1. Roman Art and Culture
By the end of the 6th century B.C., Rome had become the largest and richest city in all of Italy
Many city-states developing over centuries just like in ancient Greece
Much of Roman art was influenced by or even copied from Greek art forms

2. Roman Sculpture and Painting
Greeks preferred idealistic portraits; Romans wanted theirs more realistic and lifelike
Greek art was more public, (monuments, temples, etc.)
Roman art was more private
dedicated to individuals
A reminder or celebration of people (deceased, e.g.) lifelike
A Roman portrait sculpture creates feeling that viewer is looking at real person
VIDEO

3. Mural Painting
Wealthy Roman families lived in luxurious homes with courtyards, gardens with fountains, mosaics, busts, etc.
Did not hang paintings, hired artists to paint murals

4. Mosaics Mosaic images made of small pieces of coloured glass or stone
Floors, but then walls and even ceilings decorated
Depicted legendary scenes from real and mythic stories

5. More Mosaics

6. Roman Architecture
Few Roman paintings and murals survive, but many examples of Roman architecture survive
Romans built many roads, harbours, cities, temples, monuments, aqueducts, etc.

7. Temples Again, much Greek influence
Columns are often decorative and not structurally needed

8. Innovations in Structure and Materials
Barrel vault ~ A series of round arches from front to back that form a tunnel

9. Innovations cont…
Round Arch ~ A wall or another arch is needed to counter the outward force of the arch.

10. Innovations cont…
Keystone ~ the top stone of the arch holds other stones in place.

11. Aqueducts
Aqueducts demonstrate the Romans’ ability to combine engineering skills with a knowledge of architectural form.
Aqueduct: a system that carried water from mountain streams into cities by using gravitational flow

13. The Roman Baths
Roman monuments and public buildings were numerous and impressive
Most popular were the baths
Made possible by aqueducts
Much more than a pool:
Vast enclosed structures that contained libraries, lecture rooms, gyms, shops, restaurants, walkways and – of course - baths

14. Baths cont… Every large Roman city had its bath
All contained a series of pools of progressively cooler water (furnace heat)
Start from hot (tepidarium) to cold (frigidarium)
Bath of Caracalla Rome, Italy

15. Baths

16. Ampitheatres
Q. What for? A. panem et circenses or “bread and circuses”
• Chariot races • Public executions • Gladiatorial fighting • Mock naval battles
These events were held in large arenas
Called ampitheatres (most famous: Colosseum)
Built approx. 60 A.D.
Covers 6 acres
Over centuries, looting
destroyed much of
the original

17. Colosseum cont… 80 archways at ground level all around 76 for public
One of the other four for emperor, one for priestesses, one for victorious gladiators (Door of Life), the last for dead gladiators (Door of Death)

18. What it probably looked like 1900 years ago
What it looked like 300 years ago

19. Pantheon One of the marvels of Roman architecture is the Pantheon
Temple dedicated to all Roman gods, later converted to a Christian church
Height and width of exactly 144’

21. Arches
Romans loved celebrations and often marked victories and successes with a monument
“Triumphal arches”
Heavily decorated arches
One of the largest and most famous: Arch of Constantine

22. Key Roman Cultural Characteristics
Admirers of Greek culture
Adopted many aspects of it, then made unique
Mythological stories, philosophy, etc.
Art (a little) more private, (a little) less public than that of Greece
Great engineers and innovators
Aqueducts, arches, ampitheatres, roads, baths, etc.
Art (a little) less idealized, (a little) more realistic than that of Greece