Introduction to

Roman ArtRoman Republic & Pompeii + Herculaneum

The Roman Timeline

■ Roman Republican Period (509-27 BC): Begins with overthrowing

last Etruscan King and ends with Julius Caesar. Major buildings built more for

political use than for worship

– KEYWORDS: Temples, homage to rulers

■ Early Empire Period (27 BC-180 AD):

– KEYWORDS: Ara Pacis, Wall paintings, concrete, arch, Colosseum

■ The High Empire (180-195 AD): Five Good Emperors (Trajan, Hadrian,

etc.) kept things prosperous and peaceful.

– KEYWORDS: Column of Trajan, Hadrian’s Wall, Pantheon

■ The Late Empire (195-400 AD): Diocletian had Empire divided into four

parts.

– KEYWORDS: Tetrarchy, Arch of Constantine

The Republican Period509-27 BC

The Republican Period

One of the cultures that the

Etruscans had historically

controlled was a tribe of people

known as the Latins, who inhabited

the city of Rome

However, in 509 BC, the Etruscan

ruler of Rome, Tarquin, was

deposed from power by the Latins.

The Latins were inspired to overthrow

their Etruscan leader after Tarquin’s

son raped a famous and beloved Latin

woman named Lucretia.

Her rape went unpunished and, in

anguish and shame, Lucretia

committed suicide.

Lucretia’s death was the spark needed

to ignite the flame of revolution in

Rome

Titian, The Rape of Lucretia, Oil on panel,

1518 Rome

The RepublicanPeriod

■ After Tarquin’s expulsion, the Romans sought to create a new type of just government.

■ To do so, they blended the public participation of Greek democracy with the centralized authority of the previous Etruscans kings.

■ The result was a res publica, or republic, a government of the people.

The Republican Period

This new government had three

branches:

The Executive: The consulship, headed

by consuls

The Advisory: The Senate, populated by

senators

The Legislative: The Assembly, which

held two houses: The Assembly of

Centuries & The Assembly of Tribes

A great blending of others’ ideas!

• Tradition holds that Romulus founded the original

city on the Palatine Hill on April 21st, 753 BC,

and that the seven hills were first occupied by

small settlements that were not grouped nor

recognized as a city called Rome.

• The seven hills' denizens began to participate in

a series of religious games, which began to bond

the groups.

• The city of Rome, thus, came into being as these

separate settlements acted as a group, draining

the marshy valleys between them and turning

them into markets (fora in Latin).

• Later, in the early 4th century BCE, the Servian

Walls were constructed to protect the seven

hills.

• The seven hills are populated with monuments,

buildings, and parks.

•

THE REPUBLICAN PERIOD

• In fact, the Romans were not just

great adopters and synthesizers of

governments – they did so with many

other areas of culture: mythology,

literature, architecture, sculpture, or

theatre.

• In each case, the Romans observed

those of other cultures’, adopted the

aspects that they liked, discarded

those they didn’t, and eventually

formed a blended culture of their

own.

• This synthesizing of cultures displays itself most

prominently in the art, sculpture, and architecture

of Rome, with heavy influence coming from the

Greeks.

• Many times, this leads the viewer of an artwork to

wonder:

IS IT GREEK OR

ROMAN?

Imperial Portrait

SculpturePropaganda for victorious and

powerful Roman Emperor

Individualized features (we can tell who is

who)

But made more beautiful with

idealized proportions, youth, and fitness

Copies of Greek

Originals

Same characteristics of Classical style

making marble versions of Greek

bronzes

Considered “Roman copies of Greek

Originals” instead of Roman art

Portraits of Private Citizens

realistic detail and individualized features

Shows age and “imperfections”

“Warts and all”

The Three Types of Ancient Roman Sculpture

1 2 3

Element

• Preferred Structure

• Walls

• Trademark Forms

• Support System

• Column Style

• Sculpture

• Painting

• Subject of Art

Greek

• Temples to Glorify Gods

• Made of cut stone blocks

• Rectangles, Straight Lines

• Post & Lintel

• Doric & Ionic

• Idealized Gods & Goddesses

• Stylized figures floating in Space

• Mythology

Roman

• Civic Buildings to honor Empire

• Concrete with Ornamental facing

• Circles, Curved Lines

• Rounded Arch

• Corinthian

• Realistic (Verism) humans, idealized officials

• Realistic images with Perspective

• Civic Leaders, military triumphs

Is it Greek or is it Roman?

Temple of Athena Nike

Classical Greek; c. 427 BCETemple of Portunus

Rome, Italy; c. 75 BCE

IS IT GREEK OR ROMAN?

The Pantheon

Rome, Italy; c.

126 CE

The Parthenon

Athens, Greece; c.

420 BCE

IS IT GREEK OR ROMAN?

Augustus Of Primaporta,Pax Romana (Roman)

Polykleitos, Doryphoros,High Classical Greek

Athena and Alcyoneus Frieze

from the Altar of Zeus at

Pergamon, c.180 BCE,

Hellenistic Greek

Spoils from the Temple of Solomon,

Jerusalem

Relief on the Arch of Titus

81 CE, Early Empire Rome

ROMAN REVOLUTION: THE ARCH

The Roman invention of the true arch with its voussoirs and central keystone

allowed the Romans to create grander arcuated structures than the Greeks

REPUBLICAN ART

• The Temple of Portunus is an example of

Roman synthesis.

• It follows the Etruscan design 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 and was

originally overlaid with stucco in

imitation of the white marble temples of

the Greeks.

Temple of Portunus

Rome, Italy; ca. 75 BCE

• 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

around the cella’s sides and

back.

• The result was a

pseudoperipteral (“peripteral-

like”) temple.

TEMPLE OF THE SIBYL (OR VESTA)

TIVOLI, ITALY; C. 90 BC

• 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 cella wall was constructed not of masonry blocks but of a new invention: concrete.

REPUBLICAN ART

ROMAN CONCRETE

• The Recipe for Roman Concrete:

• 1. Pozzolana

• 2. Lime

• 3. Water

• 4. Aggregate

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l

ND7_c6my30

REPUBLICAN ART

L’Arringatore (Aulus Metellus), Hollow-cast bronze, c.

75 BCE

Artists of the Republican Period sought to create very

realistic images of their rulers.

Dressed in the traditional draped toga, Aulus Metellus

poses with authority and persuasiveness.

Funerary Relief with Portraits of the Gessii; Rome, Italy; 30 BC

• The sculptural portraits of

prominent Roman Republican

figures are literal reproductions of

individual faces.

• Republican portraits are one way

the patrician class celebrated its

elevated status.

Slaves could not

have portraits,

because, under

Roman law,

they were

property.

• Yet when freed slaves died, they

often ordered portraits for their

tombs.

• This image depicts former slaves

who have gained their freedom

and right to have their portraits

created.

REPUBLICAN ART

• Patrician portraits were typically of 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.

Head of a Roman Patrician,

from Otricoli, Italy; 75-50 BC

POMPEII

Pompeii & Herculeaneum Pompeii & neighboring

Herculaneum were buried on

August 24 & August 25, 79AD

by the eruption of Mt.

Vesuvius

Pompeii is the most

important archeological site

for learning about life in a

Roman city

• Much less is known about

Herculaneum because:

• Part is under very hard

volcanic rock

• Part is under the modern

city of Naples, Italy

The Eruption of Vesuvius

• The Eruption of Mt. Vesuvius was

massive

• It was particularly violent

because Vesuvius had not

erupted for a very long time

(over 200 years)

The City of Pompeii

No other ancient site has

captured the imagination of

those interested in ancient

Rome more than Pompeii

Yet, there are many

misconceptions about the site

of Pompeii

Misconceptions

The victims were “buried alive,” they had no chance of escape

The city was buried “as it was,” the victims were caught completely unaware

Pompeii was never again explored after ancient times

Misconceptions

There are even some doubts about the date of the eruption because:

The historical text that gives the date is corrupt

Remains of fruit that are more suitable for autumn have been found at the site

Many victims were found “bundled up” in warmer, autumn clothes

Realities

The eruption did not occur without warning, there were many earthquakes in

the week leading up to the eruption

Many people did escape; some of those who did not may have been looters or

were simply unwilling to leave.

Realities

Pompeii as it appears today is not an exact reflection of a typical Roman city

It was a city from which people were trying to escape

A massive earthquake had occurred in 62 AD so sometimes it is impossible to tell if

the damage was from the earthquake or the eruption of Vesuvius

Realities

Some parts of Pompeii have been rebuilt because:

It needs to look sensible and attractive to tourists

Some of it was destroyed by Allied bombs during World War II and it has to be “re-

built”

Realities

The victims were not “buried alive” as they were going about their days:

Victims were killed by the thermal heat of Vesuvius’s pyroclastic flow as they tried

to escape

In fact, the heat was so intense it killed them instantly: it was not the volcanic

ash.

Realities

Pompeii was explored shortly after the eruption:

Pompeii’s inhabitants went back to look for their belongings

Treasure hunters dug tunnels into the site to look for treasures

There are signs of their presence and some of the remains may actually be looters

The Plaster Molds

Despite the misconceptions, no other ancient site shows what

an ancient city may have been like better than Pompeii

The most striking example of this is the plaster molds from

Pompeii

In 1863, Giuseppe Fiorelli, an Italian archeologist invented the

technique of the plaster molding

The Plaster Molds

Pompeii was buried roughly 70 feet of volcanic ash

Fiorelli realized that, by pounding on the ground, he could identify areas which were hollow below

The hollow areas were once filled with remains- pottery, bodies, or other items- that had long since decomposed, leaving negatives

The Plaster Molds

By pouring plaster into this hollow

area, the plaster would dry and

take the original shape of what

once laid there

Archeologists could then dig around

the plaster, and take out the

positive model of what was once

actually contained there.

The following are some examples:

The site of Pompeii

THE ENTRANCE TO THE SITE

The Forum at Pompeii

The Forum was the political, economic and religious center of a Roman city

The forum contained buildings for running the city (senate house, courts,

etc), temples and shops

The remains of the forums of Pompeii look like this

THE FORUM AT POMPEII

RECONSTRUCTED FORUM AT POMPEII

The Streets of Pompeii

One can walk the streets of Pompeii in the form they would have been walked

by the city’s inhabitants

One can see how the Romans paved their streets, as well as the complex

system the Romans used to deliver and channel water

THE STREETS OF POMPEII

THE AMPHITHEATER

• Pompeii has the oldest known amphitheater in the

Roman world; it dates back to 80BC

• An amphitheater is a stadium which is enclosed on all

sides to form an oval.

• It seats (cavea) are supported by a complicated series of

vaults, arches & arcades.

• Amphitheaters require no earth to support them! They

are freestanding structures

THE AMPHITHEATER AT POMPEII

THE AMPHITHEATER AT POMPEII

THE THEATER AT POMPEII

• Pompeii also had a major theater

• A theater is a half arc, not a full circle

• It was likely used for plays or concerts

• The theater at Pompeii looked like this:

THEATRE AT POMPEII

The Palestra

Also found at Pompeii is something called the palestra

The palestra was a large open filed surrounded on all sides by colonnades

The palestra was originally used for schools, as Roman education stressed

both the mental and the physical.

The Palestra

The rooms that were housed within the colonnades would have been used for

educating Roman pupils in literature and the art of public speaking, while the

field would have been used for athletic training

Later, the palestra was converted to a gladiatorial training school

The Palestra

We are told that the Roman Emperor Nero had to ban gladiatorial shows in

Pompeii for a decade because of a riot that broke out over a gladiatorial

competition between the Pompeiians and the neighboring Nicerians.

Apparently, the Pompeiians were sore losers.

The Palestra

In one of the rooms of a palestra, the remains of 17 gladiators have been

found, chained to a wall

A woman who appears to be wealthy (she was wearing jewelry) was found

there as well

This begs the question: What was she doing there?

THE PALESTRA

Daily Life in Pompeii

The remains of certain buildings give us a glimpse of what daily life was like

for the people of Pompeii

Among some of the buildings we have remains of are shops, baths, and homes

Even graffiti on the walls still remains in certain areas of Pompeii

APISTRINUM (BAKERY)

THERMOPOLIUM (“FAST FOOD” RESTAURANT)

THERMAE (BATH)

Roman Houses

Because of its inhabitants’ wealth, Pompeii also has some of the most

magnificent houses in Rome’s history

Among the more famous homes are:

The Villa of the Mysteries

The House of the Faun

The House of the Vettii

A TYPICAL ROMAN HOUSE

Peristyle: the open

courtyard or garden

surrounded by a colonnade

at the back of the house

Tablinum: the homeowners’ office, study, or greeting

area

House Terms to Know

Fauces: The Narrow entryway from the Street

Atrium: The central public room of the house, just inside the entryway; it usually

has an impluvisum, or water basin at its center

Cubiculum: the small, painted- but- windowless bedrooms & dressing rooms

surrounding the atrium

Triclinium: the dining room, located off the peristyle

Lararium: A shrine to the Roman household gods, usually located in the peristyle

Social Aspects of the Home

Like the Greeks, the Romans (and Italians) were big on social hierarchy

The plans of most of the homes differ lightly in the layout, but inevitably are

designed to enable the visitor to see into the home

When the front door was open during the day, a passerby could see directly

into the atrium, then the tablinum, which lead directly into the peristyle

The more gardens and courtyards you had, the greater your wealth and status

During the time of the Roman republic, ranking aristocratic families

(patricians) used domestic display as a way to reinforce social position and as

a way to advance their own fortunes

Roman Home Decoration

These houses also contain a number of magnificently preserved decorative

elements in the forms of

Frescos: wall paintings created by painting into wet plaster to create a bonded

image & wall

Some scholars consider it among the finest examples of the Fourth Style at Pompeii

Mosaics: images created from tiny, tiny pieces of glass or tile that are called

tessurae

THE FIRST POMPEIAN STYLE

• “Incrustation Style” consisted mainly of imitations of

colored marble.

• Plaster was molded and painted to look like blocks or

panels of colored stones.

• The First Style originated in the Hellenistic world in the

late fourth century BC and was used in Roman homes in

the last two centuries of the Republic.

THE SECOND POMPEIAN STYLE

• or “Architectural Style”

• This period saw a focus on architectural features and trompe-l’oeil compositions.

• Changed in that three-dimensional objects, principally architectural features, were painted realistically rather than modeled in plaster.

Detail of fresco wall painting with garland of fruits and leaves, from the exedra of the Villa of P. Fannius Synistor at Boscoreale, 40–30 BC

THE THIRD POMPEIAN STYLE

• “Ornate Style

• the Third Style favored ornate and colorful decoration painted on monochrome backgrounds.

• The wall was frequently divided into three to five vertical zones by narrow, spindly columns and decorated with painted foliage, candelabra, birds, animals, and figurines.

• Also saw the introduction of Egyptian themes and imagery

THE FOURTH POMPEIAN STYLE

• “Intricate Style”, saw a resurgence in

architectural scenes

• incorporated central panel pictures with

mythological episodes, landscapes, scenes of

daily life and still life images

FOURTH STYLE

PORTRAIT OF HUSBAND AND WIFEHOUSE VII

POMPEII, ITALY70-79 AD

Fourth Style

The man holds a scroll and the woman a stylus and a wax

writing tablet, standard attributes in Roman marriage

portraits.

Such portraits were Roman equivalents of modern wedding

photographs of the bride and groom posing in rented formal

garments never worn by them before or afterwards.

Sensitive studies of the man and woman’s individual faces.

Realistic portrait type placed on a conventional figure type.

House of the Vettii

One of the best preserved houses at Pompeii is the House of the Vetti, an old Pompeiian house remolded and repainted after the earthquake of 62 AD

This photograph was taken in the fauces

It shows the impluvium in the center of the atrium, the opening in the roof above, and in the background, the peristyle garden with its marble tables and mural paintings

Street view, House of the Vettii, Pompeii

House of the Vettii

The house was owned by two

brothers Aulus Vettius

Restitutus and Aulus Vettius

Conviva, probably freedmen

who had made their fortune as

merchants

Their wealth enabled them to

purchase and furnish houses

that would have been owned

only by patricians

FRESCOES FROM THE HOUSE OF THE VETTII

VILLA OF THE MYSTERIES IN POMPEII SEEN FROM ABOVE

FRESCOES FROM THE VILLA OF THE MYSTERIES

DIONYSIAC MYSTERY FRIEZE VILLA OF THE MYSTERIES, POMPEII, ITALY60-50BC

• This chamber was probably used to celebrate, in private, the rites of the Greek god Dionysos

• Dionysos was the focus of an unofficial mystery religion popular in Italy at this time among women.

• Note the human interaction between the figures. The figures are like life and are in a variety of poses

• Nothing comparable to this room existed in HellenisitcGreece.

• Despite the use of Dionysos, satyrs and other figures from Greek mythology, this is a Roman design.

HOUSE OF THE FAUN2ND CENTURY BCPOMPEII, ITALY

WAS ONE OF THE LARGEST AND MOST IMPRESSIVE PRIVATE RESIDENCES IN POMPEII, AND HOUSED MANY GREAT PIECES OF ART.IT IS ONE OF THE MOST LUXURIOUS ARISTOCRATIC HOUSES FROM THE ROMAN REPUBLIC

ALEXANDER THE GREAT MOSAIC FROM THE HOUSE OF THE FAUN 100BC

• is a Roman floor mosaic originally from the House of the Faun in Pompeii.

• It depicts a battle between the armies of Alexander the Great and Darius III of Persia

• The mosaic is believed to be a copy of an early 3rd-century BC Hellenistic painting.

Alexander the Great Darius III of Persia

DETAILS OF THE MOSAIC

A Virtual Roman Domus

ROMAN MOSAICS OF POMPEII

MOSAICS AT POMPEII