Rome Exam Part B

The Flavians

Nero commits suicide in 68 CE

Year of the Four Emperors: Galba, Otho, Vitellius, Vespasian

Vespasian: 69-79

Titus (son): 79-81

Domitian (son): 81-96

Nerva (not a Flavian): 96-98

Vespasian (ruled 69-79)

Came from modest background

Gained prominence as a military commander

Restored Rome’s finances and launched building projects (Colosseum)

Flavian Amphitheater/Colosseum

Colosseum location: area formerly occupied by Nero’s artificial lake

Materials and architectural orders

Velarium: awning (based for posts in right photo)

Naumachia: mock naval battles

Forum/Temple of Peace

Marble Plan of Rome (Forma Urbis)

Titus (ruled 70-81)

first Roman emperor to directly succeed biological father

Commanded Roman forces during first Jewish-Roman war and captured Jerusalem in 70 CE

Completed Colosseum

Eruption of Vesuvius occurred during his reign (79 CE)

Arch of Titus

Roman Victory in Jerusalem (Arch of Titus)

Apotheosis (deification) of Titus

Temple of Vespasian & Titus

Temple of Vespasian and Titus

Sculptural reliefs showing items to sacrifice

Ornamentation

• egg & dart

• Dentils

• Beed & reel

• Acanthus leaves

Domitian (ruled 81-96)

became emperor when brother Titus died of a fever

Strengthened Roman economy and expanded border defenses

Rule became increasingly autocratic

Assassinated in 96 CE

Palace of Domitian (Domus Flavia) on Palatine Hill

Stadium of Domitian

Stadium of Domitian (current Piazza Novana)

Nerva (ruled 96-98)

Senate declared him emperor following Domitian’s assassination

Praised as wise and moderate

Restored civil liberties curtailed under Domitian’s rule

Adopted Trajan as co-emperor and heir (who was a popular general)

Forum of Nerva

In narrow space between forums of Augustus & Julius Caesar and the Forum of Peace

Also called Forum Transitorium (because used to pass through to the main Roman Forum)

Temple dedicated to Minerva

Trajan (ruled 98-117)

97 CE Nerva adopted Trajan as co-emperor

Trajan born in Italica, Spain (53 CE)

Officer in army, popular with all

Wars of conquest:

• Dacia (beyond Danube River)

Achieved military glory and huge wealth

Forum of Trajan

Forum of Trajan

Basilica Ulpia 113 CE

600 × 200 Roman feet (largest yet)

Upper story Dacian prisoners and shields

Column of Trajan 113 CE

128 Roman feet

29 blocks of white marble

Bronze statue of Trajan at top (now St. Peter)

200 meter long frieze: story of Dacian military campaigns

Spiral staircase inside

Hadrian Publius Aelius Hadrianus

Trajan died late 117 CE

Hadrian, was one of his commanders

Retracted some of Trajan’s expansions in empire and secured the frontiers

Travelled widely, fond of Greek culture (hence the beard, which became popular)

Hadrian dies in 138

Hadrian’s Wall (122-128 CE)

Hadrian’s Wall

73 miles long

8-10 feet wide

turrets built at intervals

made of stone and also blocks of turf

located in modern day England

wall of successor, Antoninus Pius, was 37 miles long, located in modern day Scotland

Temple of Venus and Roma (125-135)

Designed by Hadrian

Largest temple in Rome

Double temple with back to back cellas for the two deities

Greek style, low podium

Later rebuilt by Maxentius

Temple of Venus and Roma

Pantheon (118-125)

Pantheon

Temple to “all the gods”

pan= all/every, theon=god/deity

Third rebuilding

First built by Marcus Agrippa in 27-25 BCE

Survived as church to St. Mary of the Martyrs

Pantheon

Pantheon

Height of dome (150 Roman feet) is equal to diameter of drum

Oculus is 30 Roman feet in diameter

Hadrian’s Villa in Tivoli

Known for innovative architecture, as well as Greek and Egyptian elements

Hadrian’s Villa: Maritime Theater

Mausoleum of Hadrian and Pons Aelius (Castel and Ponte Sant’Angelo)

Built by Hadrian for himself and family

Over 50 meters high

Contained ashes of Hadrian and Sabina, then Antonine and Severan families, last person being Caracalla (217)

Turned into a fort in the Middle Ages

Bridge rebuilt with angels designed by Bernini (1688)

Antoninus Pius

Hadrian dies in 138, having adopted 52 year old Antoninus Pius as his successor

Reign marked by peace, prosperity, tranquility

Devoted to family, careful with wealth and resources

Marcus Aurelius

Had been adopted by AP as successor on Hadrian’s instructions

Reign troubled by continuous emergencies on northern western frontiers of empire

Took wife Faustina with him on military campaigns

Column of Marcus Aurelius (180)

Located in Campus Martius

Frieze theme is story of MA’s wars north of Danube River

Carving is bolder

Content of scenes simplified (fewer figures)

Action is almost continuous

Conflicts more violent

Column of Marcus Aurelius

Commodus

Son of Marcus Aurelius

Age 18 when succeeded into power

Mentally unbalanced

Wanted to fight as gladiator

Bad with finances, always ordering confiscations to get $

Strangled in 192

Septimius Severus

After year of fighting (192) between 5 army generals, Severus is victor

From wealthy family in Leptis Magna

Wife Julia Domna from Syria

Sons Caracalla and Geta

Military campaigns against Parthians

Died in 211, leaving sons as joint emperors

Caracalla has Geta killed

Severan family portrait with Geta removed (damnatio memoriae — condemnation of memory, erasure of inscriptions and images)

Arch of Septimius Severus

Arch of Septimius Severus

Reliefs show Parthian campaigns, battles, war councils, surrender, prisoners

Caracalla replaced “most noble Caesar Geta” in inscription wtih “excellent and strong princes” (damnatio memoriae)

Arch of the Argentarii

Located in Forum Boarium

Dedicated to cattle merchants and bankers

Names of Geta and others erased

Sculptural reliefs of Geta and others erased

(damnatio memoriae)

Constantine (ruled 306-337 CE)

First Roman Emperor to convert to Christianity

Issued Edict of Milan in 313, which legalized Christianity

Founded Constantinople in 330 as the new imperial capital

Arch of Constantine

Dedicated in 315 on 10th anniversary of Constantine’s reign

Took pieces from earlier monuments

• Trajanic frieze

• Hadrianic roundels

• Panel-reliefs of Marcus Aurelius

Arch of Constantine reuse of materials