards
How did the Roman empire begin?
In the Archaic period, Rome was essentially an Etruscan city; when the Roman’s overthrew the last of the Etruscan kings, they established a republic
What was the importance of portraiture as a means of propaganda?
Rulers could be made to seem strong and capable in their portraits through idealism. This led to the people trusting them and seeing them as a good leader
What advances in architecture did the Roman’s invent and develop?
- built a ton of roads
- mastery of concrete
What culture fascinated the Romans?
They were fascinated with the Greeks, and their architecture often represented a Greek facade
Which two cultures do the Romans bring together architecturally?
Greek and Etruscan
Why was the tetrarchy formed?
It was an effort to establish peace and order in the Roman empire
Head of an Elderly Patrician
- republican art
- images of ancestors kept in homes
- verism
- one is the sum of his or her experiences
Temple of Portunus
- republican art
- ionic columns
- inner building, columns, engaged columns
Pont du Gard Aqueduct
- early imperial
- dynamic functionalism
- brought spring water to the colony of Nimes
- harmonic; arches
- aesthetic and practical
Prima Porta Augustus
- early imperial
- Pax Augusta and Pax Romana
- young head of state, 32 yrs old
- garb of a Roman general
- barefoot=godlike
- addressing his troops
The Colosseum (The Flavian Amphitheater)
- early imperial
- Roman mastery with Greek elements (tuscan, ionic, and corinthian order)
- arches were integral to support
- dynamic functionalism
- propaganda (used to please the people)
Trajan’s Column
- high imperial
- architect was Apollodorus of Damascus
- 625 ft high
- low relief wrapped around in spiral; form of propaganda; depicted military campaigns
- wider at top
- hollow w staircase inside
The Pantheon
- high imperial
- temple to all of the gods
- greek exterior (corinthian columns)
- carry over from Etruscans (staircase and podium; one end; empty pediment)
- dome situated on a cylinder, forms a sphere
- coffered ceilings
- oculus at top (symbol of earth and heaven meeting)
- rotunda shape
Marcus Aurelius Equestrian Statue
- high imperial
- looks greek with beard
- idealistic
- representation of emperor controlling an empire
- superhuman grandeur
- appears weary (indication empire is about to crumble)
The Tetrarchs
- late imperial
- porphyry stone (durable, withstand time)
- same face, standing together (all united in same cause; absence of individual)
Arch of Constantine
- late imperial
- nearby the coliseum
- took images from other emperors and placed on his arch (faces were modified to look like constantine)
Verism
Representing things as they really are; people’s kind of representation
arch
curved structure that spans a space and may or may not support weight above it
concrete
rough building material made from a mixture of broken stone or gravel, sand, cement, and water, that can be spread or poured into molds and that forms a stonelike mass on hardening
dynamic functionalism
engineering into the landscape
the Forum
the public square of ancient rome
basilica
A large church building
Barrel Vault
a vault forming a half cylinder
Dome
a rounded vault forming the roof of a building or structure, typically with a circular base
coffers
a recessed panel in a ceiling
oculus
a circular opening in the centre of a dome or in a wall
rotunda
any building with a circular ground plan
voussoir
a wedge-shaped or tapered stone used to construct an arch
triumphal arch
a monumental structure in the shape of an archway with one or more arched passageways, often designed to span a road
princeps
“first in time or order; the first, foremost, chief, the most eminent, distinguished, or noble; the first man, first person.”
pontifex maximus
the head of the principal college of priests
Hadrian
- Spaniard, relative of Trajan, ruled for two decades
- Greco-file
- explorer and connoseuir
Flavian Emperors
Vespasian, Titus, and Domitian
engaged columns
a column embedded in a wall and partly projecting from the surface of the wall
amphitheater
a building, usually circular or oval, in which tiers of seats rise from a central open arena
patrician
an aristocrat or nobleman
emperor
ruler of the Roman empire
Marcus Aurelius
- philosopher; wrote Meditationes
- appears like Hadrian
- last emperor of the high imperial
Constantine
- son of Caesar of the west
- dream of X and P = chi rho (Christ, endorsing of God)
- edict of Milan, ended persecution of Christians
- new rome in Constantinople
