6. History of Art and Culture

ROMAN EMPIRE
LECTURE 6

ROMAN EMPIRE
• 100 B.C. to 300 A.D
• Empire stretched from England to Egypt,
Spain to Russia.
• Ruled by an emperor.
• Roman culture was a mixture of older
cultures.
• Within its borders lived millions of people of
different races, cultures, religions and
languages.

LOCATION

LOCATION

LOCATION

ROME
• A republic is a form of government where
people elect representatives.
• The United States has a representative
government.
• We learned about this form of government
from the Romans.

ROME’S FIRST EMPEROR
• Octavia is Roe’s
first emperor.
• He took the name
Augustus Caesar.
• Under his rule,
Rome expanded
and enjoyed a
period of peace.

ROMAN ART
• Heavily influenced by Greek art. Roman art is
less religious and less idealized than Greek
Art.
• More commemorative
• Rome built great roads to travel on and
aqueducts to bring water into the city.
• Rome also built great stadiums and
amphitheaters for the entertainment of the
people.
• Romans also developed the use of the arch.

ROMAN ART

ROMAN ART
• Mosaics
• Great statues made
from stone.

ROMAN ART
Capitoline She-Wolf, 500-480 B.C, bronze.

ROMAN ART
Sarcophagus, sculpture, 520 B.C, terra cotta.

ROMAN ART
Head of a Roman,
1st century BC,
Marble,
4.”.

ROMAN ART
Apollo of Veii, the roof of
Portonaccio Temple, 510-500 B.C.

ROMAN SCULPTURE
Marble portrait of Constantine, 330.

ROMAN ARCHITECTURE
• Colosseum is the largest and most important
amphitheater in the world.
• Built of concrete and sand.
• 5,000 pairs of gladiators and 11,000 animals
were killed in the event.
• Used for gladiatorial contests, battles, animal
hunts, executions, chariot races, reenactments
of famous battles, and dramas
based on Classical mythology.

ROMAN ARCHITECTURE
Colosseum, Rome, Italy, 72-80 CE.

ROMAN ARCHITECTURE
Colosseum, Rome, Italy, 72-80 CE.

ROMAN ARCHITECTURE
Colosseum, Rome, Italy, 72-80 CE.

ROMAN ARCHITECTURE
• A Triumphal Arch is a heavily decorated arch
used by the Romans to celebrate a successful
military campaign.
• Upon return from battle the victorious would
march through the arch in celebration.

ROMAN ARCHITECTURE
Triumphal Arch,
Rome,
Paris.

ROMAN ARCHITECTURE
• The Aqueduct System was a system used by
the Romans to bring water down out of the
mountains to be used in the city.
• Gravitational flow and the use of arches in
construction help make this system work.
• Water distribution system.
• Moved water through gravity alone.
• Water piper made of concrete or lead.

ROMAN ARCHITECTURE
Pot du Gard, Nîes, Frace, L: 9 ’ ; H: 6 ’ .

ROMAN ARCHITECTURE
The Pantheon, Rome (Early Empire, 117–125 CE).

ROMAN ARCHITECTURE
• Roman temple.
• "of, relating to, or common to all the gods"
• The building is circular with a portico of large
granite Corinthian columns (eight in the first
rank and two groups of four behind) under
a pediment.
• A coffered concrete dome, with a central
opening (oculus) to the sky.

ROMAN ARCHITECTURE
The Pantheon,
Rome,
Early Empire,
117–125 CE.

ROMAN ARCHITECTURE
The Pantheon, Rome (Early Empire, 117–125 CE).

ROMAN ARCHITECTURE
Arches can be used together to create vaults
(barrel and groin) and domes as well as to
create unique interior spaces.

ROMAN ARCHITECTURE
Ara Pacis of Augustus, 13-9 B.C.

ROMAN ART
Imperial Procession from the Ara Pacis, 13-9 B.C.