Etruscans and Romans Module 6 done

Bucchero pottery serves as a key source of information about the Etruscan civilization.
It was used by elites during banquets.
Bucchero demonstrates elite consumption tendencies among the Etruscans.
Elite displays at banquets reinforced social rank.
These displays allowed elites to advertise their achievements and family status.

The production of bucchero is divided into three artistic phases based on the quality and thickness of the fabric:

Thin-walled bucchero (bucchero sottile):
- Produced from approximately 675 to 626 BCE.
Transitional bucchero:
- Produced from approximately 625 to 575 BCE.
Heavy bucchero (bucchero pesante):
- Produced from approximately 575 to the beginning of the fifth century BCE.

The earliest bucchero was discovered in tombs at Caere, northwest of Rome.
It features extremely thin-walled construction and sharp features that mimic metallic prototypes.
Early decoration includes geometric incisions with chevrons and other linear motifs.
Roller stamp methods eventually replaced incision techniques.

Terracotta trefoil oinochoe (jug):
- Dates to approximately 625-600 BCE.
- An example of bucchero sottile with a height of 11 3/16 inches.
- Its shape and decoration are derived from Greek, especially Corinthian, prototypes.
Terracotta kantharos (drinking cup):
- Dates to approximately 650-600 BCE.
- An example of bucchero sottile, 12 inches high without handles and 10 1/4 inches in diameter.
- Features tall, flaring handles with struts and notched decoration, indicating metallic influence.
- Impressed fan-like designs are typical of this period.
Terracotta vase in the shape of a cockerel:
- Dates to approximately 650-600 BCE.
- Bucchero, 4 1/16 inches high.
- Features an incised abecedarium (Etruscan alphabet) around its belly.
- Combines practicality, possibly used as an inkwell, with artistic expression.
- Demonstrates Etruscan potters' penchant for incision and plastic modeling.

The statue of Aule Metele, also known as the Arringatore, is an Etruscan masterwork created as Etruscan culture was declining.
It portrays a magistrate commanding respect while performing his duties as an orator.

The statue carries an Etruscan inscription on the lower hem of the short toga:
- "auleśi meteliś ve[lus] vesial clenśi/cen flereś tece sanśl tenine / tu eineś xisvlics"
- Interpreted as: "To (or from) Auli Meteli, the son of Vel and Vesi, Tenine (?) set up this statue as a votive offering to Sans, by deliberation of the people"
The statue wears the short toga exigua and senatorial boots, indicating Roman influence.
His haircut aligns with those of Roman aristocrats.
The face may show verism, a characteristic of Roman elites during the late Republic.
The bronze work is consistent with Etruscan craftsmanship.

The statue reflects the changing socio-political landscape of the Italian peninsula during the latter first millennium BCE.
Rome's expansion led to the absorption of neighboring cultures, including the Etruscans.
Etruscan autonomy diminished as they adopted Roman culture, politics, and language.
The statue represents a blend of Etruscan and Roman traits, symbolizing the socio-cultural changes in the Roman Mediterranean.

Etruscan tombs were initially decorated, reflecting a positive view of the afterlife.
Increased warfare led to changes in tomb decoration.

Rome's success involved expanding territories while allowing conquered people to maintain their traditions and religions, as long as they followed Roman rules and laws.
Rome serves as a model of multicultural synthesis, drawing inspiration from neighboring cultures and influencing others.

The Roman pantheon was adapted from Greek models, with familiar names like Venus (Aphrodite), Jupiter (Zeus), Mercury, Saturn, and Neptune (Poseidon).
Roman temple architecture borrowed from Greek and Etruscan styles, including columns supporting a deep porch or portico.
The Romans adopted the Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian orders from the Greeks.
Romans emulated and improved upon Greek architecture, art, and culture instead of simply copying.
Romans focused on designing interior space and shaping architecture for human occupation.

Names of months are derived from the Romans.
Heads of rulers are depicted on coins.
Systems of government, such as the Republic and Senate, are still used.
The Romans built a vast network of paved highways.
They developed urban sanitation systems, plumbing, aqueducts, and the hypocaust (interior heating system).
The Romans advanced engineering and architecture through the use of concrete.

Concrete is a mixture of lime mortar, sand, small pebbles, and water that can be poured into molds and dried to function like stone.
The Romans revolutionized architecture with the arch, which allowed for greater height and larger spaces compared to post-and-lintel construction.
An arch is composed of wedge-shaped stones called voussoirs, with the keystone at the top holding everything in place.
Arches placed side by side form an arcade.

William Kentridge's 2016 mural, "Triumphs and Laments," stretches along 500 yards of the Tiber River in Rome.
The mural uses imagery from Rome's history to celebrate the city's complex history, including its origin myth, the rise and fall of the Roman Empire, and political figures.

The mural includes figures from ancient Roman art, such as the Winged Victory from the Column of Trajan and an equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius.
It also references the Arch of Septimius Severus, the Column of Marcus Aurelius, the Ludovisi Battle Sarcophagus, and the Arch of Titus (81 CE).
The She-Wolf, modeled after a bronze sculpture in the Capitoline Museum, alludes to Rome's origin myth.
Recurring references to immigration, refugees, fascism, and colonialism critique Italy's politics.

Kentridge used a "reverse graffiti" technique, power washing stencils to remove grime in negative spaces.
The resulting "paint" is naturally-occurring moss and human-generated pollution, symbolizing centuries of human presence.

The mural presents fragments of Rome's history in random order, mirroring the experience of moving through the city.
It serves as a metaphor for Rome's layered history.

Damnatio memoriae was a Roman practice of condemning the memory of a person deemed a tyrant or enemy of the state.
Images of condemned figures would be destroyed, and their names erased from inscriptions.