Rome Ancient Rome The Spirit of Empire The

Rome Ancient Rome: The Spirit of Empire

The Drama of Roman History The Rise of Republican Rome: City founded in 753 B. C. (legend) Republic: government of representatives chosen to act for the people at large Romans conquered Italian peninsula Struggle between patricians and plebeians After Italy, the Mediterranean: Punic Wars

146 B. C. Romans conquered Corinth and the entire Hellenistic world and culture. Julius Caesar(100 -44 B. C. ) conquered Gaul (France) and had himself named dictator for life in 46 B. C. Assassinated in 44 B. C. Octavian (63 B. C. -A. D. 14) defeated Mark Antony in 31 B. C.

Imperial Rome Romans rude farmers compared to cultured Athenians Culture began under Octavian (Caesar Augustus: Pax Romana: “I found Rome a city of bricks and left it a city of marble. ” Virgil: The Aeneid Romans absorbed Greek culture and were very practical.

The Art of an Empire Statues and buildings: political advertisements Augustus: Augustus of Primaporta, Ara Pacis Trajan: Forum, Basilica Ulpia, Column of Trajan

The Architecture of Rome Buildings for practical purposes: Basilicas, baths, , libraries Innovations: concrete and the arch Arch: flexible construction Barrel vault, cross vault, dome Concrete: quick and inexpensive allowed for fast construction

Roman Buildings Concentrated on interiors Buildings for recreation: baths were beauty salon, library, shopping mall Basilica of Constantine Baths of Caracalla Colosseum

The Pantheon Only building from Antiquity entirely preserved. Dedicated to the 7 planetary gods Built by Hadrian in A. D. 120 Interior is perfect hemisphere 30 ft. opening: oculus for light

Roman Art and Daily Life Family: basis of social identity. Paterfamilias Women: confined social roles, but could own property, divorce their husbands, and could inherit husband’s wealth.

Pompeii Destroyed in 79 by eruption of Mt. Vesuvius First excavated in the 18 th century: offers glimpse of Roman household & decoration atrium; wall paintings; mosaic Busts to commemorate family members: realistic renditions. Death masks

Roman Theater and Music Entertainment: a birthright! Theater: Comedies and tragedies borrowed from Hellenistic empire. Plautus: comic playwright: farces, coarse humor. Terence: Fully developed characters. Greeks easier to mock. Seneca: Tragedian. Exaggerated plots.

Bear fighting and gladiator fights were preferred to plays. Pantomime. Elements of farce, improbable situations, exaggeration and horseplay. Often obscene spectacles Theaters were large structures with multi-storied stages. Up to 60, 000 spectators Masks and wigs: Men still played all the roles. Actors were often slaves; not respected

Roman Music and Dance Imitated Greek music and instruments Orators had musicians play for effect Tuba, horn, organ (hydraulis), aulos, cythara (twelve-stringed lyre)

Roman Poets Catullus: lyric poet who studied Sappho; wrote love poems Ovid: poet. Metamorphoses: Source for many other European writers, such as Chaucer and Shakespeare

Vergil: epic poet. Aeneid celebrated traditional Roman values; propaganda for Roman imperialism Story of Aeneas, Trojan warrior’s adventures. Unifying theme: destiny Dido and Aeneas

Roman Satire Superior over the Greeks Satire: artistic form that wittily ridicules human folly or vice. Horace: fables Juvenal: Criticism of Roman life.

Roman Philosophy Lucretius: Good is moderate and lasting pleasure. Epicureanism Stoicism: duty and world order. Divine reason controlled the universe. Happiness was in social duty. Marcus Aurelius: Meditations (stoic Roman character)

Rome’s Division and Decline Diocletian: Empire had grown unwieldy. Divided into East and West. In the third century, Constantine moved the capital to the East, in Constantinople or Istanbul, Turkey.