Etruscan and Roman Art History Quiz 2

UF Fall 2025

acroterion

a decorative ornament, such as a statue, placed on the roof of a temple, usually above the front pediment but could also be spaced along the ridgeline.

adlocutio

a public address by an emperor to the army or citizens, shown by the right arm raised in salute

Archaistic

a style of art imitating or reviving elements of Greek Archaic art (600–480 !"#). It was a popular revivalist style in Roman free-standing and relief sculpture

atrium

the main or central room of a Roman house, usually directly accessible from the front door

barrel vault

a cylindrical architectural feature formed by extending an arch along an indefinite length, creating a solid roofing system that is essentially a continuous arch.

bulla

amulet worn by Roman boys like a locket designed to protect them from harm until they came of age and stopped wearing it

caldarium

hot room in a Roman bath complex. It usually featured a heated pool and radiant heat from the walls and floor.

capite velato

Latin, meaning “with covered head,” referring to the act of covering one’s head while performing a sacred ritual

caryatid

a female figure used in place of a column to support the entablature of a building.

cella

the inner room of a temple. It served primarily to house the cult statue. It could also hold votive objects and ritual items such as vessels and braziers

contrapposto

counterpoise, gives a figure a dynamic but relaxed pose by alternating weight-bearing and free arms and legs coupled with hips and shoulders held at slight angles.

corona civica

the civic crown, a wreath of oak leaves, a tree sacred to Jupiter, awarded to Roman citizens who saved the lives of other citizens in battle.

cryptoporticus

a vaulted covered passageway, usually open along one side, that creates the support for a building above. Often used to create large platforms for a Roman temple or villa.

curule chair

the chair on which senior magistrates such as consuls, praetors, censors, and all those with imperium were entitled to sit.

entablature

architectural term for the part of the building above the columns including cornice, moldings, and friezes.

episodic narrative

a narrative structure in which a series of events or episodes occur with the same main character, generally portrayed in each episode.

Etrusco-Italic

refers to architecture, especially temples, shared by cultures of central Italy. The temples generally featured tall podiums, deep front porches, wide roofs, small cellas, and rooftop sculptures.

exedra

in architecture semi-circular recesses or bays often roofed with a half dome

frigidarium

the cold water room in a Roman bath complex, generally found in the core of the building away from the furnace or the sun.

hierarchy of scale

an artistic convention in which higher status or more important figures are portrayed as larger than lower status or subsidiary figures in a scene.

insula

literally in Latin “island,” refers to an apartment building that

filled an entire block in a Roman city, with shops on the ground

floor and apartments above.

necropolis

from Greek, literally “a city of the dead.” Refers to the extramural cemeteries often mimicking real cities organized by family tombs shaped like houses, sometimes with roads, sidewalks, and drains.

orthogonal planning

the type of city plan in which the streets runat right angles to each other, forming a grid

otium

Latin term for leisure, it includes time spent on reading, writing, and academic activities, including rest. Often associated with the Roman villa as the space for otium

pediment

the triangular gable found below a pitched roof on either end of a building. On ancient temples these were often filled with sculptures or relief decoration

peripteral

refers to a building, usually a temple, with a single row of columns surrounding it.

peristyle

refers to a structure with columns that enclose it, such as a peristyle temple with columns on all four sides of the exterior or a peristyle courtyard with colonnaded porches on all four sides

pinacotheca

literally a picture gallery. In Roman houses a room decorated with mural paintings that replicate Greek panel

polychromy

the use of many colors in decoration, especially in architecture and sculpture. Refers to the brightly painted multi-colored buildings and sculptures of the ancient world

pomerium

the sacred boundary of Rome. In legal and religious terms Rome consisted only of that part of the city within it. Burials were forbidden inside the pomerium

Praetorian Guard

the bodyguard of the Roman emperors, formed by Augustus. They guarded the emperor, his palaces, and sometimes acted to remove or create emperors.

quadriga

four-horse chariot, used for chariot racing and by successful generals in triumphal processions. A general in a quadriga was a common subject in victory monuments.

register

division of an artistic field into parallel columns or rows.

These, usually horizontal bands, act as groundlines and aid in

creating narrative.

scaenae frons

the elaborate background for a Roman theater stage, usually two or three stories in height with multiple entrances, balconies, and alternating projecting and receding elements articulated with columns.

suovetaurilia

a sacrifice made up of a bull, sheep, and pig, traditionally made to Mars, it was one of the oldest and most sacred Roman rituals

symposium

a Greek elite male drinking party at which men would recline on couches to drink wine, listen to entertainment, sing, or discuss philosophical, cultural, or political topics

tablinum

a room in the Roman house off the atrium and directly opposite the front door. It was the major formal reception room, used to receive clients and conduct business.

triclinium

Roman dining room laid out for nine diners reclining on three couches (in Greek: tri cline) from which the room gets its name.

tumulus

a type of tomb with a mound raised over it. Etruscan examples cover chamber tombs that belonged to extended families. Large tumuli resemble small hills.

veristic

from the Latin verus meaning “true,” refers to a style of exaggerated naturalism or hyper-realism found in Roman portraits, often to emphasize the age-dependent virtues of the subject

Victory

based on the Greek Nike, a winged female personification of Roman success in war or sports, identifiable by the palm branch and victor’s crown she often carries.

Adventus

arrival ceremony conducted by civil and religious

officials, usually after a military campaign, welcoming a

commander or emperor back into Rome. These occurred

formally at the city gate.

Apotheosis

to become a god, often shown as the elevation to divine

status through bodily ascension or the moment the figure is

welcomed into the company of the gods.

Atmospheric Perspective

artistic device to create a sense of depth

in painting by shifting the background colors to the blue side of

the spectrum and painting distant objects paler.

Dado

the lower portion of the wall of a room, often distinctly

decorated with panels or painted in contrasting colors.

Hemicycle

literally a half-circle. In architecture, a hemicycle is a

wall, building, or architectural feature constructed in the shape

of a half circle.

Herm

a type of Greek statue, originally of Hermes, with a squared

stone pillar supporting a carved upper body and head; used as

boundary markers in Greek cities and sanctuaries.

Lectus

Roman couch used by the elite to recline while dining,

sleeping, and to display the body in a funeral.

Loggia

roofed gallery open on one side and generally supported by

columns, often found on an upper floor of a building

Oculus

from the Latin meaning “eye,” refers to a circular open

skylight in the center of a dome to provide light into the building

Profectio

a ritual departure, generally of a Roman commander from

the city to war. It was essentially the opposite of the adventus,

also taking place at the city gates.

Pseudoperipteral

refers to a building that mimics the peripteral

colonnades that completely surrounded Greek temples. It has a

porch with free-standing columns but engaged half columns

around the sides and back

Triumphal Procession

victory parade granted by the Senate to a

conquering general, who rode in a quadriga. It began at the city

gates and concluded at the Temple of Jupiter