7 – ROMAN ART

Republican Period (509-31BC – 482 years)

● Temple of Portunus/Fortuna Virilis
● Sanctuary of Fortuna Primigenia, Palestrina/Praeneste

● Patrician With the Busts of His Ancestors

● Veristic Portraits: Death mask of a child, Head of a Roman Patrician
from Otricoli, Head of an Old Man from Osimo, Velated Head of a
Priest, Bust of a Man, Portrait of a General
● Herculaneum
● Pompeii
Thermopolium
Forum (Basilica, Eumachia, Macellum (market))
Streets
Amphitheatre
Theatre
● Model of an Insula
● Roman house plans
atrium, impluvium, compluvium, cubicula, triclinium, peristyle
●House of Pansa
●House of the Vettii
● House of the Faun (with Battle of Issus mosaic)
● Four Styles of Pompeiian Painting (August Mau, 1882)
1. Masonry (House of the Samnite, House of Sallust)
2. Architectural (Villa of Mysteries, House of Publius Fannius
Synistor, Villa of Livia)
3. Ornate (Boscotrecase)
4. Intricate (House of the Vettii, House of the Stag: Still Life With
Peaches, etc.)
● House of Lovers, reconstruction, Feb. 2020

Early Empire/Early Imperial Period (27BC-96AD – 113 years)

● Augustus of Primaporta
● Livia Drusilla (Pompeii, Arsinoe)
● Ara Pacis Augustae (Campus Martius)
● Pont du Gard, Nimes
● Colosseum/Flavian Amphitheatre, Rome
● Portrait of a Flavian Woman
● Arch of Titus, Rome (“Spoils”,“Triumph”, SPQR)
● Temple of Peace, Forum of Vespasian, Rome
High Empire Period (96-192AD – 96 years)
● City of Timgad, Algeria
● Forum of Trajan (Apollodorus of Damascus)
Basilica Ulpia, Column of Column, Trajan’s Markets
● Pantheon of Hadrian, Rome
● Portraits of Antoninus Pius and Lucius Verus
● Apotheosis of Antoninus Pius and Faustina
● Equestrian Portrait of Marcus Aurelius
● Faiyum Mummy Portraits
● Imperial Roman Walls (Rome, England, Scotland)

Late Empire Period (192-337AD – 144 years)

● Emperor Commodus as Hercules
● Severan Family Tondo (Septimius Severus, Julia Domna, Caracalla, Geta)
● Images of Caracalla (Marcus Aurelius Antoninus)
● Baths of Caracalla (balneum, caldarium, tepidarium, frigidarium)
● Soldier Emperors including Trajan Decius
● Ludovisi Battle Sarcophagus
● The Tetrarchs
● Diocletian’s Villa, Split
● Villa Romana del Casale of Maximian, Sicily
● Baths of Constantine, Rome
● Colossal Head of Constantine
● Basilica of Constantine/Basilica Nova, Rome
● Arch of Constantine, Rome
● Portrait Coins of Constantine

Terms
Tiber, Brindisium, patrician vs plebian, exedra; barrel vault; keystone, pozzolana,
concrete vs. cement, verism, denarius, velate, pyroclastic flow, amphitheatre,
macellum, insula vs. domus, thermopolium, “Augustus,” princeps, pontifex
maximus, Pax Romana, cuirass, Campus Martius, Tellus, aqueduct, velarium,
pilasters, apotheosis, SPQR, decursio, testudo, taberna, oculus, coffers,
damnatio memoriae, tetrarchy, castrum, latifundium, chi rho, acrolithic.

Text Links
https://exhibitions.kelsey.lsa.umich.edu/ConAntiq/lightandbarosso.html
(Conserving Barosso watercolors of the Villa of Mysteries)

Video Links
https://www.ted.com/talks/peta_greenfield_alex_gendler_history_vs_augustus
(Augustus—new leader or tyrant)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Hoeiwd4iV0 (Temple of Fortuna Primigenia)
https://youtu.be/abspZyhQDm0 (drones over new Pompeiian discoveries
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5AT0XY2Hi0 (Roman aqueducts)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETd7pszxhnc (House)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rajp9T33WMY (Janet Stephens)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyQQcDBJvHc (Flavian/Fonseca Bust)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jx0GZ1XaCeM (Villa of Livia, Prima Porta)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPyqEsyVmIQ (Garden Room, Villa of Livia)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpZxpYciYio (“tour” of Pompeii, ending with
the Villa of Mysteries; in Italian)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05I-3PjGMrc (Barosso and the Villa of
Mysteries (20 minutes))
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PNPSR1TdP4 (Nero’s Domus Aurea-Virtual
Reality)
https://www.ted.com/talks/
janelle_peters_how_romans_flooded_the_colosseum_for_sea_battles
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQqtiwIq9gw (Pont du Gard Aqueduct)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4raOIxsbaU (Ludovisi Sarcophagus)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_6Czp3OPzY (Basilica of Constantine)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqLYpj-Quvw (Villa Romana del Casale)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPzgGW6Cfsk (5 Preserved Roman
Buildings)
https://www.ted.com/talks/
david_macaulay_an_illustrated_journey_through_rome?language=en (illustrator
David Maccaulay’s adventure – 21 minutes)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNMoi5Af1SY (Constantinople – City of
walls)
https://www.worldhistory.org/video/794/trajans-column-unrolled/ (shown by cast
pieces)
https://www.fromhometorome.com/museums-reopen-in-rome-5-must-visits/
(Palazzo Altemps museum tour – especially Ludovisi collection)

Study Questions
1. What one aspect of Roman civil engineering could cripple a city with its
destruction?
2. Why was the Appian Way an important road?
3. The Roman Empire was connected in several ways—name 3.
4. With which city did Rome fight the Punic Wars?
5. Why is the Temple of Portunus considered “pseudoperipteral”?
6. What is the name of the piece that holds a barrel vault together?
7. How much of a statue of an individual was necessary to be considered a
“portrait”? What different kinds of Roman portraits were made?
8. Can pyroclastic flow be a bigger problem than lava?
9. How does a Roman theatre differ from a Greek one in its construction?
10. Which level was considered the best in a Roman insula: first floor or top?
Why?
11. What is the function of a “cave canum” mosaic?
12. Compare/contrast the processions on the Parthenon Frieze and the Ara
Pacis.
13. What are the names of the 4 styles of Pompeiian painting? What are the
differences between the styles? Who selected the names?
14. How do the cardo and decumanus relate to Roman city planning?
15. Discuss the basic aspects of rule by the tetrarchs. Who began it and why?
16. The Romans are credited with beginning to use concrete as a building
medium. What advantage did this give them over previous materials?
17. Why did the Flavian Amphitheatre get its well-known name, “The
Colosseum”?
18. If a work is presented by “SPQR”, who does that refer to?
19. How do the oculus and coffers affect the interior of the Pantheon?
20. Whose portrait is on top of the Column of Trajan?
21. For what was “Caracalla” named?
22. As the ultimate revenge, how many examples of “damnatio memoriae”
have been issued?
23. What does the “Mark of Mithras” look like?
24. Constantine is credited with being the first Christian Roman emperor;
where on his arch is Christian iconography placed and what does it show?
25. Do you think using parts from other monuments makes the arch of
Constantine more “Roman” or just hurried in construction?
26. Which emperor has the most portraits existing today?
27. What Roman artworks would you like to visit with Beatrix and Ajax? [hint –
this goes with a video by David MacCaulay]