INTRO to the ROMAN EMPIRE

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

INTRO to the ROMAN EMPIRE INTRO to the ROMAN EMPIRE INTRO TO ANCIENT ROME Intro to Ancient Rome Area of the Empire in 117 CE (in orange) INTRO TO ANCIENT ROME Intro to Ancient Rome Is it GREEK Or is it ROMAN ? 3 INTRO TO ANCIENT ROME Intro to Ancient Rome GREEK ROMAN Preferred Structure: Temples to Glorify Gods Civic Buildings to honor Empire Walls: Made of cut stone blocks Concrete with Ornamental facing Trademark Forms: Rectangles, Straight Lines Circles, Curved Lines Support System: Post and Lintel Rounded Arch Column Style: Doric & Ionic Corinthian Sculpture: Idealized Gods & Goddesses Realistic (Verism) humans, idealized officials Painting: Stylized figures floating in Realistic images with Space perspective Subject of Art: Mythology Civic Leaders, military triumphs 4 INTRO TO ANCIENT ROME Intro to Ancient Rome Temple of Athena Nike Temple of Portunus Classical Greek Rome, Italy - ca. 75 BC5 INTRO TO ANCIENT ROME Intro to Ancient Rome PARTHENON 447-424 BCE, Marble. Greek PANTHEON 118-125 CE, Concrete with stone facing. Rome 6 INTRO TO ANCIENT ROME Intro to Ancient Rome Polykleitos, Doryphoros, Augustus of Primaporta, 450-440 BCE, High Classical Greek 1st Century CE, Pax Romana (Roman) 7 INTRO TO ANCIENT ROME Intro to Ancient Rome Athena and Alcyoneus frieze from the Altar of Zeus at Pergamon, c180 BCE. HELLENISTIC GREEK Spoils from the Temple of Solomon, Jerusalem. Relief on the Arch of Titus EARLY EMPIRE ROME 8 INTRO TO ANCIENT ROME Intro to Ancient Rome Etruscan Supremacy: 700-509 BCE Provided link between Greek and Roman Art KEYWORDS: TERRA-COTTA, COMPOSITE ORDER Roman Republican Period: 509-27 BCE Begins with overthrowing last Etruscan King and ends with Julius Caesar… Major buildings built more for POLITICAL use than for WORSHIP KEYWORDS: TEMPLES, ARA PACIS, HOMAGE TO RULERS Early Empire Period: 27 BCE-180 CE KEYWORDS: WALL PAINTINGS, CONCRETE, ARCH, COLOSSEUM The High Empire: 180-195 CE Five Good Emperors (Trajan, Hadrian, etc.) kept things prosperous and peaceful. KEYWORDS: COLUMN OF TRAJAN, HADRIAN’S WALL, PANTHEON The Late Empire: 195-400 CE Diocletian had Empire divided into four parts. KEYWORDS: TETRARCHY, ARCH OF CONSTANTINE 9 INTRO TO ANCIENT ROME Intro to Ancient Rome The Roman Architectural Revolution 10 INTRO TO ANCIENT ROME Republic Rome Temple of Portunus , ca. 75 BCE. EARLY REPUBLIC ROMAN A superb example of Roman eclecticism is the Temple of Portunus, the Roman god of harbors. Follows the Etruscan pattern: • High podium is accessible only at the front, with its wide flight of steps. • Freestanding columns are confined to the deep porch. • The structure is built of stone overlaid originally with stucco in imitation of the white marble temples of the Greeks. • The columns are Ionic, complete with flutes and bases. • In an effort to approximate a peripteral Greek temple - while maintaining the Etruscan plan - the architect added a series of engaged Ionic half-columns Model of a typical Etruscan Temple, around the cella’s sides and back. 6th Century BCE • The result was a pseudoperipteral temple. 11 INTRO TO ANCIENT ROME Republic Rome Temple of “the Sibyl” or of “Vesta” Tivoli, Italy - early 1st century BCE The Romans’ admiration for the Greek temples they encountered in their conquests also led to the importation of the round, or tholos, temple type. The travertine columns are Corinthian. In contrast with Greek practice, the cell wall was constructed not of masonry blocks but of a new invention: concrete. 12 INTRO TO ANCIENT ROME Republic Rome Aulus Metellus Late 2nd - early 1st century BCE This bronze of Aulus Metellus is life-sized. We know his name because it is inscribed on the hem of his clothing. The statue has been known since ancient times as ‘The Orator’ and the man stands as if addressing a crowd. He wears sturdy leather boots, an interesting thing to note…gods and goddesses were depicted barefoot and later on we will see that Augustus was sculpted barefoot, perhaps hinting at his deification. Note the differences between this statue and similar Greek statues. While both cultures made statues of their leaders to instill confidence there are marked differences. Most notable at first glance, our Roman is clothed. Secondly, he wears shoes, going barefoot was a sign that the statue was of a god. Also, our orator appears to have been a real person. The Romans generally presented their leaders with recognizable features as they appeared in life. The Greeks presented idealized statues of their leaders showing them as gods with perfect proportions, bodies, and strength. This piece was done during the Republican period of Rome when leaders in the Senate ruled (ideally) through reason and with the support of the people. The Senate was the governing body and the ability to speak eloquently was paramount to success. 13 INTRO TO ANCIENT ROME Republic Rome Funerary Relief with Portraits of the Gessii Rome (?), Italy - ca. 30 BC The surviving sculptural portraits of prominent Roman Republican figures are uniformly literal reproductions of individual faces. Although their style derives to some degree from Hellenistic and Etruscan portraits, Republican portraits are one way the patrician class celebrated its elevated status. Slaves and former slaves could not possess such portraits, because, under Roman law, they were not people but property. Yet when freed slaves died, they often ordered portraits for their tombs - in a style that contrasts sharply with that favored by freeborn patricians. This image depicts former slaves who have gained their freedom and right to have their portraits created. 14 INTRO TO ANCIENT ROME Republic Rome Pompeii & the Cities of Vesuvius Aerial view of the amphitheater, Pompeii, Italy, ca 80 BCE The forum was an oasis in the heart of Pompeii - an open, airy plaza. Throughout the rest of the city, every square foot of land was developed. At the southern end of the town, immediately after the Roman colony was founded in 80 BCE, Pompeii’s new citizens erected a large amphitheater. It is the earliest such structure known and could seat some 20,000 spectators. The word- amphitheater means “double theater”, and the Roman structures closely resemble two Greek theaters put together, although the Greeks never built amphitheaters. Arena is Latin for “sand”, which soaked up the contestants’ blood. Instead of refined performances, the Amphitheater held mostly bloody gladiator combats. 15 INTRO TO ANCIENT ROME Early Empire Rome The Eruption of Vesuvius 16 INTRO TO ANCIENT ROME Republic Rome Head of a Roman patrician, from Otricoli, Italy, ca 75-50 BCE. Republican patrician portraits: Mostly men of advanced age (generally these elders held the power in the state) One of the most striking of these so-called veristic (superrealistic) portraits is of an unidentified patrician. We are able to see this man’s personality: serious, experienced, determined- virtues that were admired during the Republic. Kresilas, Pericles Classical Greece 17 INTRO TO ANCIENT ROME Republic Rome Verism Verism can be defined as a sort of hyperrealism in sculpture where the naturally occurring features of the subject are exaggerated, often to the point of absurdity. In the case of Roman Republican portraiture, middle age males adopt veristic tendencies in their portraiture to such an extent that they appear to be extremely aged and care worn. This stylistic tendency is influenced both by the tradition of ancestral imagines as well as a deep-seated respect for family, tradition, and ancestry. The imagines were essentially death masks of notable ancestors that were kept and displayed by the family. In the case of aristocratic families these wax masks were used at subsequent funerals so that an actor might portray the deceased ancestors in a sort of familial parade (Polybius History 6.53.54). The ancestor cult, in turn, influenced a deep connection to family. For Late Republican politicians without any famous ancestors (a group famously known as ‘new men’ or ‘homines novi’) the need was even more acute—and verism rode to the rescue. The adoption of such an austere and wizened visage was a tactic to lend familial gravitas to families who had none—and thus (hopefully) increase the chances of the aristocrat’s success in both politics and business. This jockeying for position very much characterized the scene at Rome in the waning days of the Roman Republic and the Otricoli head is a reminder that one’s public image played a major role in what was a turbulent time in Roman history. INTRO TO ANCIENT ROME Early Empire Rome Augustus of Primaporta, Early 1st Century BCE EARLY EMPIRE ROMAN Octavian Caesar (the great-nephew and adopted ‘son’ of Julius Caesar) became the first Roman Emperor in 44 BCE. By 27 BCE, the Senate conferred him the title ‘Augustus’ (meaning ‘exalted’ or ‘sacred’). For the next 41 years, Augustus Caesar led the empire thru a period of peace and prosperity known as the Pax Romana, or Roman Peace. The inclusion of Venus’ son, Cupid, is a reminder of Augustus’ divine descent (related to Goddess Venus). Furthermore, this depicts the return of Roman military standards by the Parthians. The marble statue was originally painted. 19 INTRO TO ANCIENT ROME Early Empire Rome Ara Pacis, 13-9 BCE. EARLY EMPIRE ROMAN. The Ara Pacis (or ‘Altar of Augustan Peace’) was a monument dedicated in 9 BC to commemorate Augustus; return to Rome after establishing Roman rule in Gaul. Included on this monument was the Imperial Procession – a relief showing the family members and other who attended the dedication. (This is much different than the ‘Procession of the Gods’ frieze located on the Parthenon in Athens.) 20 INTRO TO ANCIENT ROME Early Empire Rome Gemma Augustea, Onyx ca 1st Century CE, EARLY EMPIRE ROMAN Augustus Caesar was elevated to Divine Status after his death (as memorialized with the Ara Pacis)… Here is an onyx cameo of the ‘crowning’ of Augustus as Jupiter – King of the Gods.
Recommended publications
  • Stories of Ancient Rome Unit 4 Reader Skills Strand Grade 3
    Grade 3 Core Knowledge Language Arts® • Skills Strand Ancient Rome Ancient Stories of of Stories Unit 4 Reader 4 Unit Stories of Ancient Rome Unit 4 Reader Skills Strand GraDE 3 Core Knowledge Language Arts® Creative Commons Licensing This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution- NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. You are free: to Share — to copy, distribute and transmit the work to Remix — to adapt the work Under the following conditions: Attribution — You must attribute the work in the following manner: This work is based on an original work of the Core Knowledge® Foundation made available through licensing under a Creative Commons Attribution- NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. This does not in any way imply that the Core Knowledge Foundation endorses this work. Noncommercial — You may not use this work for commercial purposes. Share Alike — If you alter, transform, or build upon this work, you may distribute the resulting work only under the same or similar license to this one. With the understanding that: For any reuse or distribution, you must make clear to others the license terms of this work. The best way to do this is with a link to this web page: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ Copyright © 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation www.coreknowledge.org All Rights Reserved. Core Knowledge Language Arts, Listening & Learning, and Tell It Again! are trademarks of the Core Knowledge Foundation. Trademarks and trade names are shown in this book strictly for illustrative and educational purposes and are the property of their respective owners.
    [Show full text]
  • Continuity of Culture: Romans in Pompeii Lesson Overview
    Continuity of Culture: Romans in Pompeii Lesson Overview Unit: Lessons: 1. Grades 3 – 6 Continuity of Culture: Lesson One: Map study of 2. 5 -7 Class Periods Romans in Pompeii Italy. 3. Authors: Lori Howell, Lesson Two: History of Melody Nishinaga, Sarah Pompeii. Poku & Warren Soper Lesson Three: Pliny the 4. Social Sciences, Younger. English and History Lesson Four: Comparison of “Then and Now.” Lesson Five: Literature review. Lesson Six: Graphic Organizes. Lesson Seven: Writing Overview “A typical day in this town means going shopping, stopping by the laundry, catching a sporting event at the amphitheater, or maybe taking in a play – and that was 2000 years ago. “Can you guess where this is? Not where you might expect: You’re in ancient Pompeii, an Italian village where life came to a fiery halt when Mt. Vesuvius erupted in AD 79. “ -Discover Kids Pompeii Magazine 1 | Page The eruption of Vesuvius on August 24, 79 A.D. froze a moment in time under thick layers of ash and molten mud. It preserved elements of Roman culture that demonstrate the remarkable continuity of human life and history, proving that life in the past, even the far distant past, was remarkably similar to our own. In this lesson, by taking a closer look at the remains of Pompeii, students will gain a broad appreciation of people in the past. They will study Roman culture by locating Pompeii on a map, identifying important elements of its geography, and examining the remains of Pompeii to explain how the Ancient Romans in Pompeii are similar to people today.
    [Show full text]
  • 1 Classics 270 Economic Life of Pompeii
    CLASSICS 270 ECONOMIC LIFE OF POMPEII AND HERCULANEUM FALL, 2014 SOME USEFUL PUBLICATIONS Annuals: Cronache Pompeiane (1975-1979; volumes 1-5) (Gardner: volumes 1-5 DG70.P7 C7) Rivista di Studi Pompeiani (1987-present; volumes 1-23 [2012]) (Gardner: volumes 1-3 DG70.P7 R585; CTP vols. 6-23 DG70.P7 R58) Cronache Ercolanesi: (1971-present; volumes 1-43 [2013]) (Gardner: volumes 1-19 PA3317 .C7) Vesuviana: An International Journal of Archaeological and Historical Studies on Pompeii and Herculaneum (2009 volume 1; others late) (Gardner: DG70.P7 V47 2009 V. 1) Notizie degli Scavi dell’Antichità (Gardner: beginning 1903, mostly in NRLF; viewable on line back to 1876 at: http://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/000503523) Series: Quaderni di Studi Pompeiani (2007-present; volumes 1-6 [2013]) (Gardner: volumes 1, 5) Studi della Soprintendenza archeologica di Pompei (2001-present; volumes 1-32 [2012]) (Gardner: volumes 1-32 (2012)] Bibliography: García y García, Laurentino. 1998. Nova Bibliotheca Pompeiana. Soprintendenza Archeologica di Pompei Monografie 14, 2 vol. (Rome). García y García, Laurentino. 2012. Nova Bibliotheca Pompeiana. Supplemento 1o (1999-2011) (Rome: Arbor Sapientiae). McIlwaine, I. 1988. Herculaneum: A guide to Printed Sources. (Naples: Bibliopolis). McIlwaine, I. 2009. Herculaneum: A guide to Sources, 1980-2007. (Naples: Bibliopolis). 1 Early documentation: Fiorelli, G. 1861-1865. Giornale degli scavi. 31 vols. Hathi Trust Digital Library: http://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/009049482 Fiorelli, G. ed. 1860-1864. Pompeianarum antiquitatum historia. 3 vols. (Naples: Editore Prid. Non. Martias). Laidlaw, A. 2007. “Mining the early published sources: problems and pitfalls.” In Dobbins and Foss eds. pp. 620-636. Epigraphy: Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum 4 (instrumentum domesticum from Vesuvian sites), 10 (inscriptions from various regions, including Campania).
    [Show full text]
  • The Architecture of Roman Temples
    P1: JzL 052181068XAgg.xml CB751B/Stamper 0 521 81068 X August 28, 2004 17:30 The Architecture of Roman Temples - The Republic to the Middle Empire John W. Stamper University of Notre Dame iii P1: JzL 052181068XAgg.xml CB751B/Stamper 0 521 81068 X August 28, 2004 17:30 published by the press syndicate of the university of cambridge The Pitt Building, Trumpington Street, Cambridge, United Kingdom cambridge university press The Edinburgh Building, Cambridge cb2 2ru, uk 40 West 20th Street, New York, ny 10011-4211, usa 477 Williamstown Road, Port Melbourne, vic 3207, Australia Ruiz de Alarcon´ 13, 28014 Madrid, Spain Dock House, The Waterfront, Cape Town 8001, South Africa http://www.cambridge.org C John W. Stamper 2005 This book is in copyright. Subject to statutory exception and to the provisions of relevant collective licensing agreements, no reproduction of any part may take place without the written permission of Cambridge University Press. First published 2005 Printed in the United Kingdom at the University Press, Cambridge Typefaces Bembo 11/14 pt., Weiss, Trajan, and Janson System LATEX 2ε [tb] A catalog record for this book is available from the British Library. Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Stamper, John W. The architecture of Roman temples : the republic to the middle empire / John W. Stamper. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. isbn 0-521-81068-x 1. Temples, Roman – Italy – Rome. 2. Temple of Jupiter Capitolinus (Rome, Italy) 3. Architecture, Roman – Italy – Rome – Influence. 4. Rome (Italy)
    [Show full text]
  • Narcissus the Hunter in the Mosaics of Antioch
    Narcissus the Hunter in the Mosaics of Antioch Elizabeth M. Molacek Among the hundreds of mosaic pavements discovered at as the capital of the Hellenistic Seleucid kingdom in 300 BCE Antioch-on-the-Orontes, a total of five represent Narcissus, and remained a thriving city until the Romans took power in the beautiful youth doomed to fall in love with his own 64 BCE. Antioch became the capital of the Roman province reflection. The predominance of this subject is not entirely of Syria; however, it was captured by the Arabs in 637 CE, surprising since it is one of the most popular subjects in bringing an end to almost a thousand years of occupation.2 Roman visual culture. In his catalogue of the mosaics of While its political history is simple to trace from the Hellenis- ancient Antioch, Doro Levi suggests that Narcissus’ frequent tic founding to the Arab sacking, Antioch’s cultural identity appearance should be attributed to his watery reflection due is less transparent. The city was part of the Roman Empire to the fact that Antioch was a “town so proud of its wealth for over five hundred years, but the inhabitants of Antioch of waters, springs, and baths.”1 The youth’s association with did not immediately consider themselves Roman, identifying water may account for his repeated appearance, but the instead with their Hellenistic heritage. As was standard in the present assessment recognizes a Narcissus that is unique to Greek East, the spoken language remained Greek even after Antioch. In art of the Latin West from the first century BCE Rome established control, and many traditions and social onwards, Narcissus has a highly standardized iconography norms were deeply rooted in the Hellenistic culture.3 Antioch that emphasizes his youthful appearance, the act of seeing was a hybrid of both eastern and western influences due to his reflection, and his fate for eternity.
    [Show full text]
  • History of Horticulture: Lecture 18 1
    History of Horticulture: Lecture 18 Lecture 18 Roman Agricultural History Pompeii and Mount Vesuvius View from the Tower of Mercury on the Pompeii city wall looking down the Via di Mercurio toward the forum 1 History of Horticulture: Lecture 18 Rome 406–88 BCE Source: Harper Atlas of World History, 1992. Rome 241–27 BCE Source: Harper Atlas of World History, 1992. Rome 193–211 Source: Harper Atlas of World History, 1992. 2 History of Horticulture: Lecture 18 Carthage Founded 814 BCE in North Africa Result of Phoenician expansion North African city-state opposite Sicily Mago, 350 BCE, Father of Agriculture Agricultural author wrote a 28 volume work in Punic, A language close to Hebrew. Roman Senate ordered the translation of Mago upon the fall of Carthage despite violent enmity between states. One who has bought land should sell his town house so that he will have no desire to worship the households of the city rather than those of the country; the man who takes great delight in his city residence will have no need of a country estate. Quotation from Columella after Mago Hannibal Capitoline Museums Hall of Hannibal Jacopo Ripanda (attr.) Hannibal in Italy Fresco Beginning of 16th century Roman History 700 BCE Origin from Greek Expansion 640–520 Etruscan civilization 509 Roman Republic 264–261 Punic wars between Carthage and Rome 3 History of Horticulture: Lecture 18 Roman Culture Debt to Greek, Egyptian, and Babylonian Science and Esthetics Roman expansion due to technology and organization Agricultural Technology Irrigation Grafting Viticulture and Enology Wide knowledge of fruit culture, pulses, wheat Legume rotation Fertility appraisals Cold storage of fruit Specularia—prototype greenhouse using mica Olive oil for cooking and light Ornamental Horticulture Hortus (gardens) Villa urbana Villa rustica, little place in the country Formal gardens of wealthy Garden elements Frescoed walls, statuary, fountains trellises, pergolas, flower boxes, shaded walks, terraces, topiary Getty Museum reconstruction of the Villa of the Papyri.
    [Show full text]
  • 9781107013995 Index.Pdf
    Cambridge University Press 978-1-107-01399-5 — Rome Rabun Taylor , Katherine Rinne , Spiro Kostof Index More Information INDEX abitato , 209 , 253 , 255 , 264 , 273 , 281 , 286 , 288 , cura(tor) aquarum (et Miniciae) , water 290 , 319 commission later merged with administration, ancient. See also Agrippa ; grain distribution authority, 40 , archives ; banishment and 47 , 97 , 113 , 115 , 116 – 17 , 124 . sequestration ; libraries ; maps ; See also Frontinus, Sextus Julius ; regions ( regiones ) ; taxes, tarif s, water supply ; aqueducts; etc. customs, and fees ; warehouses ; cura(tor) operum maximorum (commission of wharves monumental works), 162 Augustan reorganization of, 40 – 41 , cura(tor) riparum et alvei Tiberis (commission 47 – 48 of the Tiber), 51 censuses and public surveys, 19 , 24 , 82 , cura(tor) viarum (roads commission), 48 114 – 17 , 122 , 125 magistrates of the vici ( vicomagistri ), 48 , 91 codes, laws, and restrictions, 27 , 29 , 47 , Praetorian Prefect and Guard, 60 , 96 , 99 , 63 – 65 , 114 , 162 101 , 115 , 116 , 135 , 139 , 154 . See also against permanent theaters, 57 – 58 Castra Praetoria of burial, 37 , 117 – 20 , 128 , 154 , 187 urban prefect and prefecture, 76 , 116 , 124 , districts and boundaries, 41 , 45 , 49 , 135 , 139 , 163 , 166 , 171 67 – 69 , 116 , 128 . See also vigiles (i re brigade), 66 , 85 , 96 , 116 , pomerium ; regions ( regiones ) ; vici ; 122 , 124 Aurelian Wall ; Leonine Wall ; police and policing, 5 , 100 , 114 – 16 , 122 , wharves 144 , 171 grain, l our, or bread procurement and Severan reorganization of, 96 – 98 distribution, 27 , 89 , 96 – 100 , staf and minor oi cials, 48 , 91 , 116 , 126 , 175 , 215 102 , 115 , 117 , 124 , 166 , 171 , 177 , zones and zoning, 6 , 38 , 84 , 85 , 126 , 127 182 , 184 – 85 administration, medieval frumentationes , 46 , 97 charitable institutions, 158 , 169 , 179 – 87 , 191 , headquarters of administrative oi ces, 81 , 85 , 201 , 299 114 – 17 , 214 Church.
    [Show full text]
  • The Janus Arch
    Proceedings of the 38th Annual Conference on Computer Applications and Quantitative Methods in Archaeology, CAA2010 F. Contreras, M. Farjas and F.J. Melero (eds.) Digital Mediation from Discrete Model to Archaeological Model: the Janus Arch Ippolito, A.1, Borgogni, F.1, Pizzo, A.2 1 Dpto. RADAAr Università di Roma “Sapienza”, Italy 2 Instituto de Arqueologia (CSIC, Junta de Extremadura, Consorcio de Mérida), Spain [email protected]; [email protected] ; [email protected] Survey operations and the representation of acquired data should today be considered as consolidated. New acquisition methods such as point clouds obtained using 3D laser scanners are also part of today’s scenario. The scope of this paper is to propose a protocol of operations based on extensive previous experience and work to acquire and elaborate data obtained using complex 3D survey. This protocol focuses on illustrating the methods used to turn a numerical model into a system of two-dimensional and three-dimensional models that can help to understand the object in question. The study method is based on joint practical work by architects and archaeologists. The final objective is to create a layout that can satisfy the needs of scholars and researchers working in different disciplinary fields. The case study in this paper is the Arch of Janus in Rome near the Forum Boarium. The paper will illustrate the entire acquisition process and method used to transform the acquired data after the creation of a model. The entire operation was developed in close collaboration between the RADAAr Dept., University of Rome “Sapienza,” Italy and the Istituto de Arqueologia (CSIC, Junta de Extremadura, Consorcio de Mérida), Spain.
    [Show full text]
  • Homework: Pax Romana
    Homework: Pax Romana How did Roman government change over time? © Success Academy Charter Schools 2019 Pax Romana The following text was originally published by the History Channel and adapted by Newsela. Statue of Augustus Caesar in front of the bell tower of the Basilica of St. Apollinaris in Classe, in Ravenna, Italy Age of the Emperors After 450 years as a republic, Rome became an empire in the first century B.C.E. following the assassination of Julius Caesar. The long and triumphant reign of its first emperor, Augustus, began a golden age of peace and prosperity for nearly 200 years, known as the Pax Romana. He introduced various social reforms, won many military victories, and allowed Roman literature, art, architecture, and religion to flourish. Despite Augustus’s many reforms and strong leadership, the beginning of an empire meant that rule by the people was over. Under the authority of the emperor, the assemblies almost disappeared, and the Senate became less powerful. The Senate supported only the wishes of the emperor. Augustus held full authority, awarded by the Senate, and was given the ability to not only introduce legislation and veto laws but also to command the army. When he died, the Senate elevated him to the status of a god. Unlike in a republic or a democracy, each new emperor was chosen by heredity [ the passing down of a title through family ties ]. Therefore, for many years, future emperors were Augustus’s descendants, which included some less popular emperors. Nero was the last of Augustus’s descendants to rule Rome.
    [Show full text]
  • 3 Architects, Antiquarians, and the Rise of the Image in Renaissance Guidebooks to Ancient Rome
    Anna Bortolozzi 3 Architects, Antiquarians, and the Rise of the Image in Renaissance Guidebooks to Ancient Rome Rome fut tout le monde, & tout le monde est Rome1 Drawing in the past, drawing in the present: Two attitudes towards the study of Roman antiquity In the early 1530s, the Sienese architect Baldassare Peruzzi drew a section along the principal axis of the Pantheon on a sheet now preserved in the municipal library in Ferrara (Fig. 3.1).2 In the sixteenth century, the Pantheon was generally considered the most notable example of ancient architecture in Rome, and the drawing is among the finest of Peruzzi’s surviving architectural drawings after the antique. The section is shown in orthogonal projection, complemented by detailed mea- surements in Florentine braccia, subdivided into minuti, and by a number of expla- natory notes on the construction elements and building materials. By choosing this particular drawing convention, Peruzzi avoided the use of foreshortening and per- spective, allowing measurements to be taken from the drawing. Though no scale is indicated, the representation of the building and its main elements are perfectly to scale. Peruzzi’s analytical representation of the Pantheon served as the model for several later authors – Serlio’s illustrations of the section of the portico (Fig. 3.2)3 and the roof girders (Fig. 3.3) in his Il Terzo Libro (1540) were very probably derived from the Ferrara drawing.4 In an article from 1966, Howard Burns analysed Peruzzi’s drawing in detail, and suggested that the architect and antiquarian Pirro Ligorio took the sheet to Ferrara in 1569.
    [Show full text]
  • Architectural Spolia and Urban Transformation in Rome from the Fourth to the Thirteenth Century
    Patrizio Pensabene Architectural Spolia and Urban Transformation in Rome from the Fourth to the Thirteenth Century Summary This paper is a historical outline of the practice of reuse in Rome between the th and th century AD. It comments on the relevance of the Arch of Constantine and the Basil- ica Lateranensis in creating a tradition of meanings and ways of the reuse. Moreover, the paper focuses on the government’s attitude towards the preservation of ancient edifices in the monumental center of Rome in the first half of the th century AD, although it has been established that the reuse of public edifices only became a normal practice starting in th century Rome. Between the th and th century the city was transformed into set- tlements connected to the principal groups of ruins. Then, with the Carolingian Age, the city achieved a new unity and several new, large-scale churches were created. These con- struction projects required systematic spoliation of existing marble. The city enlarged even more rapidly in the Romanesque period with the construction of a large basilica for which marble had to be sought in the periphery of the ancient city. At that time there existed a highly developed organization for spoliating and reworking ancient marble: the Cos- matesque Workshop. Keywords: Re-use; Rome; Arch of Constantine; Basilica Lateranensis; urban transforma- tion. Dieser Artikel bietet eine Übersicht über den Einsatz von Spolien in Rom zwischen dem . und dem . Jahrhundert n. Chr. Er zeigt auf, wie mit dem Konstantinsbogen und der Ba- silica Lateranensis eine Tradition von Bedeutungsbezügen und Strategien der Spolienver- wendung begründet wurde.
    [Show full text]
  • Print Contact Sheet
    Italy - Rome Group 3 (S to Z) Sant'Andrea della Valle #2187 1650 Sant'Andrea della Valle #2189 1650 Sant'Andrea della Valle #2195 1650 Santo Spirito #3486 12th-13th c Spanish Steps #3514 1725 Spanish Steps #3517 1725 Spanish Steps #4303 1725 St Ignatius Church #2230 1626-1650 Italy - Rome Group 3 (S to Z) St Ignatius Church #2233 1626-1650 St Ignatius Church #2234 1626-1650 St Louis of the French #6550 1510-1589 St Louis of the French #6607 1510-1589 St Louis of the French #6613 1510-1589 St Louis of the French #6622 1510-1589 St Pantaleo and St Joseph Church #4801 St Pantaleo and St Joseph Church #4803 Italy - Rome Group 3 (S to Z) St Peter's Easter Sunday #4991 1506 St Peter's Easter Sunday #5002 Obelisk 37 BC Egypt St Peter's Easter Sunday #5003 St Peter's Easter Sunday #5007 March 31, 2013 St Peter's Easter Sunday #5013 March 31, 2013 St Peter's Easter Sunday #5018 St Peter's Easter Sunday #5019 St Peter's Easter Sunday #5020 March 31, 2013 Italy - Rome Group 3 (S to Z) St Peter's Easter Sunday #5024 March 31, 2013 St Peter's Easter Sunday #5027 March 31, 2013 St Peter's Easter Sunday #5032 March 31, 2013 St Peter's Easter Sunday #5034 March 31, 2013 St Peter's Easter Sunday #5037 March 31, 2013 St Peter's Easter Sunday #5056 March 31, 2013 St Peter's Easter Sunday #5079 Pope Francis St Peter's Easter Sunday #5079a 2013 March Pope Francis Italy - Rome Group 3 (S to Z) St Peter's Easter Sunday #5093 March 31, 2013 St Peter's Easter Sunday #5106 March 31, 2013 St Peter's Easter Sunday #5111 March 31, 2013 Sts Claudio and Andrea of Borgognoni
    [Show full text]