ANCIENT ROME PRESENTATION

Ancient Rome Presentation

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Index

House of the Vettii

Colosseum (Flavian Amphitheater)

Alexander Mosaic

Forum of Trajan

Head of a Roman patrician

Pantheon

Augustus of Prima Porta

Ludovisi Battle Sarcophagus

House of the Vettii. Pompeii, Italy. Imperial Roman. c. second century B.C.E.; rebuilt c. 62–79 C.E. Cut stone and fresco.

The house, one of the most famous in Pompeii, symbolizing the economic prosperity of the owners, the brothers Aulus Vettius Restitutus and Aulus Vettius Conviva liberti, freedmen who became rich through trade. A volcanic eruption destroyed Pompeii in the year 79 C.E., thus preserving extraordinary archaeological remains of the Roman town as it was at the time of its cataclysmic destruction. Those remains constitute a nearly unparalleled resource for the study of the Roman world.

Entry to the house was gained from the east by way of a vestibule that granted admission to the larger atrium. The stone-lined basin for collecting rainwater (impluvium) lies at the center of the atrium. This larger atrium communicates directly with the peristyle (an open courtyard surrounded by fluted Doric columns) by means of a set of folding doors. The smaller atrium was the focus of the service portion of the house, while the peristyle and its well-appointed rooms was meant for entertainment and dining.

https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/ancient-art-civilizations/roman/wall-painting/a/pompeii-house-of-the-vettii

House of the Vettii

During the time of the Roman Republic (fifth through first centuries B.C.E.), ranking aristocratic families (patricians) used domestic display as a way to reinforce social position and as a way to advance their own fortunes, as well as those of their dependents and clients (clientes), within the community. Since Republican society operated on the basis of this patron-client relationship, the domus played a key part in the reinforcement of social hierarchy as the patron (patronus) would receive his clients (clientes) in the atrium of his domus each business day. While visiting with the patron, each client would get an eyeful of the patron’s household wealth, thus applying implicit pressure on the patron to ensure that his house was tasteful and fashionable. The peristyle is an open courtyard, and its well-appointed rooms was meant for entertainment and dining. In modern terms, it is a four-sided columned porch surrounding an inner courtyard or garden.

https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/ancient-art-civilizations/roman/wall-painting/a/pompeii-house-of-the-vettii

House of the Vettii

Architecture Vocabulary

• Atrium: large centralized reception hall in a Roman house
• Fauces: narrow doorway into a house off the street
• Alae: the wings flanking the atrium in a traditional Roman house
• Cubicula: bedrooms bounding the alae (wings) of a Roman house
• Tablinum: office of the head of house, located within the house

• Pars urbana: the public part of a household
• Pars rustica: the private part of the household contains courtyard, kitchen, dining room, and small garden.)
• Oecus: dining room
• Culina: kitchen

• Impluvium: basin for collecting rain water

Roman Painting Styles

The Third Style, The "Ornate Style,"

First Style, The "Incrustation Style"

The Second style,The "Architectural Style,"

• use of broad, monochromatic planes of color, such as black or dark red.

• incorporated fantastic and stylized columns and pediments that could only exist in the imagined space of a painted wall.

• center of walls often feature very small vignettes, such as sacro-idyllic landscapes.

• colorful, patchwork walls of brightly painted faux-marble.

• rectangle of painted “marble” was connected by stucco mouldings that added a three-dimensional effect.

• Ordinary Romans could not afford sthe expense of real marble.

• faux marble blocks along the base of walls.

• attempted to trick the viewer into believing that they were looking through a window by painting illusionistic images.

• architectural elements drive the paintings, creating fantastic images filled with columns, buildings and stoas.

The Fourth Style, the "Intricate Style

• Faux marble blocks along the base of the walls, as in the First Style.

• naturalistic architectural scenes from the Second Style.

• large flat planes of color and slender architectural details from the Third Style.

• incorporates central panel pictures, although on a much larger scale than in the third style and with a much wider range of themes, incorporating mythological, genre, landscape and still life images.

Most art historians point to the house’s decorative schema as being representative of a key transitional phase, between the Third and Fourth styles of Pompeian wall painting. Some scholars consider it among the finest examples of the Fourth Style at Pompeii. The living room on the left just beyond the Atrium has yellow painted walls with frescoes depicting: on the left, Hercules strangling the serpents sent by Juno; on the right the punishment of Dirce bound to the horns of a raging bull by Amphion and Zetus; while in the centre we see the suffering of Pentheus torn limb from limb by the Bacchanti.

Alexander Mosaic from the House of Faun, Pompeii. Republican Roman. c. 100 B.C.E. Mosaic.

The Alexander Mosaic is a tessera mosaic from the House of the Faun, in Pompeii,. It is 8 feet 11 inches × 16 feet 9 inches. This Roman floor mosaic may be based on a lost Hellenistic painting by Philoxenos of Eretria, The Battle of Issus, c. 315 BCE. Scholars continue to debate whether this mosaic depicts the Battle of Issus in 333 BCE or the Battle of Gaugamela two years later in 331.

https://human.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Art/Book%3A_Art_History_I_(Lumen)/06%3A_The_Art_of_Ancient_Greece_II/6.10%3A_Alexander_Mosaic

Alexander Mosaic

The mosaic is remarkable. It depicts a keen sense of detail, dramatically unfolds the drama of the battle, and demonstrates the use of perspective and foreshortening. The two main characters of the battle are easily distinguishable and this portrait of Alexander may be one of his most recognizable. He wears a breastplate and an aegis, and his hair is characteristically tousled. He rides into battle on his horse, Bucephalo, leading his troops. Alexander's gaze remains focused on Darius and he appears calm and in control, despite the hectic battle happening around him. Darius III ,on the other hand, commands the battle in desperation from his chariot, as his charioteer removes them from battle. His horses flee under the whip of the charioteer and Darius leans outward, stretching out a hand having just thrown a spear. His body position contradicts the motion of his chariot, creating tension between himself and his flight.

http://oer2go.org/mods/en-boundless/www.boundless.com/art-history/textbooks/boundless-art-history-textbook/ancient-greece-6/the-high-classical-period-66/painting-in-the-greek-high-classical-period-346-10745/index.html

Alexander Mosaic

• Other details in the mosaic include the expressions of the soldiers and horses such as a collapsed horse and his rider in the center of the battle to a terrified fallen Persian, whose expression is reflected on his shield

• The shading and play of light in the mosaic, reflects the use of light and shadow in the original painting to create a realistic three-dimensional space.

• Horses and soldiers are shown in multiple perspectives from profile, to three quarter, to frontal, and one horse even faces the audience with his rump.

• The careful shading within the mosaic tesserae models the characters to give the figures mass and volume.

Image of a detail of Alexander the Great from the Alexander Mosaic

Alexander Mosaic

Paintings covered the interior walls of Roman villas, but weren’t practical for decorating floors. Enter mosaics: a durable and lavish way to spruce up a room and support foot traffic at the same time. Blending art and home décor, Roman mosaics were commissioned to adorn and impress guests inside private homes and villas. Wealthy Romans chose themes to reflect their status: historical or mythological stories would show off a man’s book learning, while scenes of wild animals being captured for fights in the arena might highlight his sponsorship of public games.

https://blogs.getty.edu/iris/a-brief-introduction-to-roman-mosaics/

Head of a Roman patrician. Republican Roman. c. 75–50 B.C.E. Marble.

This portrait head, now housed in the Palazzo Torlonia in Rome, Italy, comes from Otricoli (ancient Ocriculum) and dates to the middle of the first century B.C.E. Patricians were originally a group of ruling class families in ancient Rome. The distinction was highly significant in the early Republic, but its relevance waned after the Conflict of the Orders (494 BC to 287 BC), and by the time of the late Republic and Empire, membership in the patriciate was of only nominal significance.

Head of a Patrician

This sculpture was made to express the features of of a patrician. This is called Verism, which is defined as a sort of hyperrealism in sculpture where the naturally occurring features of the subject are exaggerated, often to the point of absurdity. In the aesthetic parlance of the Late Roman Republic, the physical traits of this portrait image are meant to convey seriousness of mind (gravitas) and the virtue (virtus) of a public career by demonstrating the way in which the subject literally wears the marks of his endeavors. Veristic images often show their male subjects with receding hairlines, deep winkles, and even with warts. The popularity and usefulness of verism appears to derive from the need to have a recognizable image. Veristic portrait busts provided a means of reminding people of distinguished ancestors or of displaying one’s power, wisdom, experience, and authority. .

https://mikehistoryofart.weebly.com/head-of-roman.html

Bust of a Patrician

Death masks are considered to be the origin of the Republican bust.Wax masks were often later immortalized in marble so that they would not be destroyed. The collection of masks testified to the antiquity of the family. The creation and use of death masks (imagines maiorum) demonstrate Romans’ veneration of their ancestors. These masks were created from molds taken of a person at the time of his or her death. Made of beeswax, bronze , marble, and terra cotta , death masks were kept by families and displayed in the atrium of their homes. Visitors and clients who entered the home would have been reminded of the family’s ancestry and the honorable qualities of their ancestors. Such displays served to bolster the reputation and credibility of the family. Death masks were also worn and paraded through the streets during funeral procession. Again, this served not only a memorial for the dead, but also to link the living members of a family to their illustrious ancestors in the eyes of the spectator.

https://human.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Art/Book%3A_Art_History_(Boundless)/08%3A_The_Romans/8.02%3A_The_Republic

Augustus of Prima Porta. Imperial Roman. Early 1st century C.E. Marble.

One of Augustus’ most famous portraits is the so-called Augustus of Primaporta of 20 BCE; the sculpture gets its name from the town in Italy where it was found. At first glance this statue might appear to simply resemble a portrait of Augustus as an orator and general, but this sculpture also communicates a good deal about the emperor’s power and ideology. In fact, in this portrait Augustus shows himself as a great military victor and a staunch supporter of Roman religion. The statue also foretells the 200 year period of peace that Augustus initiated, called the Pax Romana. In this marble freestanding sculpture, Augustus stands in a contrapposto pose with all of his weight on his right leg. The emperor wears military regalia and his right arm is outstretched, demonstrating that the emperor is addressing his troops. We immediately sense the emperor’s power as the leader of the army and a military conqueror.

https://human.libretexts.org/Courses/Achieving_the_Dream/Book%3A_Art_History_I/08%3A_The_Art_of_Ancient_RomePart_I/08.8%3A_Augustus_of_Primaporta

Augustus of Primaporta

Polykleitos’ Doryphoros

Delving further into the composition of the Primaporta statue, a distinct resemblance to Polykleitos’ Doryphoros (figure 2), a Classical Greek sculpture of the fifth century BCE, is apparent. Both have a similar contrapposto stance and both are idealized. That is to say that both Augustus and the Spear-Bearer are portrayed as youthful and flawless individuals: they are perfect. The Romans often modeled their art on Greek predecessors. This is significant because Augustus is essentially depicting himself with the perfect body of a Greek athlete: he is youthful and virile, despite the fact that he was middle-aged at the time of the sculpture’s commissioning. Furthermore, by modeling the Primaporta statue on such an iconic Greek sculpture created during the height of Athens’ influence and power, Augustus connects himself to the Golden Age of that previous civilization.

https://human.libretexts.org/Courses/Achieving_the_Dream/Book%3A_Art_History_I/08%3A_The_Art_of_Ancient_RomePart_I/08.8%3A_Augustus_of_Primaporta

Augustus of Primaporta

Another important detail on Augustus of Prima Porta is the breastplate. Just like many other details, this one also includes many messages with the depictions available on it. Although there are many debates about the true meaning of these depictions, many experts claim that gods are on the side of Augustus. All the depictions on the breastplate are related to the military to emphasize his great skills on the battlefield and his victories. Some details symbolize the Pax Romana, which means Roman Peace.

Without a doubt, the posture and body language of Augustus of Prima Porta depicts the superior military skills and glory of Augustus.

According to experts, the dolphin symbolizes the great naval victory of the emperor. This victory is also the main reason how Augustus became the emperor. In addition to this, the cupid, son of Venus, symbolizes that Augustus is descended from the gods. It will be worth noting that the adoptive father of Augustus was Julius Caesar, who was believed to be descended from Venus.

The statue of Augustus shows the emperor with bare feet. This is characteristic of the Grecian Doryphoros style of statue made by Polykleitos, but it is an oddity as well considering Roman generals did not go into battle barefoot.Some have interpreted the bare feet to symbolize Augustus' divine status.

https://human.libretexts.org/Courses/Achieving_the_Dream/Book%3A_Art_History_I/08%3A_The_Art_of_Ancient_RomePart_I/08.8%3A_Augustus_of_Primaporta

Augustus of Primaporta

In the central zone of the cuirass are two figures, a Roman and a Parthian. On the left, the enemy Parthian returns military standards. This is a direct reference to an international diplomatic victory of Augustus in 20 BCE, when these standards were finally returned to Rome after a previous battle. Surrounding this central zone are gods and personifications. At the top are Sol and Caelus, the sun and sky gods respectively. On the sides of the breastplate are female personifications of countries conquered by Augustus. These gods and personifications refer to the Pax Romana. The message is that the sun is going to shine on all regions of the Roman Empire, bringing peace and prosperity to all citizens. And of course, Augustus is the one who is responsible for this abundance throughout the Empire. Beneath the female personifications are Apollo and Diana, two major deities in the Roman pantheon; clearly Augustus is favored by these important deities and their appearance here demonstrates that the emperor supports traditional Roman religion. At the very bottom of the cuirass is Tellus, the earth goddess, who cradles two babies and holds a cornucopia. Tellus is an additional allusion to the Pax Romana as she is a symbol of fertility with her healthy babies and overflowing horn of plenty.

https://courses.lumenlearning.com/zeliart101/chapter/augustus-of-primaporta/

Colosseum (Flavian Amphitheater). Rome, Italy. Imperial Roman. 70–80 C.E. Stone and concrete.

The Colosseum is a massive and architecturally complex structure. Prior to the construction of the Colosseum, amphitheatres were temporary structures built out of wood as needed. The Colosseum was the second and largest permanent amphitheatre built within the city of Rome. While the circus was used for chariot races and was significantly larger, the Colosseum was used for various blood sports, including animal hunts, prisoner executions, and gladiatorial combat. The elliptical architecture of an amphitheatre is meant to facilitate visibility from every seat in the arena. The exterior facade of the Colosseum consists of four levels, with the bottom three levels composed of 80 arches each. Structurally speaking, the arches make possible the immense size of the structure. Aesthetically, the arches lighten the visual aspect of the bulk of the massive building. But ideologically, they function as numerous triumphal arches, reflecting the fact that the Colosseum was built from the spoils of war.

http://omeka.wellesley.edu/piranesi-rome/exhibits/show/colosseum/architecture

Colosseum

Contemporary estimates claimed the Colosseum could seat up to 87,000 people,6 though modern, more conservative estimates put that number closer to 50,000 people. Spectators were seated based upon their social status, with the most elite viewers closest to the arena, and the lower class citizens higher up.The vaulting within the arena was crucial not only for the structural integrity of the building, but also to provide easy access and free circulation for spectators. From the time when spectators entered the arena, to the corridors they could take to their seats, to the seats themselves, spectators were filtered based on their social status.Aside from its sheer size and permanence, the Colosseum's architecture also boasted several notable engineering features. One such feature would be the vela (Latin for "sails"). The vela were canvas awnings that covered the audience, protecting them from the heat of the sun as they watched the games.

http://omeka.wellesley.edu/piranesi-rome/exhibits/show/colosseum/architecture

Forum of Trajan. Rome, Italy. Apollodorus of Damascus. Forum : 106–112 C.E.; (architecture); marble (column).

Trajan’s Forum was the last of the imperial fora to be built in the city. The forum’s main entrance was accessed from the south, near to the Forum of Augustus as well as the Forum of Caesar (which Trajan also renovated). The Forum of Augustus might have been the model for the Forum of Trajan, even though the latter was much larger. Both fora were rectangular in shape with a temple at one end. Both appear to have a set of exedra on either side. Trajan built his forum with the spoils from his conquest of Dacia. The visual elements within the forum speak of his military prowess and Rome’s victory. A triumphal arch mounted with an image of the emperor in a six-horse chariot greeted patrons at the southern entrance. In the center of the large courtyard stood an equestrian statue of Trajan, and additional bronze statues of him in a quadriga lined the roof of the Basilica Ulpia, which transected the forum in the northern end. This large civic building served as a meeting place for the commerce and law courts. It was lavishly furnished with marble floors, facades, and the hall was filled with tall marble columns.

Image of the Colosseum

https://human.libretexts.org/Courses/Lumen_Learning/Book%3A_Humanities%3A_Prehistory_to_the_15th_Century_(Lumen)/07%3A_Module_5%3A_Roman_Culture/07.5%3A_The_Flavian_Nervan-Antonin_and_Severan_Dynasties

Basilica Ulpia. Rome, Italy. Apollodorus of Damascus. Forum : 106–112 C.E.; (architecture); marble (column).

The Basilica Ulpia was constructed as part of the Forum of the Emperor Trajan in the early second century. Basilicas had diverse functions but essentially they served as formal public meeting places. One of the major functions of the basilicas was as a site for law courts. These were housed in an architectural form known as the apse. In the Basilica Ulpia, these semi-circular forms project from either end of the building, but in some cases, the apses would project off of the length of the building. The magistrate who served as the representative of the authority of the Emperor would sit in a formal throne in the apse and issue his judgments. This function gave an aura of political authority to the basilicas. The basilica included a long and broad open center space, a nave, flanked by aisles that fluidly expanded the area. (Figure 7.26) This design provided a readily adaptable concept for other purposes, most notably perhaps the congregational space needed for Christian churches that would arise in later centuries as the Christian populace grew.

https://human.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Art/Book%3A_Art_History_I_(Lumen)/10%3A_Early_Christian_Art/10.05%3A_After_Constantine

Market of Trajan. Rome, Italy. Apollodorus of Damascus. Markets: 106–112 C.E. Brick and concrete (architecture).

Trajan’s markets were an additional public building that the emperor built at the same time as his forum. The markets were built on top of and into the Quirinal Hill. They consisted of a series of multi-leveled halls lined with rooms for either shops, administrative offices, or apartments. The markets follow the shape of the Trajan’s forum. A portion of them are shaped into a large exedra, framing one of the exedra of the forum. Like Trajan’s forum, the markets were elaborately decorated with marble floors and revetment, as well as decorative columns to frame the doorways. This shopping complex utilized durable construction materials, such as brick and concrete, and techniques, such as barrel and groin vaulting, that complied with building codes implemented in Rome after a devastating fire in 64 C.E.

https://human.libretexts.org/Courses/Lumen_Learning/Book%3A_Humanities%3A_Prehistory_to_the_15th_Century_(Lumen)/07%3A_Module_5%3A_Roman_Culture/07.5%3A_The_Flavian_Nervan-Antonin_and_Severan_Dynasties

Forum of Trajan. Rome, Italy. Apollodorus of Damascus. 106–112 C.E.; column completed 113 C.E. marble (column).

Standing between the libraries of the Forum of Trajan is a 128 foot tall victory column, known as the Column of Trajan. It stands on top of a large pedestal carved with a relief of the spoils of war. The pedestal later served as a tomb for Trajan's ashes upon his death and deification. He is notably the first emperor to be buried inside the pomerium. In a spiral relief that wraps around the column, from its bottom to its top, is a 625-foot frieze depicting Trajan's two military campaigns against the Dacians The frieze depicts over 150 episodes with more than 2,500 figures. The scenes show the Roman army preparing for and war, including scenes of moving the army, building fortifications, Emperor Trajan addressing the troops, battles, and the eventual surrender by the Dacians. Only one quarter of the narration depicts battles, while the remaining panels depict scenes of preparation and other activities. ]The visual narration is depicted in low relief (bas relief) and relies little on naturalistic detail, preferring to show some scenes in multiple perspectives and with figures on different ground lines..

http://oer2go.org/mods/en-boundless/www.boundless.com/art-history/textbooks/boundless-art-history-textbook/the-romans-8/the-nervan-antonines-74/victory-columns-under-the-nervan-antonines-374-8727/index.html

Pantheon. Imperial Roman. 118–125 C.E. Concrete with stone facing.

The Pantheon portico or entryway is a symmetrical, classical design with three rows of Corinthian columns—eight in the front and two rows of four — topped by a triangular pediment. The granite and marble columns were imported from Egypt, a land that was part of the Roman Empire. But it is the Pantheon's dome — complete with an open hole at the top, called an oculus—that has made this building the important architecture it is today. The geometry of the dome and the oculus sunlight moving throughout the interior walls have inspired authors, filmmakers, and architects. It was this domed ceiling most of all that influenced a young Thomas Jefferson, who brought the architectural idea to the new country of America.

https://www.thoughtco.com/influencial-architecture-of-the-pantheon-177715

Pantheon

The Roman Pantheon was originally built as a temple for all the gods. Pan is Greek for "all" or "every" and theos is Greek for "god" (e.g., theology). Pantheism is a doctrine or religion that worships all gods. After the A.D. 313 Edict of Milan established religious tolerance throughout the Roman Empire, the city of Rome became the center of the Christian world. By the 7th century, the Pantheon had become St. Mary of the Martyrs, a Christian church. A row of niches lines the rear walls of the Pantheon portico and around the perimeter of the dome room. These niches may have held sculptures of pagan gods, Roman emperors, or Christian saints.

https://www.thoughtco.com/influencial-architecture-of-the-pantheon-177715

Pantheon

From above, the Pantheon's 19-foot oculus, the hole at the top of the dome, is an obvious opening to the elements. It allows sunlight into the temple room below it, but also allows rain to the interior, which is why the marble floor below curves outward to drain the water. The ancient Romans were skilled at concrete construction. When they built the Pantheon around A.D. 125 the skilled builders of Rome applied advanced engineering to the Greek classical orders. They gave their Pantheon massive 25-foot thick walls to support a huge dome made of solid concrete. As the height of the dome rises, the concrete was mixed with lighter and lighter stone material—the top is largely pumice. With a diameter that measures 43.4 meters, the dome of the Roman Pantheon ranks as the world's largest dome made of unreinforced solid concrete. The ceiling of the Pantheon dome has five symmetrical rows of 28 coffers (sunken panels) and a round oculus (opening) at the center. Sunlight streaming through the oculus illuminates the Pantheon rotunda. The coffered ceiling and oculus were not only decorative but also lessened the weight load of the roof.

https://www.thoughtco.com/influencial-architecture-of-the-pantheon-177715

Pantheon Facts

• In 1270, a central bell tower was added above the intermediate block connecting the portico to the dome. The 17th-century Pope Urban VIII removed the medieval addition to replace it with two new bell towers. These were apparently quite unpopular additions that the public mocked as donkey ears upon the classical facade.

• The circular patterns of the Pantheon—as seen in the oculus, dome, and the decoration of the lower rotunda—inspired many later buildings, including Thomas Jefferson's designs at the University of Virginia and the U.S. Capitol Rotunda.

• The building became a Christian church known as Sancta Maria ad Martyres (St. Mary and the Martyrs), as the relics of many martyrs were transferred to be interred there. However, the building was not immune to the plundering and disintegration which plagued the ancient buildings of Rome. For example, in the late 7th century, Emperor Constans II stripped all the bronze from the church's dome to be melted down for imperial use. The original marble facing of the building was likewise often pillaged.

• Renaissance painter Raphael was interred with great ceremony in the Pantheon. He shares his tomb with his fiancée Maria Bibbiena.

https://mymodernmet.com/facts-about-the-roman-pantheon/

Ludovisi Battle Sarcophagus. Late Imperial Roman. c. 250 C.E. Marble.

Discovered in 1621 and named for its first modern owner, Ludovico Ludovisi, the sarcophagus is now displayed at the Palazzo Altemps in Rome, part of the National Museum of Rome. This sarcophagus dates around 250–260 AD from a tomb near the Porta Tiburtina, a gate in the Aurelian Walls of Rome, Italy, through which the Via Tiburtina exits the city.​

https://artisd3ad.weebly.com/ludovisi-battle-sarcophagus.html

Ludovisi Battle Sarcophagus

The sarcophagus measures 1.53m in height and is made from Proconnesian marble, a medium characterized by dark gray stripes and a medium to coarse grain. It is decorated in a very high relief with many elements of the composition cut completely free of the background. Overlapping figures fill the image space, allowing no room to depict a background. In many battle sarcophagi the side panels show more tranquil scenes, but here the battle continues all the way around both sides.

The central figure on the front is a young Roman military commander on horseback, assumed to represent who the sarcophagus was made for. His face is serene, and his arm is extended confidently in a gesture which is difficult to interpret but seems to be one of goodbye. An X-mark on his forehead has been interpreted as "the cross received by initiates into the Mithraic mysteries as a sign of the god Mithras' favor." The Mithraic religion was popular among Roman soldiers.

https://artisd3ad.weebly.com/ludovisi-battle-sarcophagus.html

Ludovisi Battle Sarcophagus

This piece, rather than seeking accuracy, sought after the symbolic, quite obviously making the barbarians seem weaker and uglier, where the Romans were noble, strong, and idealized to depict the strength of Roman ideals and rule. Overall, the highly detailed marble piece depicts a strong Roman Empire while also demonstrating the impressiveness of Roman sculpture through its detail and separation from the original slab.

It is clear looking at this who the good guys are the Romans - who look more noble and heroic, their features are more ideal, and the bad guys: the barbarians - who are almost caricatured with puffy noses and cheeks and wild expressions. This style is pulling away from classical antiquity- there is no clear sense of space - they are piled on top of another with no autonomy.

https://ohsapah.wordpress.com/2017/11/28/047-ludovisi-battle-sarcophagus/

Forum of Trajan

A reconstruction of the Forum of Trajan.

Virtual Pantheon

Reconstruction of the Pantheon

Virtual Colosseum

Reconstruction of the Roman Colosseum

House of the Vettii Reconstruction

Reconstruction of the House of the Vetii

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