2. DISCLAIMER
This presentation is an overview of the material in your text. It is not
comprehensive, nor is it meant to be. This presentation allows you to introduce
yourself to concepts and images in the respective chapter. Best practice says to
view this presentation with your book open, as many of the images in this
presentation are small or incomplete.
3. Guiding Questions
• In the ancient Near East, we
saw how art was used to
effectively conquer competing
cultures.
• Now the Romans have
conquered. How will Roman
politicians use the arts to
propagate their political
agendas and create a unified
ROMAN identity across
regions?
Flavian Woman,
EARLY EMPIRE
4. The Romans believed they were
the successors in the lineage of
Aphrodite and Aeneas. They also
believed they were the
descendants of Remus and
Romulus, who were suckled by a
she-wolf near the Tiber river. But,
in fact, the Romans came from the
Etruscans, a vivacious people
known for their joy of life.
Etruscan Country
Where in the world are we?
5. Etruscan Temple--made of wood,
Etruscan Influences porched, and single-entranced,
Tumulus in Cerveteri, Italy
Dancers of tomb mural, Cerveteri,
Italy
Self Study: The Etruscans were contemporaries of the Greeks, and were known for their
distinct regional style in architecture, sculpture, and painting. They buried their dead in
neighborhoods of tumuli, worshipped in porched temples, and enjoyed a dynamic liveliness in
sculpture that the Greeks will not know until much later in their development. The Greeks and
the Etruscans are living in essentially the same geographic setting, so what do you think causes
each culture to be so different from the other? What other factors are at play?
6. Guiding Historical
Periods and Events
• Etruscans are defeated in 509 BCE
• Monarchy and Republican Period--753-27
BCE
• Early Empire--27 BCE-96 CE (We have
crossed the BCE | CE divide and can
begin counting up!)
• High Empire--96-192 CE
• Late Empire --192-337 CE
• Age of Constantine begins in 312 CE
Aule Metele,
Cortona, Italy,
ETRUSCAN
7.
8. The Republic
• Marked by
leadership of
Senators in a
constitutional
government
Denarius with Portrait of Julius Caesar
• Republican style is
veristic in which age
is considered a sign
of wisdom and
prestige
• Influenced by
Etruscan and Greek
cultures (temples,
muralism) LEFT: Patrician Carrying Portrait Busts of
Ancestors, RIGHT: Head of an Old Man,
Osimo, Italy
9. Early
Empire
• Marked by
leadership of
single Emperors
• Style fluctuates
between an
Augustan idealism
and a Republican
verism
• Arts used to
convey political
agenda of
Emperor
CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Augustus as General, Primaporta, Italy;
Ara Pacis, Rome, Italy; Arch of Titus, Rome Italy
10. High Empire
• Roman Empire
reaches its greatest
extent
• A golden age in
Roman arts CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Trajan’s
Column, Rome, Italy;
Pantheon Interior, Rome, Italy; Equestrian
Statue of Marcus Aurelius, Rome Italy
11. Late Empire
• Roman
Empire is
in decline
• The arts
become
CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Portrait Bust of
less Trajan Decius; Portrait Bust of Caracala;
Portrait Bust of Philip the Arab
Classical
and reveal
the
emotional
turmoil of
the age
12. Age of Constantine
• Constantine
mandates the
Edict of Milan,
which grants
CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Colossal
religious Statue of Constantine, Rome, Italy;
Triumphal Arch of Constantine, Rome,
freedom to all Italy; Aula Palatine, Trier, Germany
religious
Jewish,
Pagan, and
Christian
• Returns to an
Augustan
idealism in his
artistic
campaign
13. In subsequent presentations, you will explore:
• Public Urban Design and Private Space
Decoration
• Architectural Innovations in Conquering
• Roman Influences on Modern Day
