SPQR: Senatus Populusque Romanus "The Senate and People of Rome"

In his treatise on Roman architecture, the first century B.C.E.

author Vitruvius outlines the key elements, proportions, and
aesthetics of the Roman house, creating what has been treated
as a canonical recommendation for domestic architecture of the
period. The Vitruvian canon (or standard) proposes a range of
plans, suggesting strongly that the organization of interior space
was important in Roman architectural theory (De
Architectura 6.3.3-6). Although the plan of the
Roman domus does reflect the canonical aspects described by
Vitruvius, we also see enormous variation with modifications
and remodeling undertaken over time.

The standard house (domus) plan has several key

architectural elements. Generally entered from the street
via a narrow doorway (fauces), the large centralized
reception hall (atrium) is flanked by wings (alae) and
often bounded by bedrooms (cubicula). The office of the
head of household (paterfamilias), known as the
tablinum, links the public part of the house (pars urbana)
to the private part of the house (pars rustica). This latter
area often focuses on an open, colonnaded courtyard
(peristylium) and serves as the center of family life, with
the kitchen (culina), dining room(s) (triclinium or oecus),
and often a small garden (hortus). Many houses also had
a second level that may have contained additional
sleeping spaces and perhaps storage.
 Architecture Vocabulary
True frescoes (or buon fresco), meaning that pigment Atrium: large centralized reception hall in a
was applied to wet plaster, fixing the pigment to the wall. 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
Paterfamiliae: head of a household
Pars urbana: the public part of a household
Pars rustica: the private part of the
household contains courtyard, kitchen,
dining room, and small garden.)
Vocabulary on Roman Lifestyle Oecus: dining room
Domus: roman townhouse Culina: kitchen
Clientes: clients Hortus: small garden
Patronus: patron Arca: lockboxes used for storing valuables
Fides: trust in Roman houses, often placed on display
Pietas: dutifulness in atrium
Patrocinium: benefaction given by a patron unto his clients Impluvium: basin for collecting rain water
Mos maiorum: ancestral custom
 Each rectangle of painted
“marble” was connected by
stucco mouldings that added a
three-dimensional effect. In
temples and other official
buildings, the Romans used
costly imported marbles in a
variety of colors to decorate the
walls.
Ordinary Romans could not afford
such expense, so they decorated
their homes with painted
imitations of the luxurious yellow,
purple and pink marbles. Painters
became so skilled at imitating
certain marbles that the large,
rectangular slabs were rendered
First Pompeiian Style (Incrustation Style)
During Rome's Republic period, which ended in 27 CE on the wall marbled and veined,
just like real pieces of stone.
Originated from 3rd century Hellenistic Alexandria
Colorful, brightly painted walls of faux-marble (ordinary
Romans couldn't afford real marble, so they imitated)
Each marble was connected by stucco, giving a 3D effect.
Used to decorate walls in ordinary Romans' homes
 In one of the most
famous examples of the
Second Style, P. Fannius
Synistor’s bedroom (now
reconstructed in the
Metropolitan Museum of
Art), the artist utilizes
multiple vanishing
points. This technique
shifts the perspective
throughout the room,
from balconies to
fountains and along
colonnades into the far
distance, but the visitor’s The Dionysian paintings from Pompeii’s Villa of the
eye moves continuously Mysteries are also included in the Second Style
throughout the room, because of their illusionistic aspects. The figures
barely able to register are examples of megalographia, a Greek term
that he or she has referring to life-size paintings. The fact that the
remained contained figures are the same size as viewers entering the
within a small room. room, as well as the way the painted figures sit in
Second Pompeiian Style (Architectural Style)
front of the columns dividing the space, are meant
First seen c. 80 BCE, popular until 100 CE
to suggest that the action taking place is
Incorporated elements of First style, such as faux-marbles at the bases surrounding the viewer.
of walls
Attempted to create optical illusion of looking through a window
Created depth using columns, stoa, and buildings
Creates a sense of motion and depth using many vanishing points
Action taking place in paintings is meant to envelop and involve the
viewer
 The Roman architect Vitruvius was certainly not a fan of Third
Style painting, and he criticized the paintings for representing
monstrosities rather than real things, “for instance, reeds are put in
the place of columns, fluted appendages with curly leaves and
volutes, instead of pediments, candelabra supporting
representations of shrines, and on top of their pediments
numerous tender stalks and volutes growing up from the roots and
having human figures senselessly seated upon them…” (Vitr.De
arch.VII.5.3) The center of walls often feature very small
vignettes, such as sacro-idyllic landscapes, which are bucolic
scenes of the countryside featuring livestock, shepherds, temples,
shrines and rolling hills.

Third Pompeiian Style (Ornate Style)

Early 1st century CE
Flat planes of color, like red, incised with minute details
Art depicted everyday objects
Feature small landscapes
Introduced Egyptian imagery, including the Nile and
Egyptian motifs and deities.
Fourth Pompeiian Style (Intricate Style)
Popularized around 50 CE
Combination of the first 3 styles
Faux-marble blocks line bases of walls (1st)
Naturalistic architectural depictions (2nd)
Flat planes of color and minute details (3rd)
Introduced central panel pictures, but on a much
larger scale
Developed by eccentric painter named Famulus
(designed Emperor Nero's Golden Palace)
Seen best in House of Vettii

It can be best described as a combination of the three styles that came before. Faux marble blocks along the base of the
walls, as in the First Style, frame the naturalistic architectural scenes from the Second Style, which in turn combine with
the large flat planes of color and slender architectural details from the Third Style. The Fourth Style also 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. In describing what we now call the Fourth Style, Pliny
the Elder said that it was developed by a rather eccentric, albeit talented, painter named Famulus who decorated Nero’s
famous Golden Palace.
It turns out that the practice of presenting hostess gifts dates back to the ancient Greeks; in antiquity, though, it was the host—not the guest—who
presented the gifts. This small fresco is an example of how the Romans played the hostess game and how this generosity was captured by
ancient Roman artists.

Still Life with Peaches and Water Jar was one small part of this house’s decorative scheme, not meant to be seen in isolation. It was part of a
series of at least ten roughly-square still-life compositions, painted together in a row, sharing decorative borders. This series of paintings presents
a variety of fruits, crustaceans, fish, fowl, meats, vegetables, and drinking vessels set against a neutral brown background, sometimes with a
step, shelf or wall niche on which the artist arranged the display.

Still Life with Peaches and Water Jar features five unripe peaches (one only barely formed), their branch cascading off a shelf, and a glass jar of
water in the foreground. One of the peaches has been pulled from the branch and bitten open, revealing a reddish pit and white flesh that contrast
sharply against its yellow-green skin. The glass jar shows the artist’s ability to register two types of transparency at once: the clear glass vessel
and the clear liquid that it contains. While the patron may have wanted the glass, among the most expensive luxuries in Roman Italy, included as
a display of their wealth, the artist turned it into an opportunity to demonstrate his skill at depicting these visually complex attributes in
perspective.
Still Life with Peaches and Water Jar, like the small scenes that accompanied it, belongs to a category of still life
paintings known as xenia, drawing on the Greek word for “guest-friendship” or hospitality. Xenia (hospitality) was
shown to guests who were far from home by accommodating them and by presenting them with the means to be
comfortable (a bed, food, a bath, etc.). This was not just a matter of being polite, but was considered a religious
obligation.

The small xenia paintings at the House of the Stags are not unusual; many rich houses, especially houses and
villas located along the coast where visitors from Rome might want to travel to escape the summer heat (or
political turmoil), were outfitted with special guest quarters. Xenia paintings are frequently found in these rooms,
announcing to these guests that they would be lavished with the finest foods and service wear while in the house.
The ancient Roman architect Vitruvius suggested that the xenia include, in particular, “poultry, eggs, vegetables,
and other country produce” as a way to highlight the experience of getting out of the city and into the countryside
(de Architectura VI.7.4). The xenia at the House of the Stags, as Vitruvius might have liked, present fruits and fish
(known as area specialties) along with the standard fare.
A piece of mosaic art (a 50 CE copy of an original created 300 BCE) depicts the encounter of Alexander the Great and the Persian king Darius at the battle of Issus in 333. The
accurate depiction of contemporary Persiancostume is strong evidence that the mosaic is a faithful copy, executed in the four-colour system. The background is a white void and
the single object in it is a lopped and leafless tree, inserted to balance Darius more than to suggest landscape. The foreground too is blank, except for a little debris from the
fighting. The artist's interest is concentrated on his figures, modelled with bold light and shade, expressive of feeling and arranged in a crowded but carefully controlled
composition.

The mosaicist who made this copy in the first century must have coarsened the effect of the original picture, since its fluent lines and gradations of colour had to be rendered by
square tesserac, each of uniform tone; but even so, it is an extraordinary feat of virtuosity, and all the more valuable because among our remains of ancient painting there is
nothing comparable to this battle piece. Without this Alexander mosaic, few students would have believed that there were pictures of this kind in Greek art from the late fourth
century.
 Iconography and Context
Patricians
Worked in the senate
Wealthy and educated men who ran the Republic
Busts of Roman patricians specifically embody wisdom and experience from
old age
Roman idealization emphasized distinguishing aspects of the individual
Start of 200 B.C. individuality was increasing
Sculptures were often produced to show the power and wealth of an individual
such as a statesman or a military leader
The Roman Empire had representational form of government run by the
Senate
The Senate was powerful, however, some military leaders "ceasers" who had
distinguished themselves in battle and through political coups, became
emperors who considered themselves living gods
Often power was passed from relative to relative and through
generations. Sculptures were made of these family members almost as a
form of ancestor worship.
Sculptures also express how the Romans viewed male and female roles
in their society.
Men as older and distinguished, at a time in their lives when they
were most powerful
Women are almost never depicted as aged, instead mostly depicted
as young and beautiful
Since art was mainly produced and commissioned for a male audience it
Republican Rome is possible to draw the conclusion that art reflects a dominantly male view
of the world.
"male gaze."
Form
Also known as the Otricoli Head (the name of the individual is unknown)
From Otricoli, Italy; now housed in the Palazzo Torlonia in Rome, Italy
Approx. 1' 2" high
Republican Roman
c. 75-50 BCE
Marble
Polychromed (painted in several colors)
Terra Cotta- was used and then painted with encaustic (otherwise referred to as a hot wax process)
Use of clay (additive and subtractive) process was convenient because with this form of sculpting mistakes can be fixed
Veristic Style: Verism
A form of realism (hyper-realistic)
Over exaggerated (extremely aged and care worn)
Used as a way of honoring powerful elders
Unlike the Greek, the Romans believed that a head was enough to suffice as a portrait
Influenced by the tradition of ancestral imagines
Death wax masks of notable ancestors were kept and displayed by the family
Aristocratic families
Masks were used at funerals so that an actor might portray the deceased ancestors in a sort of familial parade
A reminder that one’s public image played a major role in what was a turbulent time in Roman history

Function
A veristic sculpture that accurately depicts a patrician
Admire the age of the elderly (in this case, an old patrician)
Symbolizes the virtues of wisdom, determination, experience, valor and strength that all Roman Republicans hoped
to obtain
· Veristic depiction of individual facial features

· Deeply wrinkled
· Sunken cheeks
· Creased and furrowed brow
· Drooping bags under the eyes

· Gravitas and status.

· Exaggeration of aged, wrinkled skin was intended

to convey wisdom as well as a lifetime of
experience and dedication to public service,
qualities prized among the patrician class. With age
comes wisdom.

· Public display of these portraits celebrated the

position of patricians in Roman society and
helped legitimize their authority.

· Veristic portraits were influenced by traditions

surrounding the cult of ancestors, including wax
death masks called imagenes. Strong visual
connections between the portraits and imagenes
served to connect Rome’s patrician class to their
honored ancestors.
Man with busts of ancestors, first century BCE.
Content
Description: wrinkled and toothless, with sagging jowls
The face of a Roman aristocrat stares at us across the ages
Physical traits 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––in the days of the Roman
Republic it was an effective means of competing in an ever more complex socio-political arena
This Veristic (or surrealistic) portrait of an unknown Roman patrician depicts carefully sculpted detail in the face,
especially wrinkles and changes in texture
Instead of trying to make their subject appear perfect and youthful patrician portraits from the ancient Roman Republic
aimed to highlight distinctive facial features
wrinkles and other signs of ageing on this portrait in particular serve to point out his admirable qualities of
experience, seriousness, and determination
FORM:
Imperial Roman, Early first century C.E., 20 B.C.E
Marble
found in the villa of Livia (his wife), at Primaporta
free standing, sculpture in the round
bas-relief carving on the breastplate
standing contrapposto
most likely a copy of a bronze sculpture, many copies would have been made

CONTENT:
political significance, filled with Roman political ideology
idealized statue of him, very young and attractive
cupid is pulling down his garment at his ankle, symbolizing his own divine lineage
the cuirass, or breastplate depicts the god of the sky and the goddess of the Earth, divine
convergence, on its sides there are female personifications of the nations conquered by Rome
(specifically by Augustus)
the sun god and sky god (Sol and Caelus) are at the top of the cuirass, and therefore shine down
on all these parts of the empire spreading Roman glory and light
his prestige is awarded by the use of elements from Ancient Greece
wearing army garb and has his hand out, not just an orator...he is addressing his troops who will go
and conquer
perfect/flawless flake and body, athletic, young
unlike early Hellenistic statue he is very still, calm and stately, with little movement
barefoot goes against typical statues of the time and makes it more naturalistic and divine
wears a tunic which at this point in history was associated to the deified Julius Caesar
CONTEXT:
Augustus claimed to be reestablishing the senate, but in reality, he is just trying to stabilize the Roman government so he
could establish himself as Rome's first real emperor
in the previous historical period (the Roman Republic) had an age requirement, an old council of elders, and it was ruled
by the senate, but in the Imperial Roman period Augustus was the sole ruler
utilizes the "Canon" of proportions and his statue is reminiscent of Athens during the age of Pericles (5th century BC),
Polykleitos’ Doryphoros
the Cupid is a significant choice because Caesar Augustus claims his ancestors are: Aeneas (founder of Rome and son
of Venus, hence the Cupid) and Julius Caesar (made into a god)
Cupid rides a dolphin which symbolizes Augustus’ win in the Battle of Actium (31 BCE) using naval power over Antony
and Cleopatra, a victory making Augustus emperor
named after the Italian town it was discovered in (1863)
after his reign he created 200 years of peace (pax romana) so this statue is a precursor
serenity of peace and even chosen imagery on breastplate (no battle scene) reflect how he recently ended civil wars
doesn't have anything like sun rays or specific qualities of a god like Alexander would have had, Augustus refused to be
deified or called a dictator to keep the guise of the republic and not make the people envious

FUNCTION:
served as a portrait of her husband considering it was found in her home
there would have been many bronze copies distributed around Rome, and put in public places as a type of propaganda
the statues showed the positive qualities, what he looked like (no photos so commoners wouldn't even know what the
Emperor looked like), it shows how he wanted to portray himself to the people in a godlike way
one scene on the breastplate depicts the Romans getting back their standards from the Parthians, showing Rome's
superiority and power
"visual propaganda" demonstrating Augustus' military prowess and the Religion of Rome
Triclinium paintings from the villa of Livia at Prima Porta, Museo Nazionale Romano, Palazzo Massimo alle Terme
 Content:
Form:"amphitheater" massive, ellipse/oval-shaped ring
two Greek theaters put together (facing each other) four main levels (can be thought of as registers!)
to create the oval-shaped amphitheater (stadium) levels 1-3 had evenly-spaced, arched windows around the entire circumference of
Inner ring made from concrete the amphitheater
required less skill, time, and money to quarry, level 4 had a solid exterior wall, no windows
transport, and build with concrete this, being the highest section of seating, would be where the lower classes
Romans were the first to master and employ the would sit (slaves, foreigners, women)
widespread use of concrete as a building material there would have been statuary figures in each window arch on levels 2 and 3, but not on
Outer ring (external wall) made from travertine (a level 1, because those arches served as doors that people would walk through to enter
limestone) the amphitheater
Extensive use of vaults and the Roman arch above the 4th level, the upper rim of the colosseum was lined with bronze shields/spears
could hold 50,000 to 80,000 spectators a glorious, dramatic, and impressive-looking decoration
Dimensions: could be considered a 5th 'register'?
covered an area of 6 acres however, not a separate floor of seating, only an independent register in the
50 meters high (187 feet) visual sense
equivalent to a 12 story building flat stage filled with sand in center
189 meters (615 feet) long sand was to absorb blood and other bodily fluids from the fighting
156 meters (510 feet) wide seats angled up from the stage in every direction (shallow funnel)
outer circumference of 545 meters (1,788 feet) the "hypogeum"
the center arena measured 287' (feet long) by 180' the underground part of the Colosseum, which included animal pens, trapdoors,
(feet wide) and a network of tunnels, was called the 'hypogeum'
construction began in 70 CE, lasted until 80 CE according to tribunesandtriumphs.org, "The hypogeum consisted of two-level
(completed in 10 years) subterranean network of tunnels and 32 animal pens. There were 80 vertical shafts
very impressive feat considering its massive size provided instant access to the arena for animals and scenery. Large hinged
and the fact that everything was constructed and platforms, called hegmata provided access for large animals"
transported individually, by hand. the "velarium"
no modern machinery! a retractable awning that would cover the arena to provide shade for spectators
 unlike Greeks, who shaped their cities around the geography, Romans made the
Three different orders of columns are used to support the arches landscape work for them
more aggressive builders
Level 1 = Tuscan (similar to Doric, but even more
power of man over nature
simplistic, and specific to ancient Rome) also necessitated better engineering
Level 2 = Ionic concrete! arches!
Level 3 = Corinthian their used to be a lake where the Flavian Amphitheater was built
columns are sturdier, more basic at the bottom drained the lake because they wanted a building there
become more delicate, ornate higher up much more similar to how we (in western, urban cities) approach
urban planning now
associated with femininity?
women sat in the highest level of seating Focus on interior space
shift from ancient Greek focus on exterior space
Function: best example is the Pergamon
Roman Social Status/Citizenship
Public Entertainment (similar function as sports stadium)
Discrimination was not based on color of skin, but on citizenship
Romans came to watch gladiator fights, wild animal fights, If you were a Roman citizen, race didn't matter
mock naval battles, etc. Rome was a very multi-ethnic empire
violence and gore were popular sources of entertainment If you were not a citizen (woman, slave, etc), you were virtually nothing
in ancient Rome Within the population of citizens, there were tiers to that hierarchy as well
social mobility was difficult, but less so than in Ancient Greece
people were seated in the amphitheater according to status
Context:
upper-class patricians were seated closest to the stage, those of the lower
Original name was Flavian Amphitheater class were seated farther up, and women, slaves, and foreigners were the
named after the family/dynasty who paid for its construction farthest away from the action ("cheap seats" at the very top)
Emperor Vespasian (r. 69-79 CE) was the first Emperor Reflects Roman Order, Discipline, and Power
of the Flavian Dynasty POWs, slaves, and non-citizens (not women) could win their freedom/citizenship
"Colosseum" is just a nickname given later (in the Middle by becoming gladiators and fighting to victory
This was such a dangerous risk that it often resulted in the gladiator's
Ages?), because of the amphitheater's proximity to a colossal
death before earning that freedom.
statue of the sun god. Different from Ancient Greece, where it was virtually unheard of for
Vespasian built the amphitheater as a gift to the people of Rome, to someone to become a citizen
win their favor back after the greedy, insane, unpopular Nero citizenship rules in Roman Empire were similar to America's
(previous Roman Emperor before Vespasian) immigration/citizenship rules
Concept of Urban Planning takes a long time and is difficult, but usually the second
generation can earn citizenship if born in the Empire