THE SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES

BETWEEN ANCIENT GREEK AND

ROMAN ART AND ARCHITECTURE

Name : Yeasfi Ahmmed

Roll : 2018345037
Course Code : ARC 121
Course Title : Art and Architecture I
DIFFERENCES

ORIGINS OF ART AND ARCHITECTURE

GREEK
The Mycenaean civilization is the origin of Greek civilization. Greek art and
architecture began in the Cycladic and Minoan civilization, and gave birth to
Western classical art in the subsequent Geometric, Archaic and Classical periods
(with further developments during the Hellenistic Period). The Greek temple is
believed to originate from the Mycenaean megaron. From the megaron, it went
through several stages of evolution.[1]

Fig 1: Evolution of Greek temple Fig 2: Mycenaean megaron

Fig 3: The palace of knossos, the largest Fig 4: Lion Gate in Mycenae, Greece
minoan palace

ROMAN
The architecture of Rome has its origin in hellenistic greek architecture and the
architecture of the Etruscans. The Romans were less attached to “ideal” forms
and extended Greek ideas to make them more functional. As with sculpture, the
Romans borrowed heavily from two cultures that they conquered the Etruscans
and the Greeks.
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The Etruscans are thought to have
used arches and vaults in their later
architecture.

Fig 5: Etruscan Architecture

SPACE DISTRIBUTION

While the Greeks are said to be the inventors of form, Roman architecture
concentrated on the creation of space

GREEK

More column less

wall. More space
outside, less space
inside. In the mild
climate of Greece,
ceremonies
ROMAN
generally took
place outdoors.

Less column, more

wall. Less space
Fig 6: Parthenon (Plan) outside, more space
Source: Google inside. Romans
needed interior
space for worship
Fig 7: Pantheon (Plan)
Source: Google
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 BUILDING MATERIALS

GREEK

Examination of Greek architecture

points to three common materials
of construction- Stone, timber
and clay. Stone was the most
common construction material for
buildings. Timber was used
mainly for roofing which was
limited in use. Clay was used
mostly in housing construction
and was made into sun dried Fig 8: Stone
blocks for use in construction.
ROMAN

Architects were encouraged with

Fig 9: Pozzolana stone
freedom to experiment with
irregular configurations as concrete
was first invented. Significant
materials were Chalk, sand,
pozzolana a volcanic sand,
limestone, pumice stone,
sandstone, marble, granite etc.
Pozzolana, came from Visuvious. It
enabled to create larger, heavier
buildings.

CONSTRUCTION SYSTEM

GREEK

The principal construction system was trabeated or column and beam

construction.

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 Fig 10: Trabeated system

ROMAN

Roman building systems are

trabeated system consist of
post and lintel (copied from
the Greeks) and arcuated or
vaulted system which taken
from the Etrurian. Use of
arches, barrel vaults, domes
was significant.

Fig 11: Dome (Arcuated system)

ARCHITECTURAL AESTHETICS AND ART

GREEK

Religion played a significant role in the development of Greek Architecture. The

search for how to make the temple beautiful resulted in the establishment of
Greek ideals of beauty.
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The Greeks believed that mathematical proportion is at the root of beauty and
the human body has the best of proportions. They also valued harmony, balance
and symmetry in design. The Greeks in essence became the first society to have
well established ideas about architectural aesthetics with principles for their
translation into physical design.
The Greeks did not do painting or mosaics. They had amphora (which are
basically big jugs) on which they would paint images of myths or important
events. Characteristics of Greek art are mathematically based art, Egyptian and
Mesopotamian origin, simplicity and beautifulness, introduced orders, strict
geometrical proportion, sympathetic to of nature, carpentry skill on marble,
painting and sculpture as an integrated part of architecture.

Fig 12: Greek vessel, sculpture and artwork

Fig 14: Golden proportion in elevation

Fig 13: Laocoön and His Sons

(Late Hellenistic), Vatican
Museum

ROMAN

Characteristics of Roman are monumentality, great technical advances,

colossal to show Roman power, commemorative and propagandistic, practical
and utilitarian, interest in public works and engineering, special importance
for the internal space, integral view of the art combining; beauty and
sumptuosity with utility and practical sense.

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The Roman mosaics and paintings were usually images of events or important
people. Roman art have the practical sense (functionalism), military expansion
(imperialism), realistic sense. But on the whole, we can say that Roman art
was predominantly derivative and utilitarian. It served a purpose, a higher
good, the dissemination of Roman values along with a respect for Roman
power. As it transpired, classical Roman art has been immensely influential on
many subsequent cultures, through revivalist movements like Neoclassical
architecture.[2]

Fig 16: The Severan

Tondo: panel painting
of the Imperial Family
(c.200 CE)
Fig 15: Fresco from the Villa of
the Mysteries. Pompeii, 80 BC
Fig 17: Augustus of Prima
Porta, statue of the emperor
Augustus, 1st century CE.
Vatican Museums

Fig 18: Marcus Aurelius' Column (193 CE)

Erected in the Piazza Colonna, Rome.

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 BUILDING TYPES

GREEK

The major architectural element of the Greek civilization is the

order and their principal building type is the temple. Temples were considered as
house of the Gods and efforts to beautify them which pushed further architectural
development. Stoas were useful buildings in the context of the Agora. Buildings
like the Bouleuterion, stadium, residence, theatre are common.

Fig 19: The House of Masks, Fig 20: The Bouleuterion, at Fig 21: The reconstructed Stoa
Delos, 3rd century BC Priene of Attalos, the Agora, Athens

Fig 22: The Stadium at Fig 23: Temple of Hera in Fig 24: The Parthenon
Epidauros Segesta, Sicily

ROMAN

Roman Architecture has a rich typology that includes, temple, civil buildings:
basilicas, public bath (Thermae), light house, spectacles: theatre,
amphitheatre, circus, domestic: house, village, palace, funerary: tombs,
engineering works: bridges, aqueducts, watermill etc.

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Fig 25: The Amphitheatre of Fig 26: Northern aisle of the
Pompeii, built around 70 BC Basilica of Maxentius in
Rome

Fig 27: The Tower of

Hercules, a Roman
lighthouse in Spain

Fig 28: The Roman Forum Fig 29: Roman Theatre (Mérida), Spain

Fig 30: Roman Baroque Temple of Fig 31: The Temple of

Bacchus at Baalbek, Lebanon Hercules Victor, Rome

INNOVATIONS IN ARCHITECTURE

GREEK

Three orders of Architecture known as classical orders were invented by Greeks;

Doric, Ionic and Corinthian. The orders were viewed as anthropomorphic,
representing the Ancient Greek Architecture. The orders were also viewed as
anthropomorphic, representing the human body. The use of optical correction,
entasis, is a pointer to the desire of the Greeks to achieve their ideals of beauty in
architecture.
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Fig 32: Greek orders

Fig 33: Optical correction (Entasis)

ROMAN

The Romans were the great engineers of the ancient world. Romans used the
classical orders and invented two more composite and Tuscan. The discovery of
slow-drying concrete, made with pozzolana sand created a revolution in Roman
architectural design. Roman invented the arch, dome, vault (barrel or tunnel
vault, groin vault, aqueduct (public water supply), sewage system, bridges, paved
roads etc.

Fig 35: Tuscan order Fig 36: Barrel vault

Fig 34: Composite order

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 Fig 37: Pont du Gard in Roman Gaul (Aqueduct)

Fig 39: Groin vault

Fig 38: Sewage system

Fig 40: paved road Fig 41: Bridge

CITY PLANNING

GREEK

The Greek City was usually divided into three parts, the Acropolis, the Agora and
the town. The Agora in Athens used for social, commercial and political activities.

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 It was located at the base of the hill of the Acropolis. Civic and religious buildings
were progressively erected around the perimeter of the Agora space. City planning
systems considered to respect the temple and gods, acropolis located as a
background of agora. Principles were developed for organizing each element of the
city based on activities and its symbolism. The town was a place to retire for the
day. It was composed of simple courtyard houses separated by streets. It could
either be organic or grid-iron. Public buildings such as gymnasia, stadia and
theaters were generally regarded as part of religious rituals, normally found
attached on lower ground to the hills of the Acropolis.

Fig 42: Old cities Fig 43: New cities

ROMAN

Rome is known fundamentally as an urban civilization. The city of Ancient

Rome - at its height, a huge metropolis of almost one million people -
consisted of a maze of narrow streets. After the fire of 64 BCE. Emperor Nero
announced a rational rebuilding program, with little success: the city's
architecture remained chaotic and unplanned. Urban design of Roman cities
were developed using grid-plans, follows clear laws for the development of
public and military services. Roman city is basically composed by a number
of identical components, disposed in a special way parallel and equal-distant
separated by streets. It had two main axes a north south street, known as
the cardo, and a complementary east-west street called the decumanus,
with the town centre located at their intersection. Where the two converged
was the forum and main buildings were located in this forum. The rest of the
space was divided into squares in which insulae or blocks of flats were built.
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Fig 44: Early town plan

Fig 45: City of Timgad

Fig 46: Forum

SIMILARITIES

Romans and Greeks both were polytheistic. They believed in many gods
and goddesses. Many of the Roman gods were adapted from the Greek
gods. So, their principal building type is temple.

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Both in terms of Architecture and Art, have a earlier Greek origin.

Their principal construction material was stone.

The Romans and the Greeks both used lots of marble in their statues,
specifically white marble.

They both used the classical order of Architecture (Doric, Ionic, Corinthian)

Trabeated system or column beam system was common in both.

In terms of city planning, both of them have distinctive but similar regions,
urban planning, iron grid plan etc.

Roman art is essentially a copy of earlier Greek art.

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References
Cover photos
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x40xAQ:1593270069044&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiKqPzDoaLqAhXSyDgGHavcA18Q_AUoAXoECBwQ
Aw&biw=1707&bih=758&dpr=1.13#imgrc=TTE6OvolHeiRxM
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wNg5zJ8RMi997yrQQVS5Iqg:1593270229920&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiOodeQoqLqAhXTzTgGHXdyB
CkQ_AUoAXoECCAQAw&biw=1707&bih=758&dpr=1.13#imgrc=zTffvtTVdVCyDM&imgdii=hfo5VME5V6YrMM

[1]en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Greek_art

Figures
3.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minoan_civilizatio Https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Greek
n#/media/File:Knossos_-_North_Portico_02.jpg https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Rome
4.https://www.google.com/search?q=lion+gate&tbm=isch https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Greek_art
&ved=2ahUKEwjS8rLioKfqAhWWKrcAHezzBPkQ2- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_art
cCegQIABAA#imgrc=PntMbCt1qRnxeM [2] http://www.visual-arts-cork.com/roman-art.htm
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tecture&rlz=1C1CHBF_enNL868NL868&sxsrf=ALeKk0 and-roman-art/
17mkqE2BW0oWTTdwubBtkjIIMZCg:1593441586152
&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwip3d
m9oKfqAhVtzDgGHRzXC9MQ_AUoAXoECAwQAw&bi
w=1707&bih=812&dpr=1.13#imgrc=ldQjtFJjd96S3M
8.https://www.google.com/search?q=stone+of+gecee&tb
m=isch&ved=2ahUKEwjFwcq35afqAhXN03MBHWgtBUIQ2-
cCegQIABAA&oq=stone+of+gecee&gs_lcp=CgNpbWcQAzoE
CAAQEzoGCAAQHhATOggIABAFEB4QEzoICAAQCBAeEBNQz
xdY9zlg-
kNoAHAAeACAAdEEiAHgGJIBCzAuMS4zLjEuMi4ymAEAoAE
BqgELZ3dzLXdpei1pbWc&sclient=img&ei=f0X6XoWGFs2nz
7sP6NqUkAQ&bih=812&biw=1688&rlz=1C1CHBF_enNL868
NL868&hl=bn#imgrc=9jloAysy-8FPyM
9.https://www.google.com/search?q=pozzolana&rlz=1C1C
HBF_enNL868NL868&sxsrf=ALeKk0270EYtFrRPuzW-
vOnmg6ePRQ-
9QA:1593459837724&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=
2ahUKEwiwpd285KfqAhWezzgGHe2oC_cQ_AUoAXoECA0Q
Aw&biw=1707&bih=812&dpr=1.13#imgrc=JdlFXQ9pklX8u
M
11.https://www.google.com/search?q=roman+arcuated+sy
stem&rlz=1C1CHBF_enNL868NL868&sxsrf=ALeKk03_Brgim
zXvH3r72qMkRfBQAt5V3w:1593531972877&source=lnms
&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj-
0rmZ8anqAhUQyDgGHe70DF8Q_AUoAXoECAwQAw&cshid
=1593532172786085&biw=1707&bih=812&dpr=1.13#imgr
c=UtC1hApVOIvUiM

Figures
Https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Greek
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Rome
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Greek_art
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_art

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