Ancient Greek and Roman Art and Architecture
Greek Architecture
The city lacked a regular basis until the sixth century BC. Hippodamus of Miletus established a regular plan called the Hippodamian plan. The most important buildings are the temples and theaters.
The Greek Temple
In this area, temples were high and fortified. The plan was rectangular and had three parts: pronaos, opisthodomos, and naos (or cella). Greek temples tended to be small because the cult was not performed inside (the sacrifice, which was the main rite, was performed outside the temple by the altar). Temples were built following the orders, that is, a certain combination of load-bearing and sustained elements.
Orders
- Doric
- Ionic
- Corinthian
Greek Sculpture
Sculpture appears mainly in the temples, decorating the spandrels of the pediments and metopes of the frieze.
Stages
Archaic Stage (8th – 6th Centuries BC)
It represents the human body following the rules of frontality and stiffness. The most representative are the kouroi (nude young men) and korai (dressed girls), both with an archaic smile.
Classical Stage (5th – 4th Centuries BC)
Fifth-century sculpture evolved toward greater naturalism and idealization. Sculptors include:
- Myron (the Discobolus)
- Phidias (decorated the Parthenon and made the sculpture of Athena)
- Polyclitus (the Doryphoros)
In the 4th Century BC, sculptors like Praxiteles created delicate and sensual works. The body has an S-shaped curve, representing the goddesses nude. Lysippus lengthens the proportions of the figures and introduces dynamism and movement.
Hellenistic Stage
Sculpture incorporates anecdotal sentiment and introduces group compositions, such as complex and dynamic works like the Victory of Samothrace.
Roman Art
It has influences from Egyptian, Mesopotamian, and Greek arts, but adds its practicality and technological advancements. It extends geographically with the Roman Empire, from the British Isles to the eastern border of Asia Minor and from the Rhine and Danube rivers to the north of Africa.
Urbanism, Engineering, and Architecture
The extension of the empire led to the creation of new cities and communication, supply, and infrastructure needs, boosting engineering.
Roman Art
Cities could be developed from earlier settlements, camps, or colonies, often for veterans. The design was geometric and divided into four parts by a longitudinal axis (decumanus) and a transverse axis (cardo). At their intersection was the forum, or main square. The walled enclosure had gates at the ends of the main tracks.
Cities had the following structures: paving, sewage systems, and roads. In the forum stood the basilica, which served as a court, stock exchange, or meeting place, and had commemorative monuments, such as columns, statues, and triumphal arches.
The Temple
The temple was built following the classical orders, but there are two differences from the Greek: it was built on a podium, and the columns often adorned the wall. The Roman temple was heavier than the Greek temples. There were also circular temples, like the Pantheon of Agrippa, which is covered with a magnificent dome.
Other Buildings
The theater has the same structure as the Greek: the cavea and the orchestra. It is no longer the place of representation; the stage was closed and built in full, not always taking advantage of the hillside.
The amphitheater was a double theater; its shape is elliptical, and the arena was used for gladiatorial spectacles, wild beast fights, and naval battles.
The baths (public baths) were the center of social life for the Romans. They had spaces for bathing (caldarium for hot water, tepidarium for warm water, and frigidarium for cold water) and were supplemented by libraries and game rooms.
The Roman house (domus), the family house, is arranged around an open patio or atrium with a pond in the center, surrounded by rooms.
The circus, for horse racing, had an elliptical shape and a central spina or low wall.
Roman Sculpture
It has influences from other cultures but has original aspects in two genres:
- Portrait (performing works of great realism)
- Relief (which is narrative and describes major events, especially military ones)
Painting
Roman painting is of great aesthetic quality, and the color is naturalistic and vivid.
Mosaic
Mosaic serves as pavement for public places and houses of the wealthy. Its themes are hunting, mythological scenes, and still lifes.
Ceramics
Less refined than Greek ceramics, Romans, however, excelled in goldwork.