Roman Art Research Paper

The Roman Empire, at its height (c. 117 CE), was the most extensive political and social structure of western civilization. Under Trajan, the empire reached its greatest territorial expanse and his admiration for Greek culture spurred new building programs and classicizing works of art throughout the empire. The marble representation of Trajan at the San Antonio Museum of Art known as (The Lansdowne Trajan, 98-117 A.D.) establishes Trajan as a skilled military commander, an affluent ruler and a god that’s why the torso of this sculpture belonged to a statue of a youthful god and later consolidated with Trajan's head. In The Lansdowne Trajan, the unknown artist utilized fine marble, contrapposto pose, shape and line to capture the dynamism of

Political figures in art has always been an important part of our history, culture and artistic representation, Roman and Byzantine art is a classic case of these representations. The Equestrian Statue of Marcus Aurelius and Justinian as World Conqueror are two examples that demonstrate the power and prestige of these political authorities. First, Equestrian Statue of Marcus Aurelius from the Roman, Italy (173-176 CE) measures 11’6” high, cast in bronze. Secondly, Justinian as World conqueror from Byzantium period measures 13” x 11” entire panel, center panel 7” x 5” and 1” deep. The creator of the equestrian statue is unknown, however, the creator of Justinian’s ivory relief was probably made by the imperial work of Constantinople.

The book titled Catiline’s War, The Jugurthine War, Histories was originally written in Latin by Gaius Sallustius Crispus. This translated piece of literature is unique because it is written in the perspective of someone during this particular time in history and, also, because it is separated into three topical parts or sections. The first part of the book is dedicated to the notes, history, and events leading up to the wars. Sallust’s second part is about Catiline’s War, thus, leaving the third section to the Jugurthine War. All three parts combine to create a piece of historical documentation that describes the everyday environment or lifestyle in the Roman Empire.

Bryan Ward-Perkins, an archaeologist by training and currently a professor at Oxford University, places great emphasis on the material culture of Rome at the collapse of the Western Empire by focusing his arguments on the violent barbarian invasions and Rome’s ultimate failed policy of accommodating them into the empire as well as reexamining the physical transformation that Rome experienced in its last years. These two main arguments may stem directly from his training and findings while excavating Ancient Roman sites in Italy and contends the idea of peaceful assimilation and evolution made famous by Peter Brown’s The World of Late Antiquity. In support of Perkins, Richard Burgess affirms that Rome indeed rapidly declined basing his conclusion

“Classical Ideal” In the documentary, “Art of the Western World-The Classical Ideal”, the narrator provides a history and a perspective on the Greek and Roman creation of the “Classical Ideal” to art and architecture. The narrator infers that the foundation of the two societies, namely their democratic falsifies and religious foundations, along with their focus on fitness, personal strength, calculations and intelligence, drove Greece and later Rome, to perfect their visions of balance, symmetry and beauty in their architecture and art. Greece and Rome are often held out as the greatest societies to have ever existed.

Jones' "The Later Roman Empire 284-602: A Social, Economic, and Administrative Survey" is a significant source for investigating the influence of Diocletian's rule. The strengths of this source lie in its comprehensive scope and meticulous analysis of various aspects of the Roman Empire during the period in question. Jones's extensive examination of administrative structures is crucial for understanding Diocletian's reforms. His expertise in Roman administrative history lends credibility to his interpretations. Additionally, the book covers social and economic factors, providing a holistic view of the era, which is valuable for assessing the broader impact of the Diocletian

Words Count: 724 Words References: Morey, William. C. (1901). Outlines of Roman History. Retrieved March 06, 2018, from

Accessed Apr 14, 2018. Dijkstra, Henk, editor. History of the Ancient and Medieval World. Vol. 9, Marshall Cavendish, 1996.

As we know, the Romans liked to find different ways of expressing themselves. Whether it was from elaborate paintings, or timeless architecture, Rome made sure everyone knew they were proud of who they were and what they have accomplished. Being the excessive boasters that they were, the Romans wanted a way of not only displaying their riches and fortunes, but to also show their loyalty and gratitude to the great leaders who influenced their lives. Art was usually the answer; paintings and sculpture being the most popular. Learned mostly from the Etruscans and Greeks, sculpture did not reach a high point in Rome until the 1st and 2nd centuries (Kamm, n.d.).

Roman architecture was considered a beauty by everyone who has seen their architecture. From the Colosseum which was built in 72-80 CE to the Arch of Titus built in 81 CE. The development of both concrete and the arch was indeed firstly from the Greeks. The Romans put their own complexity and stigma on each.

Roman architecture was unique. They had there own ideas mixed in with improving on the greeks architecture. Rome created famous structures such as: The Triumphal arch, basilica, amphitheatre (colosseum), and other famous structures. Rome used marbial in most of these structures, the romans also limestone for paving, door and window frames and stairs. Rome was the first to invent concrete, by using the motor to its fullest potential.

Costa e Silva also possessed Alberti’s (a rare re-printing from 1550‘s dated 1565), Serlio’s, Labacco’s, Cataneo’s, Scamozzi’s, three editions of Vignola’s, and two Palladio’s treatises along with another two on the latter. In addition, we must also mention Bibiena’s, Pozzo’s and Rusconi’s treatises. From this series we can infer Costa e Silva’s interest in the study and collation of the great theorists of architecture such as Vitruvius (four editions, a rare one by Barbaro), Vignola (three) and Palladio (four books, two editions of his treatise, a book on Vicenza’s buildings and a drawings catalogue of the Roman baths. The inventory displays pressing bias towards the great classic treatises in particular Vitruvius and, of course, Palladio. In this regard, Costa e Silva’s sources are noticeably Italian in contrast with French cognates on architecture.

When viewing the architecture of the earlier western civilizations, Roman designs and techniques brought about much advancement. As seen in earlier chapters although architecture and engineering is important in many societies, Roman designs seemed to be a pinnacle amongst human history. When assessing the different forms of Roman architecture and engineering there are many great examples. The romans had uniquely moved away from traditional building designs and became open to new methods of construction.

In fact, the organization of the Roman provinces was very different from that of the Greeks. In this assignment we are going to focus on some activities that shows how the roman society and thoughts were Greeks in origin. Recall that with the growth

The Architecture in the Period of Roman Era Name: Course: Tutor: Date: Historically, the period of Roman Era is connected with the existence of the Roman Empire, which was the most extensive political and social state in the history of western civilization, being governed by the political center in Rome. Despite the fact that the culture of Roman Era was based on the achievements of the Greek culture, it provided the number of innovations that greatly impacted the peculiarities of the further cultural epochs (Mark). In the present essay we are going to highlight the main features of the architecture of the Roman era. First of all, it should be highlighted that the Ancient civilizations, including Roman Empire, had the architecture