Roman Vocab Flashcards Preview

AP Art History > Roman Vocab > Flashcards

Flashcards in Roman Vocab Deck (69)
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1
Q

Aisles

A

passage or open corridor

2
Q

Amphitheater

A

Oval building with tiers of seats around central open area

3
Q

Aqueduct

A

Channel for conducting water from a distance

4
Q

Arcade

A

Series of arches carried by columns / piers and supporting common wall or lintel

5
Q

Atmospheric perspective

A

Rendering effect of spatial distance by subtle variations in color and clarity of representation.

6
Q

Atrium

A

Unroofed interior courtyard or room, sometimes having pool, garden, or surrounded by columns

7
Q

Barrel vault

A

Elongated or continuous semicircular vault (half-cylinder)

8
Q

Basilica

A

Large rectangular building. Often built with clerestory, side aisles separated from center by colonnade and apses. Center for administration (adapted later by Christian Church)

9
Q

Buttressing

A

Prior support, usually of masonry, projecting from the face of a wall and serving either to strengthen it or to resist the side thrust created by the load on an arch or a roof

10
Q

Christogram

A

a monogram or combination of letters that forms an abbreviation for the name of Jesus Christ

11
Q

Clerestory

A

Topmost zone of wall with windows in basilica. Provides direct light into actual interior space.

12
Q

Coffers

A

Recessed decorative panel used to reduce weight and decorate ceilings or vaults

13
Q

Colonnade

A

Row of columns supporting lintel

14
Q

Composite order

A

Combination of Ionic and Corinthian

15
Q

Concrete

A

material used for building structures

16
Q

Constantinope

A

dedicated by emperor Constantine in 330 ce; used to be port city of Byzantium.

17
Q

Constantine

A

Roman emperor who ruled beginning in 312 ce; first christian emperor and first to be religiously tolerant

18
Q

Continuous Narrative

A

illustrates multiple scenes of a narrative within a single frame

19
Q

Dado

A

Lower part of wall

20
Q

Diptych

A

Two panels of equal size (usually decorated w/ paintings or relief) that are hinged together

21
Q

Dome

A

Round vault over circular space

22
Q

Drum

A

Wall that supports dome

23
Q

Edict of Milan

A

313CE

Granted freedom to all religious groups.

24
Q

Emblemata

A

In mosaic, elaborate central motif on floor with small tessarae, done in more detail

25
Q

Encaustic

A

Pigments and hot wax as medium

26
Q

Engaged column

A

Column attached to wall

27
Q

Equestrian Statue

A

bronze statue of Marcus Aurelius that works as propaganda to emphasize his power as emperor

28
Q

Exedrae

A

Semicircular niche, small decoration, large interior space (apse)

29
Q

Forum

A

Center of civic life, equivalent of agora

30
Q

Fresco

A

Technique where waterbased pigments applied to surface of wet plaster

31
Q

Groin vault

A

Created by intersetion of 2 barrel vaults

32
Q

Hemispheric dome

A

rim of dome is supported on a drum (circular wall)

33
Q

Insulae

A

residential apartments (for lower class)

34
Q

Intuitive Perspective

A

method of giving the impression of recession by visual instinct, not an overall system or program

35
Q

Linear perspective

A

illusion of a measured and continuously receding space

36
Q

Mount Vesuvius

A

a damn volcano that buried Pompeii

37
Q

Nave

A

central space of a basilica, two or three stories high and usually flanked by aisles

38
Q

Oculus

A

Circular opening, apex of dome

39
Q

Patrician

A

Upper class (republic)

40
Q

Pax Romana

A

Roman Peace, period of stability, prosperity, and peace

41
Q

Pedestal

A

Platform or base supporting sculpture

42
Q

Pilaster

A

Engaged columnar element that is rectangular and used for decoration

43
Q

Plebian

A

Lower class (republic)

44
Q

Pompeii

A

Affluent southern Italian city

45
Q

Roman Empire

A

post-Republican period with autocratic government

46
Q

Roman Republic

A

Roman period with republic form of government, meaning that government was a public matter

47
Q

Roman temple

A

followed pattern of Etruscan and Greek buildings

48
Q

Roundels

A

any element with circular format, often exterior decoration.

49
Q

Still Life

A

painting where subject is inanimate

50
Q

Stucco

A

mixture of lime, sand, etc. into easily molded/modeled material. Very durable surface when dry

51
Q

Tempera paint

A

painting medium made by blending egg yolk with water

52
Q

Tesserae

A

Small pieces of stone, glass, etc. used to make mosaic

53
Q

Tetrarchy

A

4 man rule over empire

54
Q

Third century crisis

A

Period where Roman Empire almost collapsed from invasion, civil war, plague, and economic depression

55
Q

Triumphal arch

A

archway with one or more arched passageways. Has two massive piers connected by arch and entablature. Decorated with carvings and reliefs.

56
Q

Tuscan order

A

variation of Doric order. Smooth shaft, plain architrave, and undecorated frieze

57
Q

Veneer

A

exterior facing of building, often in decorative patterns of fine stone or brick

58
Q

Veristic

A

style where artists capture exterior likeness of object or person

59
Q

Voussoir

A

oblong, wedge-shaped stone blocks used to build an arch. Topmost block is called keystone

60
Q

atrium

A

formal entrance hall

61
Q

Ala

A

“wings” opening from atrium

62
Q

Cubiculum

A

small room; bedroom

63
Q

Culina

A

kitchen

64
Q

Exedra

A

garden room

65
Q

Peristylium

A

colonnaded garden

66
Q

Taberna

A

shop

67
Q

Tablinum

A

office; study

68
Q

Triclinium

A

dining room

69
Q

Vestibulum

A

entrance hall