1. The Burden Of GLORY
The Art Of The High Roman Empire
Introduction To Art History I
Professor Will Adams

2. The Imperial Age
 The Romans typically
built aqueducts to serve
any large city in their
empire.
 The city of Rome itself,
being the largest city, had
the largest concentration
of aqueducts, with water
being supplied by eleven
aqueducts constructed
over a period of 500 years.
Pont-du-Gard, Nîmes, France; 19
BCE

3. The Imperial Age

4. The Imperial Age

5. The Imperial Age
 There were
approximately 300 miles
of aqueducts, while only
29 of them were above
ground.
 The aqueduct provided
about one hundred
gallons of water a day
for the inhabitants of
Nîmes from a source
some thirty miles away.

6. The Imperial Age

7. The Imperial Age
Pont-du-Gard, Nîmes, France;
19 BCE

8. The Imperial Age
 This civic Roman temple was built
by Agrippa, who died in 12 BCE.
 It was then dedicated to his two
sons, Caius and Lucius, heirs of
Augustus who both died very
young.
 It shows the allegiance & loyalty
of the Roman colony to the
empire.
 It stands on the short south side
of the forum on a podium which
is nearly 10 feet high.
 It was built of local limestone, but
without a doubt the architect and
workmen came from Rome.
Maison Carrée, Nîmes, France; c. 10 CE

9. The Imperial Age
Maison Carrée, Nîmes, France; c. 10 CE

10. An empire emerges
 After his father’s death,
Vespasian’s son, Titus, assumes
control of the Empire in 79 CE,
the same year that Mt. Vesuvius
erupts and buries the cities of
Pompeii and Herculaneum.
 Despite the disaster, Emperor
Titus was known as “the light of
the world” during his reign, in
recognition of his administration
and completion of his father’s
Coliseum project.
 Titus was mysteriously killed in
81 CE.

11. Pompeii & Herculaneum
 Pompeii & neighboring
Herculaneum were
buried on August 24 &
August 25, 79 CE by the
eruption of Mt.
Vesuvius.
 Pompeii is the most
important
archaeological site for
learning about life in a
Roman city.

12. The City of Pompeii

13. The Imperial Age
Roman Cities & Pompeii
 The forum was an oasis in
the heart of Pompeii - an
open, airy plaza.
 Throughout the rest of the
city, every square foot of
land was developed.
 The forum was constructed
at the southern end of the
town, immediately after
the Roman colony was
founded in 80 BCE.

14. MISCONCEPTIONS
 Some misconceptions about Pompeii are:
 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 since
ancient times.

15. REALITIES
 Some of the realities about Pompeii
include:
 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.

16. THE PLASTER MOLDS
 Despite these 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
archaeologist, invented the technique of
the plaster molding.

17. THE PLASTER MOLDS
 Pompeii was buried under 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.

18. THE PLASTER MOLDS
 By pouring plaster into this hollow area, the
plaster would dry and take the original
shape of what once laid there.
 Archaeologists could then dig around the
plaster, and take out the positive model of
what was once actually contained there.
 The following are some examples:

19. THE PLASTER MOLDS

20. The Imperial Age
 Pompeii’s new citizens
erected a large amphitheater.
 It is the earliest such
structure known and could
seat some twenty thousand
spectators.
 The word amphitheater
means “double theater”, and
the Roman structures closely
resemble two Greek theaters
put together, although the
Greeks never built
amphitheaters.
Aerial view of the amphitheater, 20
Pompeii, Italy, c. 80 BCE

21. The Imperial Age
 Greek theaters were placed
on natural hillsides, but
supporting an
amphitheater’s continuous
elliptical cavea required
building an artificial
mountain, and only
concrete, unknown to the
Greeks, was capable of such
a job.
 Barrel vaults also form the
tunnels leading to the stone
seats of the arena.

22. The Imperial Age
 Arena is Latin for “sand”,
which soaked up the
contestants’ blood.
 Instead of the refined
tragic performances that
would have taken place in
Classical Greek theaters,
the amphitheaters were
largely used to stage
bloody gladiatorial
combats.

23. The Imperial Age
 This painting that is found on
the wall of a Pompeian house
depicts an incident that
occurred in the amphitheater
in 59 CE.
 A brawl broke out between the
Pompeiians and their
neighbors, the Nucerians,
during a contest between the
two towns.
 The fight left many wounded
and led to a 10 year prohibition
against such events.
Brawl in the Pompeii Amphitheater
Pompeii, Italy, c. 60-79 CE 23

24. The Imperial Age
 The painting shows the
cloth awning (velarium)
that could be rolled down
from the top of the cavea to
shield spectators from
either sun or rain.
 It also has the distinctive
external double staircases
that enabled large numbers
of people to enter and exit
the cavea in an orderly
fashion.

25. 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.

26. A PISTRINUM (BAKERY)

27. THERMOPOLIUM ( FAST FOOD
RESTAURANT)

28. THERMAE (BATH)

29. 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

30. ROMAN HOUSES
30

31. ROMAN HOUSES
31

32. A VIRTUAL ROMAN DOMUS

33. 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 impluvium, or water basin at its
center.
 Cubiculum: The small, painted-but-windowless bedrooms &
dressing rooms surrounding the atrium.
 Tablinum: The homeowners’ office, study, or greeting area.
 Peristyle: The open courtyard or garden surrounded by a
colonnade at the back of the house.
 Triclinium: The dining room, located off the peristyle.
 Lararium: A shrine to the Roman household gods, usually
located in the peristyle.

34. 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 slightly 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.

35. ROMAN HOUSES
 One of the best preserved
houses at Pompeii is the House
of the Vettii, an old Pompeiian
house remodeled and
repainted after the earthquake
of 62 CE.
 This photograph was taken in
the fauces.
 It shows the impluvium in the
center of the atrium, and in the
background, the peristyle
garden with its marble tables
and mural paintings.
Atrium of the House of the Vettii
Pompeii, Italy, rebuilt 62-79 CE 35

36. ROMAN HOUSES
 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.

37. ROMAN HOME DECORATION
 These houses also contain a number of
magnificently preserved decorative
elements in the form of:
 Frescoes: Wall paintings created by painting
into wet plaster to create a bonded image &
wall.
 Mosaics: Images created from tiny, tiny
pieces of glass or tile that are called
tessurae.

38. The Imperial Age
 The majority of homes in
Pompeii were decorated with
muralistic wall paintings.
 Especially striking is how
some of the figures interact
across the corners of the
room.
 Nothing comparable to this
existed in Hellenistic Greece.
 Despite the presence of
Dionysus, satyrs, and other
figures from Greek
mythology, this is a Roman
design.
Dionysiac
Mystery Frieze
Pompeii, Italy,
c. 60-50 BCE

39. FRESCOES FROM THE VILLA
OF THE MYSTERIES

40. FRESCOES FROM THE HOUSE
OF THE VETII

41. ALEXANDER THE GREAT MOSAIC
FROM THE HOUSE OF THE FAUN

42. DETAILS OF THE MOSAIC

43. The Imperial Age





Portrait of a Husband & Wife;
Pompeii,Italy; c. 70-79 CE
Originally formed part of a Fourth
Style wall of an exedra, recessed area
on the opening of the atrium of a
Pompeiian house.
Standard attributes of Roman
marriage portraits are displayed here
with the man holding a scroll and the
woman holding a stylus and a wax
writing tablet.
These portraits suggested high
education even if it wasn’t true of the
subjects.
The heads are individualized to the
subject’s features, not simply
standard types.
This is the equivalent of modern
wedding photographs.
43

44. The Imperial Age
 Roman painters’ interest in
the likeness of individual
people was matched by their
concern for recording the
appearance of everyday
objects.
 This still life demonstrates
that Roman painters sought
to create illusionistic effects
while depicting small objects.
 Here they used light and
shade with attention to
shadows and highlights.
Still-Life with Peaches, Fresco,
Herculaneum, Italy; AD 62-79

45. The Imperial Age
 The illusion created here is the
furthest advance by ancient
painters in representational
technique.
 It appears that this artist
understood that the look of
things is a function of light. Also,
the goal was to paint light as if it
were a touchable object that
reflects and absorbs it.
 This marks the furthest advance
by ancient painters in
representational technique and
wasn’t seen again until the Dutch
still-lifes in the 1700’s CE.

46. The Imperial Age
 When Vespasian’s older son,
Titus, died only two years after
becoming emperor, his younger
brother Domitian, took over.
Domitian made this arch in
Titus’s honor on the Sacred
Way leading into the
Republican Forum Romanum.
 This type of arch, the so-called
triumphal arch, has a long
history in Roman art and
architecture, beginning in the
second century B.C. and
continuing even into the era of
Christian Roman emperors.
Arch of Titus, Rome, Italy; 81 CE

47. The Imperial Age
 The Roman arches
celebrated more than just
military victories, as they
often commemorated
events such as building
roads and bridges.
 This arch commemorates
Titus’ sack of Jerusalem
around 70 CE.
 This is the oldest arch of
its kind.

48. The Imperial Age
The Spoils of the Temple Relief depicts the triumphal parade down the Sacred Way
after his return from the conquest of Judaea at the end of the Jewish Wars in 70 CE.
This panel contains a depiction of the sacred seven-branched menorah, from the
Temple of Jerusalem.

49. The Imperial Age
The Triumph of Titus Relief depicts the actual triumphal procession with the togaclad Titus in the chariot, but with the addition of allegorical figures (the winged
Victory riding in the chariot with Titus who places a wreath on his head, the goddess
Roma leading the horses). Because the reliefs were deeply carved, some of the
forward heads have broken off.

50. The Imperial Age

51. The High Imperial Age

52. The High Imperial Age
 Hadrian was a connoisseur
and lover of all the arts, as
well as an author and
architect.
 There are more existing
portraits of Hadrian than of
any other emperor, except
Augustus.
 Though he ruled Rome for
more than 20 years, he is
depicted in portraits as a
mature adult who never
ages.
Portrait Bust of Hadrian as General,
Tel Shalem, Israel; c. 130-138 CE

53. The High Imperial Age



Marble Bust of Hadrian Wearing Military
Dress
Tivoli, Italy; c. 117 - 118 CE
Hadrian’s portraits more closely
resemble Greek portraits of
Pericles than those of any Roman
emperor before him, undoubtedly
his likenesses were inspired by
Classical Greek statuary.
Hadrian wore a beard, a habit
that, in its Roman context, must
be viewed as a Greek affectation
(an appearance or manner
assumed or put on as a show or
pretense, often to impress others).
Beards then became the norm for
all subsequent Roman emperors
for more than a century and a half.

54. The High Imperial Age
 With the new Emperor
Hadrian in power, work on
a new temple dedicated to
all the gods began.
 This temple became
known as the Pantheon.
 Excluding the use of an
eight Corinthian column
facade, the temple’s
design was completely
revolutionary for its time.
Pantheon
Rome, Italy; 125-128 CE

55. The High Imperial Age

56. The High Imperial Age

57. The High Imperial Age

58. The High Imperial Age
 The dome of the Pantheon
steadily decreases in
thickness from the drum to
the apex, and is
constructed from pumice &
Roman concrete.
 In the very middle there is
an opening called an oculus
that acts as a skylight.
 The oculus is the only
source of natural lighting
for the building’s interior.

59. The High Imperial Age
 The oculus measures 30 feet
in diameter.
 This is the oldest domed
building in the world that
still has its original roof.
 From this indoor photo of
the Pantheon you can see
the carved panels as well as
the intense light that the
oculus provides for the room.
 These decorative panels are
called coffers, and serve two
purposes.

60. The High Imperial Age
Originally, the interior’s niches and altars contained images of the
Roman gods and goddesses. However, when the Pantheon was
consecrated as a Catholic church in 609 CE, they were replaced by
images of saints and those buried within the structure.

61. The High Imperial Age

62. The High Imperial Age
 During Hadrian’s reign, he
ordered construction of a
monumental stone wall to
keep the ‘barbaric’ Scots and
Picts from invading from the
North.
 This 74-mile stretch across
Northern England is known as
Hadrian’s Wall.
 It was 8-10 feet wide and 20
feet tall, with a tower located
at every mile mark.
 It was built in only about 8
years, from 122 – 130 CE!

63. The High Imperial Age

64. The High Imperial Age

65. Acta Est Fabula