Ancient Greek, Etruscan, and Roman Art and Architecture

Flashcards covering the periods, key artworks, architecture, and technical vocabulary of Ancient Greece (Geometric to Hellenistic), Etruscan culture, and the Roman Republic and Empire.

Krater

A wide mouth and body vessel with two handles, used in ancient Greece for mixing wine with water.

Kore

An Archaic Greek freestanding sculpture of a young woman.

Volute

A spiral, scroll-like ornament characteristic of Greek and Roman art, particularly the Ionic order.

Cella

The inner chamber of an ancient Greek temple which houses the cult statue.

Doric Order

The simplest and oldest Greek architectural order, characterized by fluted columns with no base and simple, plain capitals.

Ionic Order

A more slender, decorative, and elegant Greek architectural style compared to the stockier Doric style.

Amphora

A tall, two-handled clay jar with a narrow neck and wide body used for storage.

Kouros

Archaic Greek statues representing nude, standing young men, typically carved from marble.

Frieze

A wide horizontal band of painted or sculpted decoration found on a temple exterior between the columns and the roof.

Peristyle

A continuous covered porch supported by columns surrounding an open courtyard, garden, or temple.

Black-Figure

A technique featuring glossy black silhouettes painted on red clay, with intricate details added via incision.

Archaic Smile

The slight smile found on Archaic Greek statues intended to indicate that the figure is alive.

Triglyph

A vertically channeled tablet with grooves in a Doric frieze.

Peripteral

A temple design featuring a single row of columns on all four sides of the central cella.

Caryatid

A draped female figure used as an architectural support in place of a column or pillar.

Red-Figure

A technique where figures are left in the natural red-orange of the clay while the background is painted black.

Stylobate

The top step of a three-tiered platform that forms the foundation for temple columns.

Metope

A rectangular architectural element, often decorated with high-relief sculpture or painting, filling the space between triglyphs.

Contrapposto

A human figure standing with most weight on one leg, creating a natural "S" curve in the torso, shoulders, and hips.

Pericles

The Athenian leader who ushered in a "Golden Age" of art and architecture, including the construction of the Parthenon.

Entasis

A slight, intentional convex curve in the middle of a column.

Capital

The topmost component of a column, serving as the structural transition from the vertical shaft to the horizontal load.

Pediment

A triangular feature found on top of a building, usually above a porch, door, or window.

Corinthian Capital

The topmost decorative part of a slender column characterized by elaborate floral or leaf-like designs.

Terracotta

A type of fired, unglazed, or glazed pottery used for sculptures, bricks, and tiles.

Tuscan Order

The simplest, most rustic style of Classical Roman architecture, featuring plain, unadorned columns and a simple base.

Tuff

A soft rock formed by compacted volcanic ash and debris from explosive eruptions.

First Style: Masonry Style

Pompeian painting style featuring a thin coat of plaster between blocks, simulating stone walls through relief and wet plaster modeling.

Second Style: Architectural Style

Pompeian painting style utilizing linear perspective and naturalistic elements to create views 'beyond the wall' like painted windows.

Third Style: Ornate Style

Pompeian painting style where architecture is used as decoration and includes small paintings appearing to hang on a wall.

Fourth Style: Intricate Style

Pompeian painting style that combines elements of the First, Second, and Third Styles.

Roman Concrete

An ancient building material made from volcanic ash, lime, and water, mixed with rubble.

Caementa

Small stones, rubble, and broken bricks used in the Roman concrete mixture.

Pseudoperipteral

A classical building style that creates the illusion of being surrounded by columns, though columns on the back and sides are attached to the walls.

Oculus

A circular or oval opening at the apex of a dome or a round window designed to let in natural light and air.

Verism

A style of hyper-realistic portraiture that emphasizes hard, everyday details of the face.

Velarium

A massive, retractable canvas awning or canopy used in amphitheaters to protect spectators from sun and rain.

Cardo

The main north-south street in an ancient Roman city, central to urban planning.

Decumanus

The main east-west oriented road in ancient Roman cities.

Atrium

A large, open-air or skylit central courtyard serving as the main hall of an ancient Roman house.

Impluvium

A shallow rectangular basin in the center of an Atrium designed to collect rainwater.

Cubiculum

A small private room in a Roman house or catacomb, used as a bedroom or sitting room and often decorated with fresco paintings.

Triclinium

An ancient Roman dining room containing three couches arranged in a U-shape around a central table for reclining while eating.

Triumphal Arch

A freestanding monumental structure built to celebrate victories or events, such as the Arch of Titus.

Equestrian Statue

A commemorative statue of a figure on horseback, such as the statue of Marcus Aurelius.

Column Statue

A freestanding column, often featuring spiral reliefs, topped with a statue.

Coffer

Sunken rectangular or octagonal panels used in a grid pattern to decorate and lighten the weight of ceilings, vaults, or domes.

Frigidarium

The cold water pool room in a Roman bath complex.

Tepidarium

The warm water room in a Roman bath complex.

Caldarium

The hot plunge bath room in a Roman bath complex.

Dipylon Geometric Krater

A Greek vessel from the Geometric period, dated c. 750 BCE.

Lady of Auxerre

A sculpture from the Orientalizing period of Greek art, dated to the 7th century BCE.

Kritios Boy

A Classical Greek sculpture dated c. 480 BCE, notable for its early use of contrapposto.

Doryphoros (Spear Bearer)

A Classical sculpture by Polykleitos demonstrating the 'Canon' of proportions, dated c. 450-440 BCE.

Parthenon

A Classical Greek temple in Athens designed by Iktinos and Kallikrates, built between 447-438 BCE.

Aphrodite of Knidos

A renowned Classical sculpture by Praxiteles, dated c. 350-340 BCE.

Altar of Zeus at Pergamon

A Hellenistic structure from Turkey, dated c. 175 BCE.

Laocoön

A Hellenistic sculpture group depicting a priest and his sons, dated to the 2nd Century BCE.

Apulu (Apollo of Veii)

An Etruscan sculpture dated c. 500 BCE.

Ara Pacis (Altar of Augustan Peace)

A Roman monument built between 13-9 BCE to celebrate peace under Augustus.

Domus Aurea

Nero's 'Golden House' in Rome, designed by Severus and Celer, AD 64-68.

Pantheon

A Roman temple characterized by its massive dome and oculus, built ca. AD 118-125.