Ancient Rome-Empire

Question 1

Answer 1

Empire Late 1 BCE-Early 4 CE

Medium

• faced with marble

Subject Matter + Function

• erected in honor of trajan
• served civic purpose
• largest building is basilica (ulpia famil name of trajan)
• primary civic building used for juditial, business, and administrative purposes

Appearance + Relevance

• relief carvings
  
  • celebrating trajan
• large enclosed area used for gatherings and markets
  
  • equestrian statue of trajan in middle
• primarily rectangle iwth half circle on either end
  
  • the goal is to enclose large uniterupted space
• two rows of columns in ulpia
  
  • support wooden roof and second extension
  • like peristyle otherwise, central space is open due to wooden roof
• two stories
  
  • allow air and light
• entabliture in ceiling
• coffers visually make cieling appear higher up
• plan looks like inverted greek temple
• apse-on either end occupied by juries, judges and assesors
• in front of apse is alter, oaths sweared to divine
  
  • believed gods are present
  • borrowed by christians for temples (churches) groin vaults

Question 2

Answer 2

Empire Late 1 BCE-Early 4 CE

Medium

• entire structure is made from fireproof amterials
• cut stone
• concrete
• pumice on top
• iron ring on top

Subject Matter + Function

• made for worhsip of godes and emperors in death
• would have been filled with sculptures
• massive corinthian columns

Appearance + Relevance

• external decore is removed
• dome set on top of drum w/ pedimented portico
• no internal supports (like roman houses of vetti has hole occulus and no internal support)
• iron ring used to keep opening on occulus
• drum butresses dome
• it is a perfect circle
  
  • height equal to width
• appeals to intellect like greeks, mathematical precision
• they articulate surface,
• make more aesthetially pleasing,
• and give forms
• definition created w/ niches
  
  • recession into a wall alternating of rectangular and circular space appears larger
  • filled niches with statues and columns in ceiling,
• coffers serve same function as niches
• each coffer has gilded bronze (rosettes)
  
  • meant to look like stars in sky above
• added architectural molding to give it definition
  
  • pediments entabliture
• opening
  
  • symbolically became eye of gods looking down

Question 3

Answer 3

Equestrian Statue of Marcus Aurelius Rome Empire Late 1 BCE-Early 4 CE

Medium

• cast bronze

Subject Matter + Function

• emperor during height 1st&2nd century
• christians later destroyed them
• intelligent, peacful serious & educated man
  
  • trained as a philosopher
  • strong sense of justice
• later appointed emporer
  
  • predisessor knew he wanted him to serve, so adopted him
• wrote down ideas (meditations) and beliefs at end of life
  
  • about how it is like to run an empire
  • wrote about value and challenges

Appearance + Relevance

• life size
• equestrian statue
  
  • means on horseback
  • shows power and command of the rider/emporer
• horse willingly obeys and happily serves head is high without being pulled
  
  • front leg is raised
• like troops administrators and people maintains peace prospreity and order
• wears casual attire
  
  • short simple tunic
• extended hand to spare man or gesture to people
  
  • gesture of capable man
• horse hoof is over enemy on barbarian,
• horse is small related to rider
  
  • to not overwhelm rider
• all realistcally rendered and ideal

Question 4

Answer 4

Caracalla Empire Late 1 BCE-Early 4 CE

Medium

• Marble

Subject Matter + Function

• emporor during height of marble empire
• struggled under eladership
  
  • reflected in expression

Appearance + Relevance

• statues serious scowl as refleciton of empire

Answer 5

** **Battle of Romans and Barbarians ; Ludavisi Battle Sarcophagus from Rome Empire Late 1 BCE-Early 4 CE

Medium

• Marble coffin sarcophagus

Subject Matter + Function

• Depicts battle of roman leader against barbarians
• Later Christians use some of these features

Appearance + Relevance

• Romans are wearing roman togas
  
  • Successful on top
  • Triumphant and victorious
• Barbarians wear trousers
  
  • On bottom, losing
• Relief is high
• Variety of angles
  
  • Frontal, profile, back
• Foreshortening
• Degree of ideal realism

Question 6

Answer 6

Constantine the Great from Basicilica of the Maxwntius and Constantine Empire Late 1 BCE-Early 4 CE

Medium

• marble gold, and other stone, metal

Subject Matter + Function

• constantine ruled during beginning 4th century
• had split earlier, constintine united it
• he had a successful regn after, empire would fall
• 2 important things he did during reign,
  
  • 1. converted to christianity at end of life
  • 2. allow christian faiths to be practiced publicly
  • practiced literally underground and secretly under constantine,
• christianity became official
  
  • he financed churches many faiths practiced throughout empre
• moved seat of empire from rome eastward to city of bazantium,
• renamed city after himself (constantinoble)
• he reign during troubled period of hard time,
  
  • shown as tough and noble, as a god
  • period of peace and stability are shown as more natural setting
• would have had himself deicted as jupiter/Zues, king of gods
  
  • wearing robes of zues/jupiter
  • holding golden orb of world
• location of statue was in the apse of his basilica

Appearance + Relevance

• 30 ft
• quality of carving has declined
• beatufiul naturalism is gone

Question 7

Answer 7

Basilica of Maxentitus and Constantine, Rome Empire Late 1 BCE- Early 4 CE

Medium

• made of stone, concrete, fireproof materials
• faced with marble

Subject matter + Funciton

• location of statue was in the apse of his basilica

Appearance + Relevance

• beatufful corinthian clolumns
• had 3 bays on either side
  
  • with barrel vault over them
• later christian churches learn from that
• the godlike emperor Constantine is seated on empirial throne in apse
  
  • shows divinity
• entrance is on short
  
  • added on long later
• coffers in ceiling