CLAS 318 Midterm - Early Rome

Historical relief

A historical scene carved in relief on a slab of stone

Funerary relief

A relief carving on a funerary monument, depicting the portrait(s) of the deceased

Freestanding sculpture

Figures in the round in stone, bronze, or terracotta

Wall painting

The painted adornment of walls both inside and outside of Roman buildings

Inscriptions

The ancient writing, usually carved and/or painted, accompanying an ancient monument that describes the reason for the erection of the monument (who commissioned/paid for it, to whom it was dedicated, why and when).

Sarcophagus

A container for the body of a deceased person usually made of stone, terracotta, or metal. These were inhumation burials not cremations

Temple

A building sacred to a god (not a house of worship), in which the holiest images of that deity was housed (the cult image), along with all of the treasures belonging to that deity (dedicated by individuals or the state). Worship of the deity took place outside, in front of the temple.

Villa

A large house. The villa could be located in the country or in the city; it was a large, vast, and a separate domicile (not an apartment building), that usually stood on its own piece of land p. It housed many occupants, inc the owner’s family, slaves, and many workers

Domus

A small city house, usually housed one nuclear family and slaves

Insula

Apartment building. Usually confined to 3-5 stories. In Rome, these were flimsy and flammable and used solely by the poor. In other big cities such as Ostia, apartments were beautiful and luxurious, and were used by everyone

Mausoleum

A large funerary structure, a building in which the remains of many members of an extended family could be buries. These were so personalized that they often served as monuments to the persons who commissioned and were later buried in them

Triumphal arch

A small structure, not a building, that spans a road, with 1-3 central arches in the lower interior. These were erected at certain strategic locations in particularly important occasions, usually when a triumphant general returned to Rome, and were often decorated with important scenes relating to the life (or victory) of the person commemorated, carved in relief

Column

Another type of commemorative monument. These were simply tall stone columns, raved entirely in relief, depicting scenes from the conquests of the victorious emperor to whom the column was dedicated

Stucco

Decorative plaster used on walls or ceilings. Often this refers specifically to 3D ornament in plaster

Mosaic

Designs created w multicolor small square-cut stones or tesserae, usually the ornament of floors, but at times walls and other parts of a building as well

Forum

The main central square of a Roman town

Pottery

The ancient goblets, dinnerware, cookware, and shaped of all sorts made of fired clay or terracotta; usually painted

personification

The giving of human form to (and then depicting in art) an idea, notion, body of water or area of land. There ere personifications of rivers, provinces, and notions such as victory, peace, etc. with the exception of rivers and winds, these were usually female

Portrait

The true and actual likeness of an individual rendered in an artistic medium

What are the 7 hills of Rome?

Can Queen Victoria Eat Cold Apple Pie - Capitoline, Quirinal, Viminal, Esquiline, Caelian, Aventine, Palatine. They are the seven hills that form the geographical heart of Rome.

What are the two foundational legends of Rome?

Aeneas of Troy (c. 12th century BC) and the story of Romulus and Remus (c. 8th century BC)

What are the major categories of Etruscan art?

tomb paintings, bronze statuary, gold jewelry, and terracotta works including free-standing sculpture, relief plaques and decorative vessels

What are two design features found repeatedly in the tombs in contemporary Etruscan and later Roman building practice in both houses and temples?

1. The tombs/houses are organized symmetrically with a long axis placing the entrance at a short end and the rooms clustered at the far end

2. A tendency towards tripartite organization, with rooms often appearing in groups of three and wall niches to hold bodies are also found in threes

   Both these features are found together in the TOMB OF THE SHIELDS AND CHAIRS

What is the legend of Aeneas in regards to the foundation of Rome?

Aeneas, the son of Venus and a Trojan hero, is said to have traveled to Italy after the fall of Troy. He founded Rome as an act of obedience to a divine command.His journey symbolizes the connection between the Trojans and the Romans, emphasizing themes of destiny and divine intervention.

What is the legend of Romulus and remus?

The mythological story of twin brothers, Romulus and Remus, who were raised by a she-wolf and are credited with the founding of Rome. Romulus ultimately becomes the first king after a conflict with Remus. Mars is the father of these twins, thus giving Rome a divine origin, while their mother, Rhea Silvia, was a vestal virgin and the daughter of the overthrown king of Alba Longa, Numitor.

What are the 7 kings in the period of kings?

It runs from 753 - 509 BC. Romulus (753-715) , Numa Pompilius (715-673), Tullus Hostilius (673 - 642), Ancus Marcius (642 - 616), Tarquinius Priscus (616 - 578), Servius Tullius (578 - 535) , Tarquinius Superbus (535 – 509 BC)

What were the key parts of Romulus’ rule?

1. Created, named, and became first king of Rome

2. Military ruler

3. Created the first population of Rome by conquering, stealing and luring people (“asylum”)

What was important about Numa Pompilius’ rule?

1. Second king of Rome

2. Peaceful ruler as opposed to the war-like Romulus

3. The Fetial Laws for establishing rules for declarations of war and treaties of peace with allies.

4. Reformed Roman calendar

5. Created major priesthoods and the chief priest of Rome, the Pontifex Maximus

6. Moved the Vestal Virgins to Rome

Who inhabited the area of Latium before the establishment of Rome?

Villanovan people. People lived on hilltops, in small villages of 100 – 200 people or so. They lived in mud-huts. The low-lying areas near the River were marshy and often flooded. Villanovans were the precursors to the Etruscans (Etruria = Tuscany)

What were the basic building materials in early Rome (753-509)?

Basic building materials were local tufa and travertine, and mud and brush.

What was tufa?

What is travertine?

What was the forum and what was its significance in Early Rome?

The Roman forum existed as early as the 6th century BC. Forum = “market” and this area, from the earliest times, was a large open, rectangular area where people could meet and exchange goods and services. Became the center of the Roman city. In later Roman times, the Forum was the social, economic, political and religious center of any Roman city.

What is the story of Numitor and Amulius?

Numitor was the maternal grandfather of Romulus and Remus and son of Procas, a descendant of Aneas. He was supposed to succeed Procas in ruling Alba Longa, but was overthrown and exiled by his brother Amulius, who also murdered Numitor’s sons.

When was Rome founded?

April 21, 753 BC

Who was Faustulus?

The roman shepherd who found Romulus and remus in the lair of the she-wolf. He and his wife raised the twins and then Romulus, with Faustulus’ help, overthrew King Amulius. He died in the skirmish between Romulus and Remus.

Who was Iulus/Ascanius and what is his significance?

Son of Aeneas and claimed as the ancestor of Julius’ Ceasar’s family, thus making him a progenitor of the Julio-Claudian Dynasty

Who was Anchises?

The father of Aeneas