* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
Download File
Military of ancient Rome wikipedia , lookup
Roman army of the late Republic wikipedia , lookup
Roman funerary practices wikipedia , lookup
History of the Roman Constitution wikipedia , lookup
Roman Republican governors of Gaul wikipedia , lookup
Roman economy wikipedia , lookup
Roman historiography wikipedia , lookup
Slovakia in the Roman era wikipedia , lookup
Travel in Classical antiquity wikipedia , lookup
Roman temple wikipedia , lookup
Culture of ancient Rome wikipedia , lookup
Romanization of Hispania wikipedia , lookup
Ancient Roman architecture wikipedia , lookup
Education in ancient Rome wikipedia , lookup
Early Roman army wikipedia , lookup
Food and dining in the Roman Empire wikipedia , lookup
Ancient Rome Inheritors of Greek Civilization Early Years • Supposedly the city of Rome was founded by twins Romulus & Remus. • They were abandoned by their parents & raised by a she-wolf in the wild. • The twins came upon the spot where they wanted to live & started the early city of Rome. • In Italian, Rome is “Roma.” • The earliest known civilization in Italy was the Etruscans. – They were originally from northern Italy. – They conquered much of Italy north of the Tiber River, including the town of Rome. – Rome grew in size & importance; it became the largest & richest city in Italy. – By 509 B.C. the Romans were successful in driving the Etruscans out of Rome. – Very little remains of Etruscan civilization. • The Romans were surrounded by enemies so it was necessary for them to fight for survival. • The Romans extended their power until all of the Italy was under their control. • The Romans created the republic as their form of government. • The Roman republic controlled territory from England in the north to Mesopotamia in the east, and Africa in the South. • They referred to the Mediterranean as “mare nostrum” or “our sea.” Social/Political Divisions • Proletariat: no rights; lowest of the 3 divisions • Plebians: common citizens; limited rights • Patricians: highest ranked citizens; all the rights; mostly senators Innovations in Architecture • The Romans were known as the planners & the engineers. • They were content with being heirs of Greek art, architecture, & culture. • They did make a few original contributions of their own to art & architecture. • Their buildings used elements from the Etruscans & Greeks. • Differences between the Greeks & Romans include – Columns were used for decoration & support; pilaster was used for decoration; – The pilaster is a half-column (vertical;) – The colonnade was not widely used in temple design; – They did not use the post-&-lintel system, like the Greeks had used; – The temples were built on a platform which raised it above eye level; they borrowed this from the Etruscans. Temple of Fortuna Virilis, Rome • Makes use of all the features but notice how the front columns are used for support. • The pilasters are the decorative columns seen on the sides. Plan of Temple of Fortuna Virilis • 2 innovations that the Romans added to architecture were the arch & use of concrete. – The arch, arcade, & vault allowed the Romans to build bigger buildings than the Greek post-&-lintel system. – Under pressure, stone doesn’t bend; it snaps. – The arch is built around a wooden form until the top stone is fit into place. – The top stone is called the keystone. • The Romans were the first to use concrete extensively in their buildings. • Concrete had been used in the Near East for some time, the Romans spread its use throughout their Empire. • The innovations of the Romans allowed them to construct great domes, temples, aqueducts, & other enormous structures. • The planning was Roman, but the architectural style remained Hellenistic in its design. Major Forms of Construction • Buildings remaining today are public buildings. – Baths – Amphitheaters – Colosseums – Triumphal arch – Aqueducts Aqueducts • These structures brought water to the town & cities in the Roman Empire. • They began in the mountains where the source of water was & carried the water into the cities. • Using gravitational flow (slight angle) the water would collect in a containing pool & then to areas in the city. • Made use of many angles to break the force of the rushing water. • The best existing example is in Segovia, Spain. • It was constructed using no mortar or cement. • It was constructed by placing a series of arches next to each other so they would support each other & carry the weight to the ground. • Eleven aqueducts were built around Rome; they ranged from 10 to 60 miles in length. The Baths • The baths were not only places for hygiene, there were many social aspects as well. – Gym – Restaurants – Shops – Lecture rooms – Libraries – Walk-ways • They were similar to our shopping malls. • All the baths contained a series of pools that were progressively cooler. – Calidarium: hot water pool – Tepidarium: warm water pool – Frigidarium: cool water pool • Furnaces placed in rooms beneath the pool provided the heat necessary to warm the water. • The baths were tended by large numbers of workers & slaves • Most baths were used by both men & women. Arenas • The arenas developed from the Greek amphitheater, which was a semi-circle “stadium.” • These Greek structures were used for theater performances. • The Romans enclosed the entire stage area & made that the place where they would display activities. The Colosseum • The most impressive arena built in the Roman Empire. • Amazing in its function & design. – Could seat up to 50,000 people – Emptied in minutes (80 doors & passageways.) – Poles around the top supported a canvas awning. – Sloped seats like modern arenas. • Used for many different types of activities. – Gladiator fights – Mock military battles (could be filled with water) – Chariot races – Executions (especially Christians) • The Colosseum consisted of 4 stories constructed of stone, brick & concrete. • Each story had a different column type borrowed from the Greeks. – Doric: lower level – Ionic on the second story – Corinthian: third story – Corinthian pilasters on the fourth floor. • Beneath the floor of the Colosseum were compartments & passageways serving a number of different purposes. • As the Roman Empire declined, the games became more brutal & barbaric. • These games were to celebrate the death of an important nobleman. • The Roman Colosseum was on the Forum, which was the center of life in the city. • It contained the public buildings, temples, & market places. The Pantheon • A marvel of Roman architecture & engineering. • It was originally a temple dedicated to all the Roman gods. • It was later converted into a Christian church. – This is why it survived the destruction of Rome by the barbarians. • It was originally built on a pedestal but it is now at street level. • From the outside, it looks like a low, gently curving dome resting on a cylinder. – The dome is 144 feet high & 144 feet in diameter. – Walls are constructed of brick & concrete – There are no windows in the building; solid walls were needed to support the massive weight of the dome. • There were 3 zones inside. – Lower zone (ground level) contained niches or recesses built into the walls. These niches probably contained altars to specific gods. – Middle zone (frieze) contained the 12 signs of the zodiac. – Upper zone (dome) represented the heavens. • The dome is covered with coffers. – Coffers are indented panels that are used for decoration & to help ease the weight of the dome. • The light source in the Pantheon is a round opening in the center of the dome • This opening is called the occulis • It is 30 feet across. • When it rains, water does come into the building but – The floor slopes gently & water drains to the edges and out of the building. The Basilicas • Spacious rectangular buildings that were part of the forum, or public square of a Roman city. • They combined all the architectural advances made by the Romans in 1 building. • They later served as models for Christian churches. • Parts of the basilica included – Nave: long, wide center aisle divided by columns into 2 smaller side aisles. – Apse: semicircular area at the end of the nave. • The roof over the center aisle was usually higher than the roofs over the side aisles. – This allowed builders to install windows to let sunlight in. – These windows were called clerestory windows. Triumphal Arches • These were built to commemorate Roman military victories. • There was a large central opening & two smaller openings on each side • The general & his officers rode chariots & horses through the central opening • Foot soldiers marched through the smaller ones. • Some arches were decorated with scenes from battles. • The Romans built these all over the empire. • The most impressive of these was the Arch of Constantine. Sculpture & Painting • The Romans preferred realism, especially in sculptured portraits. • Very early in Roman history, wax masks of deceased family members were made to be carried in funeral processions. • Many of the Greeks sculptors went to Rome to find work & trained Roman artists in their traditions. • The Roman artists changed the techniques to suit their client’s tastes. • These portrait sculptures were for private citizens & not for public display. • The Romans wanted their sculptures to look & remind them of specific people. • The Romans preferred busts (head & shoulders); they felt that the character of the person was shown in the face. Murals & Mosaics • Paintings/scenes that covered entire walls. • Landscapes & buildings to suggest looking out of a window. • Mosaic floors were common in many Roman homes – A mosaic consists of pieces of tile on marble laid out to form a pattern. Decline of Rome • Moral decay & deterioration • Distinct class system led to inequalities (social & economic) • Rulers grew out-of-touch with the people • Rise of the Christian religion put an end to pagan practices • Extension of Roman citizenship to all people conquered by Roman • Division of the empire • 410- Alaric, king of the Visigoths took Rome • Began invasions of the Barbarians – Middle ages “Dark Ages” .. Begin in Europe – Constantine I .. Moves capital to Byzantium (Eastern Roman Empire)