CLAS242 - The Flavian Period

Identify and Analyze

Portrait of Vespasian, Musei Capitolini, Rome

The Flavian Period

69 CE - 96 CE

• Next Emperor

  • Nero was a weak emperor at the end

    • various uprisings before Nero commits suicide after the praetorian guards turned on him

  • Year of the Four Emperors

    • many people trying to claim the throne

    • Order of the 4

      • Galba, magistrate, proclaims himself against Nero, becomes Emperor

      • Otho kills Galba, becomes Emperor

      • Vitellius beats Galba in battle, Galba kills himself, Vitellius becomes Emperor

      • Vespasian kills Vitellius, now he is the new Emperor

• Back to Italian Verism

  • consciously rejecting Augustan Classicism

  • differentiating himself from the Julio-Claudians

  • balding, wrinkles, nasolabial lines, etc.

    • actually looks his true age

  • “forget the chaos of the wars etc.”

    • age showing wisdom as a steady, calming, guiding hand

• Message still more important thank showing what he truly looked like

Identify and Analyze

Portrait of Titus, Rome

The Flavian Period

69 CE - 68 CE

• Next Emperor

  • Son of Vespasian

• Verism

  • carried on from his father

  • jowls, big jaw, thinning hair, etc

  • so much consistency in Titus’ portraits that it can only be assumed that there was really only one model that was sent to artists

• Change in Proportions

  • Augustus as Pontifex

    • tall and thin

  • Titus

    • squared off and more squat

    • mimicking of Italic relief sculpture, also seen on the Tomb of the Breadmaker

• Magistrate

  • outfit with scroll in hand

Identify and Analyze (two images)

Colosseum, Rome, plan and elevation drawing

The Flavian Period

69 CE - 96 CE

• aka, the Flavian Amphitheatre

• known as Colosseum for its proximity to he Colossus Neronis

  • a 120 foot tall bronze statue of Nero meant to mimic the Colossus of Rhodes

• Golden Palace destroyed by Flavians

  • wanted to give the land back to the people

  • dedicated the colosseum in 80CE

• Not only amphitheatre at time, nor very innovative

  • just the biggest/most lavish in Rome

  • everything that could be put into a colosseum was put into this

• Features

  • Brickwork + Marble Panelling on outside

  • Use of concrete as a structural support for large-scale buildings with great unsupported spaces

  • Sections related to ticket prices

    • each entrance with specific numbers for seating

  • Retractable (kind of) roof

    • a giant tarp covered the top 3rd

    • ropes and pulleys on wenches on ground

      • sailors were hired to man the rigging since they had the experience

  • Sand floor

    • trap doors for animals to suddenly appear from

    • dollies/people to be lowered/raised up from

  • Watertight cement base

    • could flood the central area to recreate naumachiae

      • sea/naval battles

  • Basement

    • gladiator changerooms

    • cages for animals

• Entertainment

  • reenactments of myth/historical fights

    • all the ones where Rome won, of course

  • public executions

• 3 Tiers

  • Tuscan columns on bottom

  • Ionic on the second

  • Corinthian on the 3rd

• Meant to show the power of the Flavian emperors/their control over the resources of the empire

  • also benefits that their rule brings to Rome

Identify and Analyze (two images)

Colosseum, Rome, facade and detail of entrance arcade

The Flavian Period

69 CE - 96 CE

• aka, the Flavian Amphitheatre

• known as Colosseum for its proximity to he Colossus Neronis

  • a 120 foot tall bronze statue of Nero meant to mimic the Colossus of Rhodes

• Golden Palace destroyed by Flavians

  • wanted to give the land back to the people

  • dedicated the colosseum in 80CE

• Not only amphitheatre at time, nor very innovative

  • just the biggest/most lavish in Rome

  • everything that could be put into a colosseum was put into this

• Features

  • Brickwork + Marble Panelling on outside

  • Use of concrete as a structural support for large-scale buildings with great unsupported spaces

  • Sections related to ticket prices

    • each entrance with specific numbers for seating

  • Retractable (kind of) roof

    • a giant tarp covered the top 3rd

    • ropes and pulleys on wenches on ground

      • sailors were hired to man the rigging since they had the experience

  • Sand floor

    • trap doors for animals to suddenly appear from

    • dollies/people to be lowered/raised up from

  • Watertight cement base

    • could flood the central area to recreate naumachiae

      • sea/naval battles

  • Basement

    • gladiator changerooms

    • cages for animals

• Entertainment

  • reenactments of myth/historical fights

    • all the ones where Rome won, of course

  • public executions

• 3 Tiers

  • Tuscan columns on bottom

  • Ionic on the second

  • Corinthian on the 3rd

• Meant to show the power of the Flavian emperors/their control over the resources of the empire

  • also benefits that their rule brings to Rome

• Vomitorium

  • “spit the people out of the building”

  • barrel vaults for entrances/exits

Identify and Analyze

Colosseum, Rome, sestertius of the amphitheater

The Flavian Period

69 CE - 96 CE

The Flavian Period

69 CE - 96 CE

• aka, the Flavian Amphitheatre

• known as Colosseum for its proximity to he Colossus Neronis

  • a 120 foot tall bronze statue of Nero meant to mimic the Colossus of Rhodes

• Golden Palace destroyed by Flavians

  • wanted to give the land back to the people

  • dedicated the colosseum in 80CE

• Not only amphitheatre at time, nor very innovative

  • just the biggest/most lavish in Rome

  • everything that could be put into a colosseum was put into this

• Features

  • Brickwork + Marble Panelling on outside

  • Use of concrete as a structural support for large-scale buildings with great unsupported spaces

  • Sections related to ticket prices

    • each entrance with specific numbers for seating

  • Retractable (kind of) roof

    • a giant tarp covered the top 3rd

    • ropes and pulleys on wenches on ground

      • sailors were hired to man the rigging since they had the experience

  • Sand floor

    • trap doors for animals to suddenly appear from

    • dollies/people to be lowered/raised up from

  • Watertight cement base

    • could flood the central area to recreate naumachiae

      • sea/naval battles

  • Basement

    • gladiator changerooms

    • cages for animals

• Entertainment

  • reenactments of myth/historical fights

    • all the ones where Rome won, of course

  • public executions

• 3 Tiers

  • Tuscan columns on bottom

  • Ionic on the second

  • Corinthian on the 3rd

• Meant to show the power of the Flavian emperors/their control over the resources of the empire

  • also benefits that their rule brings to Rome

• Vomitorium

  • “spit the people out of the building”

  • barrel vaults for entrances/exits

Identify and Analyze

Wall mosaic of Neptune and Amphitrite, Herculaneum

The Flavian Period

69 CE - 96 CE

• Herculaneum

  • maybe a Greek colony as there are many Greek things there

    • slowly taken over by Italians in this sense

• Wall Mosaic

  • not floor, wall

    • concrete, little cartoon plan, and then add on the tessarae

      • little squares that make up a mosaic

      • Tesselated - made up of tessarae

  • Polychromy

    • lots and lots of colours

    • most mosaics in Rome were black and white

      • easier in shades

    • far more expensive/elaborate

• similarity to 3rd style

  • just that everyone is always playing off of everyone else

  • similarities coming from trends/inspirations

• Marriage of Neptune and Amphitrite

  • more represented in Roman art than Greek

Identify and Analyze

Hercules painting, Sacellum of the Augustales, Herculaneum

The Flavian Period

69 CE - 96 CE

• Meaning of Name:

  • little room for Priest of Augustus

• anyone was able to come in and worship a deified emperor

• Mythological scenes

  • Hercules, mythical founder of the city

    • also a favourite of the emperors

  • Greek Style

    • similar to sculpture

    • contrapossto, heroic nudism, curly hair and beard

    • all speaks the the history of Herculaneum

• Egyptian blue

  • first synthetic paint ever created

    • meant to mimic the colour of lapis lazuli as a cheaper alternative

  • Romans call it cerulean

  • use of it demonstrates the wealth of Herculaneum

Identify and Analyze

Altar relief, Temple of the Deified Vespasian, Pompeii

The Flavian Period

69 CE - 96 CE

• Sacrifice to Domitian

  • Next Emperor after Titus

    • brother of Titus, son of Vespasian

  • head covered - religious context

  • backdrop - temple

• guy with ox and hammer for sacrifice

• Greek Style

Identify and Analyze

Plan of the House of the Vettii, Pompeii, renovations

The Flavian Period

69 CE - 96 CE

• Owned by Two Brothers

  • Aulus Vettius Conviva

  • Aulus Vettius Restitutus

  • freed slaves

    • got money and then presented their house as Roman like

  • example of a house that wasn’t owned by the rich

    • sub-elite commercial identity

• House reorganized after earthquake in 62 CE

  • Tablinum

    • room in front for man of house to accept visitors/clients

    • does not exist here (removed) because they were slaves so no client system for them

    • house now opened directly into a peristyle garden

      • garden best styled/decorated in house in stead of atrium

      • now the most important reception area as well

• Houses painting of Priapus

Identify and Analyze

Priapus painting, front foyer, House of the Vettii, Pompeii

The Flavian Period

69 CE - 96 CE

• Priapus, god of Fertility

  • in charge of all kinds of fertility

    • yourself, peace, happiness, wealth, agriculture, children, etc.

  • representation of abundance

    • phallus on scale against a bag of money

      • “notice how they are balanced”

      • Priapus bringing fertility to money

    • cornucopia spilling out behind him

  • commercial rather that patrician identity

  • represented with large erect phallus

    • similar to Satyrs

    • always shown as erect because all they’re interested in is sex

      • comedic aspect of satyrs

• Found in Entryway of House ofthe Vettii

  • Apotropaic

    • common attribute of entrance decoration

    • often incorporated phallic imagery

Identify and Analyze

Pinacotheca n, House of the Vettii, Pompeii

The Flavian Period

69 CE - 96 CE

• Pinacotheca

  • literally a picture gallery

  • a room deocrated with mural paintings that replicate Greek panel paintings

    • often copies or variations of famous pictures

• All paintings linked to Greek myths that reinforce religious authority

  • all fourth style paintings

  • Pasiphae

    • King Mino’s wife

    • Minos angered Poseidon by withholding a beautiful white bull (sacred to Poseidon) from sacrifice to him

    • Poseidon cursed Pasiphae to fall in love passionately with that bull

    • Pasiphae ordered Daedalus to build her a cow that she could climb inside which would then allow the bull to fall in love with the wooden cow so that she could be fucked by the bull

    • she fell pregnant with the Minotaur

Identify and Analyze

Pinacotheca p, House of the Vettii, Pompeii

The Flavian Period

69 CE - 96 CE

• Pinacotheca

  • literally a picture gallery

  • a room deocrated with mural paintings that replicate Greek panel paintings

    • often copies or variations of famous pictures

• All paintings linked to Greek myths that reinforce religious authority

  • all fourth style paintings

  • Baby Hercules

    • myth where two snakes crawled into his crib as a baby to kill him, sent by Hera (another bastard son of Zeus)

    • Hercules strangles them

    • based on Greek original from 5th century BCE

Identify and Analyze

Cupids as fullers, painted frieze, reception room Q, House of the Vettii, Pompeii

The Flavian Period

69 CE - 96 CE

• Multiple Cupids at once- becomes comedic in Roman art

  • laugh with them, not at them

  • baby doing manual labour - a baby can’t do that! how funny

  • later leads to renaissance baby angels

• Tasks relating to Love

  • jewelry making

  • perfume making

  • garland stringing

  • cloth dying

• Vettii

  • fullers

    • dye wool/cotton/leather

    • the process of dying STANK

      • included urine for well-working properties

    • happened in the heart of Pompeii, that city STANK

Identify and Analyze

Paintings in the central hallway, lupanar, Pompeii

The Flavian Period

69 CE - 96 CE

• Lupanar

  • a brothel

  • small cells, stone beds/pillows

    • contrats with evocative wall paintings in the hallway

• Wall Paintings

  • erotic

    • meant to arose? menu items for the illiterate/couldn’t speak latin?

  • typically heterosexual

    • homosexual, more risqué, threesomes etc. were reserved more for private settings/domestic homes

• Napals Museum

  • “Secret Room”

    • all of these “explicit” findings from Pompeii (which were everywhere) were hidden in there

    • “innapropriate” for the public to see

      • even though most of them were erect phalluses that had been put up throughout the city as apotropaic/fertility images

    • contained

      • nude statues/paintings

      • penis statues

      • dildos

    • opened up this room to the 18+ public 10-15 years ago

Identify and Analyze

Floor mosaic from a Roman villa, Zliten, Libya, Flavian

The Flavian Period

69 CE - 96 CE

• Roman’s Material Production + Wealth

  • an example

• North Africa

  • Romans moving there and their culture follows

• Expensive

  • lots of colours and types of decoration

  • fish

    • real fish you can catch in the Mediterranean

• Dining Room

  • to show guests and the public

  • you’re serving fish to your guests and you say “look down! that’s the fish we’re eating right now”

• Mosaic Border

  • Athletic contests/Gladiator fights

  • Venationes

    • animal hunts

      • included deer and ostriches

  • Big Cat + man Tied Up

    • damnatio ad bestias

      • condemnation to the animals

    • feeding the Christians to the lions in the colosseum

  • Roman Laws of Fights

    • some kinds of gladiator fights were not allowed

    • these rules wrre loose in the provinces

Identify and Analyze

Detail of arena events, floor mosaic from a Roman villa, Zliten, Libya, Flavian

The Flavian Period

69 CE - 96 CE

• Roman’s Material Production + Wealth

  • an example

• North Africa

  • Romans moving there and their culture follows

• Mosaic Border

  • Athletic contests/Gladiator fights

  • Venationes

    • animal hunts

      • included deer and ostriches

  • Big Cat + man Tied Up

    • damnatio ad bestias

      • condemnation to the animals

    • feeding the Christians to the lions in the colosseum

  • Roman Laws of Fights

    • some kinds of gladiator fights were not allowed

    • these rules wrre loose in the provinces

Identify and Analyze

Portrait bust of Domitian, Rome

The Flavian Period

69 CE - 96 CE

• Next Emperor

  • son of Vespasian, brother of Titus

  • Titus died prematurely from a fever

  • last of Flavian rulers

• Poor reputation

  • Damnatio Memoriae - “Damnation of Memory”

    • where everyone hates you so much they chip your face and name off of all your statues

    • an attempt to erase them from history

    • this one unaffected

• Classical Elements

  • smoothness of the face

Identify and Analyze

Statue of Domitian, face replaced with Nerva, Sacellum of the Augustales

The Flavian Period

69 CE - 96 CE

• Next Emperor

  • son of Vespasian, brother of Titus

  • Titus died prematurely from a fever

  • last of Flavian rulers

• Poor reputation

  • Damnatio Memoriae - “Damnation of Memory”

    • where everyone hates you so much they chip your face and name off of all your statues

    • an attempt to erase them from history

    • this one later re-carved as Nerva, a later emperor

• Emperor on Horse

  • role portraiture of military might

Identify and Analyze

Portrait bust of a Flavian lady, Rome

The Flavian Period

69 CE - 96 CE

• Greek Classical Style

  • makes it impossible to track styles/chronologies

  • everyone mean to look like Greek Goddesses

• How to tell differences?

  • hair and clothing changes with times

• Elaborate Hair

  • as a way of women presenting their wealth/personal taste

  • Thought this style was only artistic/not real/impossible to do in reality

    • a hairdressed recreated it in real life with simple tools that would have been available at time period

• Sculpture

  • chunks of hair vs. individual strands

    • much easier to carve clumps of hair to give the impression of individual hairs

  • bow drill

    • acts like a drill and a router

      • allows them to create huge pockets of shadow

        • interesting effect with light

        • highlights the 3D

Identify and Analyze (two images)

Portraits of the Vespasian and Titus, Sacellum of the Augustales, Misenum

The Flavian Period

69 CE - 96 CE

• Verism + Classical

  • older heads and Greek hero body combo

    • conveying message: Emperor is a hero

  • Common Roman viewer has no problem with the mixture

Identify and Analyze

Arch of Titus, Rome, overall view up the Via Sacra (Sacred Way)

The Flavian Period

69 CE - 96 CE

• Roman Victory Arch

  • great example

  • once a general was successful, they host a triumph

  • then their relative would build an arch for them

• Best surviving Arch

  • SPQR + “Divine Titus” and “Divine Vespasian”

    • if they are already deified - Domitian who built it

    • SPQR - Senatus Populusque Romanus - “Senate and the People of Rome

  • Spandrels

    • area above arch and below the very top of it

    • flying Victorias

Identify and Analyze

Relief of Spoils from the Temple in Jerusalem, Arch of Titus, Rome

The Flavian Period

69 CE - 96 CE

The Flavian Period

69 CE - 96 CE

• Roman Victory Arch

  • great example

  • once a general was successful, they host a triumph

  • then their relative would build an arch for them

• Best surviving Arch

  • SPQR + “Divine Titus” and “Divine Vespasian”

    • if they are already deified - Domitian who built it

    • SPQR - Senatus Populusque Romanus - “Senate and the People of Rome

  • Spandrels

    • area above arch and below the very top of it

    • flying Victorias

• Inside Sculpture

  • surrounded by it when under the Arch

  • Military Campaign Scene

    • Menorah - put down of the revolt in Judea

      • bringing back the spoils. from sacking a Jewish temple

      • “we have power over your gods” - we have this religious object that is important to your worship

  • Victory Parade

    • Tabula ansata

      • would have been signs explaining to the surrounding crowd what they were seeing/what had happened

  • Arch on the Arch

    • ¾ view

    • while crowd is in profile

    • as you move to the right, figures get smaller and in less relief until they are going under the arch

    • gives a sense of turning and three dimensional space

Identify and Analyze

Relief of Titus in triumphal chariot, Arch of Titus, Rome

The Flavian Period

69 CE - 96 CE

• Roman Victory Arch

  • great example

  • once a general was successful, they host a triumph

  • then their relative would build an arch for them

• Best surviving Arch

  • SPQR + “Divine Titus” and “Divine Vespasian”

    • if they are already deified - Domitian who built it

    • SPQR - Senatus Populusque Romanus - “Senate and the People of Rome

  • Spandrels

    • area above arch and below the very top of it

    • flying Victorias

• Inside Sculpture

  • surrounded by it when under the Arch

• Triumph Procession Relief

  • Titus in Quadriga

    • four horse chariot

    • big deal, this was Santa in the Santa Parade level big

  • Mythical Figures

    • Victoria, crowning Titus

    • Virtus, personification of martial prowess

    • personifications of SPQR

  • Variation of heads for depth

    • lower detail in distance

  • Three Dimensional Attempt

    • Titus, ¾ view

    • Horse, profile

    • Gods, frontal

    • gives a sense of turning

  • Classical Style

Identify and Analyze

Cancelleria relief of adventus of Vespasian, Rome

• Roman Victory Arch

  • great example

  • once a general was successful, they host a triumph

  • then their relative would build an arch for them

• Best surviving Arch

  • SPQR + “Divine Titus” and “Divine Vespasian”

    • if they are already deified - Domitian who built it

    • SPQR - Senatus Populusque Romanus - “Senate and the People of Rome

  • Spandrels

    • area above arch and below the very top of it

    • flying Victorias

• Inside Sculpture

  • surrounded by it when under the Arch

• Top Panel Relief

  • crazy decoration

  • Coiffures

    • little rosettes/egg and darts

      • decorative and a way of breaking up the mundane

  • Titus on Eagle

    • Jupiter

    • symbolic of him being brought up to the heavens, being deified

Identify and Analyze

Cancelleria relief of profectio of Domitian, Rome

The Flavian Period

69 CE - 96 CE

• Cancelleria Villa

• Ideal + Classical

• Adventus

  • Arriving

  • the emperor coming back from victory or touring

• Profectio

  • Leaving

  • Emperor leaving for war or to go tour

• Later both are standard representations of showing the emperor coming and going

• Later re-carved as Nerva

• Mythological Figures

  • Victoria

  • Mars

  • Minerva, his patron deity

  • Virtus, holding Domitian’s elbow while personifications of SPQR follow him

Identify and Analyze

Collocatio relief, Tomb of the Haterii, Rome

The Flavian Period

69 CE - 96 CE

• Private Relief Sculpture

  • continuity of Italic sculptural subjects and conventions

  • common wealthy did not equal those of emperor

    • don’t need to worry about political messages/gaining the favor of the people

• Italic Style

  • scales + different heights

• Collocatio

  • the lying in state of the deceased

    • subject in Greek, Lucanian, and Etruscan art

  • a wealth family would have it take place in the atrium of the family home

Identify and Analyze

Plan of the Palace of Domitian, Palatine Hill, Rome

The Flavian Period

69 CE - 96 CE

• New Palace on Palatine Hill

  • taking over from Nero, leftover land from destruction of Domus Aurea

  • taking over of original house of Augustus

  • largest and best preserved palace

• Baths, temples, stadiums

  • personal box for emperor off of his bedroom to watch events in stadium

• Architects playing around with concrete

• covers all earlier palaces of Tiberius, Caligula, and Nero

Identify and Analyze

Garden with central fountain, Palace of Domitian, Palatine Hill, Rome

The Flavian Period

69 CE - 96 CE

• Peristyle

  • columns all around

• Water fixtures

  • in middle

  • meant to be both entertaining while also having a cooling aspect

• Modern though of Concrete

  • cheap alternative to other things

  • yet here you have it all throughout an Emperor’s palace

    • marble would break/crack easily

    • concrete outlasts many other things

• Concrete

  • solved problem of how to light the rooms without daylight

Identify and Analyze

Fountain adjacent to the dining room, Palace of Domitian, Palatine Hill, Rome

The Flavian Period

69 CE - 96 CE

• many water features

  • acts as a coolant in humidty/heat of Mediterranean climate

• Emperors trying to offer all the comforts needed

• known that architects would build windows with lots of wind behind and waterfalls in front to bring in a cooling spray

• Hypocaust System

  • Roman

  • for when winter came

  • common in Roman baths

  • Warm Room

    • warm yourself up

    • stays warm through the bleed off of the hot room

    • built directly beside hot room

  • Hot Room

    • sweat off

    • floor supported by piers with a cavity below

    • slaves would keep fires beneath flooring

    • heat rises to heat the pools

    • heat also rises through channel pipes built into the walls of the hot room to heat those/the air too

  • Cold Room

    • Cool down