Roman Architecture and Art

Why Rome? The ancient Romans created one of the most complicated, highly organized, and well-documented civilizations of ancient times.

Parallels between Rome and the Modern World AN UNIQUE EMPIRE: The Romans are the only people in history to have successfully united into one state the lands and peoples of what today comprises Western Europe, North Africa, and the eastern Mediterranean. A MULTICULTURAL, INCLUSIVE, EMPIRE: Within Rome’s huge, long-lasting empire, some 55 million people lived together, speaking dozens of languages, practicing their own religions, with minimal interference by the Roman state.

SOLDIERS AND CITIZENS: One reason for Rome’s success was the efficiency and professionalism of its armies; more important still was Rome’s invention of a political concept of citizenship (as based not on blood descent rather on becoming a member of the Roman political community through legal cooptation). LONGEVITY AND PROSPERITY: The ancient Romans dominated most of western Europe from the 3rd century BCE into the 5th century CE and enjoyed unparalleled stretches of peace and prosperity.

Legacy of Rome Cultural Roman civilization has been the source of repeated cultural revivals through the centuries: like in the Italian Renaissance; Propagandistic Rome also left a legacy in its use of propaganda. The Roman emperors had images of themselves and their accomplishments disseminated throughout the empire to advertise and promote their rule.

Legal Roman law has endured to shape Western jurisprudence to this very day. The legal codes of most European countries, for instance, are firmly based upon Roman law. Religious Within or on the borders of Rome’s empire that the three great modern monotheistic religious traditions, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, either evolved or were born.

Quick historical overview MONARCHY (753-509 BCE) According to legend, the city of Rome was founded by Romulus and his twin brother Remus on a hill above the Tiber River in 753 BCE. After killing Remus, Romulus selected the members of Rome’s first Senate. Rome was then ruled successively by seven kings.

REPUBLIC (509-44 BCE) Two linked developments dominated Rome’s Republican history: The “conflict of the orders” i.e. the struggle for power between the patricians, who were wealthy landowners, and the plebeians, essentially the poorer citizens. Rome’s gradual political domination of peninsular Italy, Northern Africa and Eastern Mediterranean.

EMPIRE (44 BCE-330 CE). As Rome grew stronger and stronger, internal strives for power took place. First Julius Caesar got himself granted the title of dictator for life, but he was assassinated on 15 March 44 BCE. As a consequence another civil war was ignited and saw Julius Caesar’s adoptive son Octavian confronting Mark Antony and Cleopatra. Octavian won the war and was awarded the honorific title of Augustus giving rise to the Imperial period.

A. Roman Architecture The Roman architecture is utilitarian, practical, because the Romans were pragmatic in spirit. Most of the Roman buildings are for civil use, not religious. Romans invented materials and construction techniques that allow them to build multi-storey buildings – concrete, brick and the arch. Ceramic is the most durable material in the world and used for indoor plumbing and hypocaust heating.

Hypocaust A hypocaust was an ancient Roman system of underfloor heating, used to heat houses with hot air. The word derives from the Ancient Greek hypo meaning "under" and caust-, meaning "burnt”.

Plumbing

1. Roman Utilities/Amenities Aqueducts – using arcades to deliver water to cities from mountain sources. Bridges – permanent crossings of rivers. Roads – for army use and trade. Amphitheaters – for mass entertainment, not culture or arts. They have 2 parts – Theatron for spectators and Arena for performance. No religious significance. Baths – community centers with attached library, gym, swimming pool, spa and conference rooms

Roman Aqueducts

Another aqueduct

The Coliseum

Circus Maximus

Via Appia

Via Appia

Roman bridge in Spain

Roman Bath

Roman bath

2. Political Architecture The Forum – center of public life and trade. The largest is the Forum of Trajan in Rome. Rectangular shaped with public buildings around it. The Triumphal Arch – built by Emperors as a symbol of Victory in war. They have inscriptions celebrating the event they were built for – primary source.

Forum in Rome

Arch of Constantine

C. Private Architecture The Roman house – accommodates the extended family. Comfort and durability. Decorated with mosaics and wall paintings. The Roman villa –in the country or by the sea, eventually some of them developed into country estates.

Roman house

House in Pompeii

The famous eruption of 79 CE buried Roman cities in a time capsule Pompeii The famous eruption of 79 CE buried Roman cities in a time capsule

Mediterranean Volcanoes

Naples and Vicinity

Crater of Vesuvius

Street Scene in Pompeii

Roman Fast Food

The Gladiator School

Frescos

Victim of Vesuvius

Victims of Vesuvius

4. The Roman temples Roman temples were built close to the forum. Religion was a very public function in Rome . Temples accommodate several gods. Romans often built round temples accessible trough only one door (like the Pantheon). Greek columns were borrowed, but the orders were mixed; often only with decorative .

The Pantheon

The Pantheon

Basilicas Originally used to describe an open, Roman, public court building, usually located adjacent to the forum of a Roman town. Became the main source of inspiration for the first Christian churches.

Roman basilicas

The Roman Art Same as architecture, art is practical, realistic, used often for entertaining and not religious purposes. Republican art – bronze portraits, realistic bronze copies of Greek originals (gods and heroes). Simple paintings. Imperial art – more idealized images, marble portraits of emperors and empresses, mosaics, and wall painting (Pompeii). Much more nudity than in Greek art. Scenes from mythology or leisure, not sports. Local influences in the provinces (e.g. Faiyum portraits).

Etruscan Terracotta

Etruscans The Etruscans were an ancient Italic culture linguistically identifiable by about 700 B.C. Their culture developed from a prehistoric civilization known as Villanovan (ca. 900–500 B.C.). By the beginning of the seventh century B.C., the Etruscans occupied the central region of Italy. They flourished until the end of the second century B.C., when they were fully subsumed into Roman culture. The Etruscans were master bronze smiths who exported their finished products all over the Mediterranean The Etruscans were also well known for their terracotta freestanding sculpture and architectural reliefs.

Portraits of Augustus

Claudius and Nero

Trajan and Hadrian

Marcus Aurelius

Relief – Column of Trajan and Arch of Trajan

Mosaics - Pompeii

Wall paintings - Pompeii

More Pompeii

Faiyum Portraits