Roman Art: Romulus to Constantine

by Ramage, Nancy H.; Ramage, Andrew

• ISBN13: 9780131504875
• ISBN10: 0131504878
• Edition: 4th
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2005-01-01
• Publisher: Pearson College Div

Summary

Fully revised and further enlarged, with more color illustrations and fresh topics, this is the fourth edition of an absorbing introduction to the painting, sculpture, architecture, and decorative arts of the Roman world. Clear and comprehensive, it covers the 1,300 years from the Etruscan forerunners of the Romans to the introduction of Christianity under the Emperor Constantine the Great. The new edition introduces such subjects as rescue excavations, art for private patrons, and erotic art. New features include a timeline of the major periods, events, and artworks; more family trees of the imperial dynasties; and a table of Roman gods and goddesses and their Greek equivalents. The text now includes more on daily life, mosaics, and building techniques, and discusses the art of each political period, while also looking at history, myth, literature, and social customs. The clearly written text, incorporating the most up-to-date scholarship, is complemented by numerous new color photographs as well as maps, plans, and diagrams, an expanded glossary and bibliography, and lists of ancient authors and Roman emperors.

Author Biography

Andrew Ramage is Professor of the History of Art and Archaeology at Cornell University.

Table of Contents

Preface	7	(2)
Introduction	9	(1)
The Land	9	(2)
Chronology	11	(2)
The Political Framework	13	(2)
The Republic	13	(1)
The Empire	13	(2)
Art in the Service of the State	15	(3)
Fascism and Propaganda	16	(2)
The Romans' Acquisition of Art Objects	18	(1)
Art for Private Patrons	18	(3)
Archaeological Ethics	21	(3)
Restoration and Forgery	21	(1)
The History of Collecting	22	(1)
Rescue Excavations	22	(2)
Illegal Excavation and Export of Antiquities	24	(1)
Rome and Greek Art	24	(5)
Three Periods of Greek Art	24	(1)
Winckelmann and 18th-century Restorations	25	(2)
Interconnections	27	(2)
The Etruscan Forerunners 1000--200 BC	29	(32)
The Etruscans: the Villanovan Phase	29	(2)
The Etruscans: the Historical Phase	31	(2)
Architecture	33	(5)
Tombs	33	(3)
Temples	36	(1)
Domestic Buildings	37	(1)
Sculpture	38	(11)
Temple Terracottas	39	(1)
Animal Sculpture	40	(3)
Funerary Sculpture	43	(2)
Statuary	45	(1)
Portraits	46	(3)
Painting	49	(6)
Bronze Articles	55	(2)
Rome, the Etruscans, and Latium	57	(1)
Stories of Early Rome	57	(2)
Overview	59	(2)
The Roman Republic 509--27 BC	61	(40)
Architecture	61	(7)
Villas and Houses	61	(2)
Sanctuaries	63	(3)
Temples	66	(2)
Waterworks	68	(1)
The Cloaca Maxima	68	(1)
Town Planning	68	(5)
The ``Servian'' Wall	68	(1)
The Roman Forum	69	(2)
The Castrum	71	(2)
Sculpture	73	(9)
Sarcophagi	73	(1)
Historical Relief Sculpture	74	(3)
Portraiture	77	(5)
Wall Paintings	82	(14)
An Early Tomb	82	(1)
House Walls	83	(1)
Four Pompeian Styles	83	(13)
Mosaics	96	(3)
Overview	99	(2)
Augustus and the Imperial Idea 27 BC--AD 14	101	(32)
Architecture	101	(10)
The Forum and Mausoleum of Augustus	102	(3)
A Round Bath Building	105	(1)
A Temple in Gaul	106	(1)
Theaters	106	(2)
The Arch	108	(1)
Monuments Along a Renovated Roadway	109	(1)
A City in Spain	110	(1)
Sculpture	111	(16)
Portraits	111	(5)
Reliefs	116	(11)
Wall Paintings	127	(4)
Stucco	131	(1)
Overview	131	(2)
The Julio-Claudians AD 14--68	133	(24)
The Gemma Augustea	133	(1)
Imperial Patronage in the Provinces	134	(2)
Imperial Architecture and Sculpture	136	(4)
Another Version of the Blinding of Polyphemus	139	(1)
Portraits	140	(4)
The Other Julio-Claudians	140	(2)
Ordinary Citizens	142	(2)
Sculpture	144	(2)
Piety	144	(1)
The Imperial Hero	145	(1)
Public Works	146	(4)
Aqueducts	146	(4)
Architecture	150	(5)
The Underground Basilica	150	(1)
Nero's Golden House	150	(5)
Overview	155	(2)
The Flavians: Savior to Despot AD 69-98	157	(36)
Vespasian	157	(1)
Imperial Architecture	158	(9)
The Colosseum	158	(5)
The Stadium of Domitian	163	(1)
The Arch of Titus	164	(2)
The Flavian Palace	166	(1)
Sculpture	167	(8)
Imperial Reliefs	167	(2)
Private Reliefs	169	(2)
Portraits	171	(4)
Pompeii and Herculaneum	175	(16)
The City of Pompeii	179	(2)
Paintings in the Fourth Pompeian Style	181	(10)
Art for the Middle Classes	191	(1)
Overview	191	(2)
Trajan, Optimus Princeps AD 98--117	193	(20)
The Baths of Trajan	194	(1)
The Forum and Markets of Trajan	195	(3)
The Column of Trajan	198	(6)
Other Trajanic Sculptural Relief	204	(2)
The Arch of Trajan at Benevento	206	(2)
The Provinces	208	(3)
A Great Bridge	208	(1)
Timgad	208	(3)
Overview	211	(2)
Hadrian and the Classical Revival AD 117--138	213	(28)
Architecture	215	(16)
Hadrian's Villa	215	(4)
The Pantheon	219	(4)
Other Hadrianic Buildings	223	(8)
Portraits	231	(2)
Reliefs	233	(2)
Sarcophagi	235	(4)
Sarcophagi from Rome and Athens	235	(4)
Asiatic Sarcophagi	239	(1)
Overview	239	(2)
The Antonines AD 138--193	241	(28)
The Antonine Family	241	(1)
The Reign of Antoninus Pius	242	(4)
Portraits	242	(1)
Architecture	243	(1)
Reliefs	244	(2)
The Reign of Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus	246	(21)
Portraits	246	(6)
The Base of the Column of Antoninus Pius	252	(2)
Panels from a Triumphal Arch	254	(1)
The Column of Marcus Aurelius	254	(5)
Sarcophagi	259	(8)
The Reign of Commodus	267	(1)
Overview	267	(2)
The Severans AD 193--235	269	(26)
The Reign of Septimius Severus	269	(19)
Portraits	270	(3)
Triumphal Arches	273	(6)
Architecture in Distant Lands	279	(9)
The Reign of Caracalla	288	(5)
Public Baths	290	(2)
Sarcophagi	292	(1)
Overview	293	(2)
The Soldier Emperors AD 235-284	295	(14)
Coins	296	(1)
Portraits	296	(7)
Maximinus Thrax	296	(1)
Balbinus	297	(1)
Philip the Arab	298	(1)
Trebonianus Gallus	298	(2)
A Female Portrait	300	(1)
Gallienus	300	(1)
Aurelian	301	(2)
The Aurelian Wall	303	(1)
Sarcophagi	303	(2)
A Domestic Quarter and its Paintings	305	(2)
Overview	307	(2)
The Tetrarchs AD 284--312	309	(16)
The Establishment of the Tetrarchy	309	(1)
Architecture in Spalato	310	(3)
Architecture in Rome	313	(2)
Architecture in Northern Greece	315	(3)
Mosaics	318	(2)
Portraiture	320	(3)
Decennalia Relief	323	(1)
Overview	323	(2)
Constantine and the Aftermath AD 307--337	325	(23)
Late Antique Art	325	(1)
Imperial Monuments	326	(6)
The Arch of Constantine	326	(5)
The Base of the Obelisk of Theodosius	331	(1)
Portraits	332	(3)
Architecture	335	(5)
Sarcophagi	340	(3)
Luxury Arts	343	(4)
Conclusion	347	(1)
Timeline	348	(2)
Roman Emperors	350	(1)
Ancient Authors	350	(1)
Roman Gods and Goddesses and their Greek Equivalents	351	(1)
Glossary	351	(5)
Select Bibliography	356	(4)
Illustration Credits	360	(2)
Index	362

Excerpts

This book grows from three roots: first and foremost, our teaching, which time and again has proven to be a rich field for learning, and for thinking of ways to explain a problem in as straightforward a manner as possible; secondly, our first-hand experience working at Roman sites, primarily in England, Italy, and Turkey; and thirdly, the frequent discussions we hold about Roman affairs--at the bottom of a trench, or over the dinner table. Nancy Ramage's participation long ago in the work of the British School at Rome enabled her to live, so to speak, with the art and the ruins; and our joint work at Sardis, Turkey, has given us the opportunity to participate in an on-going excavation, and to see the results of a group effort unfold over many years. The book is intended for students and readers who are launching into the study of Roman art perhaps for the first time. We assume intelligent readers, but we have tried to explain what may not be obvious in terms of background, be it linguistic, historical, or religious. With a view to showing something of the long study of Roman monuments, we have chosen some of the illustrations from older photographs, engravings, and paintings, which sometimes seem to capture the spirit better than modern ones. The architectural remains have been cited and illustrated as their importance requires, but we have tried to illustrate sculpture or painting from collections in the United States, Britain, and Canada, where possible, so that North American and British students will have a better chance of looking at some of the originals. It has given us great pleasure to know that not only English-speaking students and members of the public are learning from our book, but also those who are French, German, Dutch, or Greek, now that the book has been translated into those languages, perhaps with more to come. We are immensely gratified and humbled by this development. Of the many scholars who taught us about Roman art, we would especially like to share our warm appreciation here for the inspiration of several mentors who are no longer living: Doris Taylor Bishop, George M.A. Hanfmann, A.H. McDonald, and John B. Ward-Perkins. It has been a great pleasure to prepare the fourth edition, attempting always to keep the text and pictures up to standard. It has given us the opportunity to update the scholarship based on new studies, and to incorporate new material to enhance the coverage of this book. For instance, we have expanded the discussion of different marbles thanks to Amanda Claridge's expertise shared in her book,Rome: An Oxford Archaeological Guide.For help in the revising of this edition, we would first like to thank the following for their assistance and ideas: Barbara Barletta, Elizabeth Bartman, Bettina Bergmann, Beth Cohen, Caroline Downing, Robin Hicks, Nathaniel Infante, Diana Kleiner, Peter Kuniholm, Richard Mason, Mette Moltesen, Jenifer Neils, David Parrish, Lynn Roller and Wendy Watson. We are also grateful to Heather Farley, a student who won an Emerson Collaborative Grant from Ithaca College to work with Nancy Ramage on Roman art. And we enthusiastically thank the following friends and colleagues for their many insightful suggestions for this edition: Nancy T de Grummond, Carol Mattusch, Mary Sturgeon, and Susan Woodford. We also thank our students at Ithaca College, Cornell University, and the State University of New York at Potsdam for their many probing questions, thoughtful comments, and lively discussions through many courses taught over the years. After all, we wrote this book for them--and for students in a much wider circle--in the first place. For their excellent support and high professionalism in the preparation of the fourth edition, we are grateful to editorial and administrative colleagues at Laurence King Publishing in London, specifically Elisabeth Ingles, Lee Ripley Greenfield, Kara Hattersley-Smith, and Rich