Monuments of Ancient Rome
Ara Pacis
The Ara Pacis (Altar of Peace) was built on the Champ de Mars between 13 and 9 BC. It is a sacrificial altar dedicated to the Goddess of Peace. Rebuilt in the twentieth century, it commemorates the victories of Emperor Augustus in Hispania and Gaul, which mark the beginning of the Pax Romana, a period of peace as never before known in the city.
The Ara Pacis is composed of a fence that encloses the true and proper altar. The altar is built of marble from Carrara. The wall measures 11×10 and encloses the monument. Inside is the altar for sacrifices. Interiors show reliefs and friezes of garlands and bucranea (skulls of oxen decorated with garlands) on the lower back vertical boards.
Foreign
- On the base, there is a frieze with acanthus scrolls.
- The sides of the rectangle show the procession of sacrifice to the goddess of Peace.
- In the south, the priests, pontifex, flamines, and augurs, including Augustus himself, followed by the relatives of the emperor. On the north side, more familiar and public officials, judges, and senators.
Four Allegories
In the eastern and western walls, flanking the doors and staircase, are four allegories, allusions to the origin of Rome and the imperial lineage. The best-preserved reliefs show on Earth, two children, the swan and the air = water = sea monster, and Aeneas sacrificing to their household gods, with two young men dressed anachronistically. The other two represented the goddess Roma and the twins with the wolf.
The Ara Pacis reliefs combine the best tradition of Hellenistic sculpture and realism and sobriety characteristic of Roman portraits. Many of the characters involved in the procession are easily identified, such as Agrippa (left image) or the daughter of Lucio Domitio Ahenobarbus and Antonia Maior Domitia.
The Parthenon influenced national policy. High reliefs are combined with low and medium, creating great depth.
Colosseum
Also known as “Flavio Amphitheater,” the Colosseum is a building in ancient Rome. It was the place where fierce struggles between men against beasts and fighting of gladiators took place. Some could even host performances of naval battles (naumachias). This building is an example of such constructions, but this would be done before building the units placed under the sand, made under Emperor Domitian.
It was built by the Flavian dynasty, during the reign of Emperor Vespasian, over 70 years. It was inaugurated by his son Titus in 80 AD. Its capacity was fifty thousand spectators, and it was built in the center of the city, which is highlighted, as normally this type of building used to stand outside.
Its architect is unknown, a common occurrence in Roman art, since works are known not by their author but by the emperor in power, who seek to glorify buildings, as a perfect example of courtly art. The building materials were varied, as is characteristic of Roman architecture, using concrete, brick, stone, tuff, etc. The plant is elliptical, the result of combining two semicircles (hence the name: amphitheater, as in Rome, the theater was circular).
Inside there are two parts. The first consists of sand, or pitch, a sort of wooden platform covered with sand, under which stood a network of underground constructions: a cage for wild animals, a stay for the gladiators, forklifts to move them up, etc. The second part is the Cavea, the place reserved for the spectators, i.e., a grandstand building with multiple floors interconnected by corridors covered by barrel vaults and edges. It is entered from the aisles to the steps through open apertures in them, called “vomitoria” to facilitate the transit and traffic of the large number of spectators entering the building. The grandstand was hierarchical, reserving the space near the arena to the emperor and his entourage, and then as they stood and the view was worse, going down the social status of the attendees. Technically, the Colosseum was a huge advance and constructive effort, not only for the half-domes, but because they were built with wooden sticks, on which cement mortar was directly poured.
Outside, the facade is divided into four floors, and each appears as a series of galleries of arches and half-detached in the spaces between. It uses a different order in each of the floors: Tuscan (Roman variety of Greek Doric column is that it starts from a basis and the trunk is smooth), Ionic, Corinthian, and composite (Roman invention consisting of a mixture of Ionic and Corinthian). This overlap of orders was common in Roman art and will be one of the greatest contributions to Western art architecture, enshrined since the Renaissance. In the arcades of the second and third floors are placed statues. The construction was completed with a series of masts which were used to install awnings to provide shade for spectators.
Arch of Titus
ARCH OF TITUS: It’s a civil Roman architectural memorial, conducted by the Flavian dynasty in the first century, particularly in the year 81 AD. It belongs, therefore, to the classic imperial style. No one knows the author since, in Roman architecture, the name of the patron or client remains, since the artist does not enjoy any social consideration.
Since ancient times, the Romans erected monuments for educational purposes and immortality (perhaps the oldest preserved Etruscan traditions). These monuments served to commemorate the exploits of its most distinguished citizens. These monuments, which are probably remnants of the gateways into the Etruscan cities, were at first built of wood, and past the memorial, were cleared and guarded. Later, they became stone and marble, to preserve the immortality of the hero who was dedicated. At present, more than one hundred triumphal arches are preserved, commemorative items being better reflect the sense that the Roman gave to architecture as testimony to the greatness of the power, i.e., a so eminently courtly art. The constructive scheme of the arc of triumph not only serves as a memorial but is used as a constructive framework for a multitude of buildings, as evidenced by its use in the front of the Colosseum, for example. Through the Renaissance, it is enshrined as a fundamental part of architectural facades.
This arch is located above the Via Sacra, opposite the Colosseum, entering the forum. This is a simple arc of a single opening, rectangular, although the sides are not very uneven. The combination arch-lintel is achieved by spandrels, which are at a lower level, recessed relative to the rest of the building. It stands on a high podium, which sit on each side two columns of the composite order in which paths are placed small rectangular niches. In the attic above captures the general dedication to Titus.
This arch was built in the reign of Emperor Vespasian, to commemorate the victory of his son Titus, of the Jews in 70 AD, culminating with the capture of Jerusalem and the destruction of their temple. Therefore, the interior and exterior scenes from this fact. In the reliefs of the frieze and spandrels shows the preparation of the campaign. The vaulted interior gives us the glory of victory. On one side, the triumphal procession of Roman legions carrying the spoils of the Temple of Solomon, as the seven-branched candelabrum or the table of sacrifice. Also represents the shield and the name of the legion winner. On the opposite side, you see the general Titus in his chariot, accompanied by his generals, preceded by two figures, who wears a helmet and is in charge seems to be the personification of Rome, and the other (now decapitated) naked genius could represent the Senate or the Roman people.
The varying depth of these reliefs, creating contrasts of light and shadow, the polychrome he had in his time, the golden chariot and armor, gave him great depth. The illusion of space is achieved, not only on the basis of geometric perspective (as in the Ara Pacis of Augustus), but by a sort of sfumato characteristic, which is achieved by combining sculpture in the round in the first term, with drawn simply background level, which together creates a sense of the atmosphere.
Augustus of Prima Porta
AUGUSTUS OF PRIMA PORTA:
Technical:
- Augustus of Prima Porta.
- Author unknown.
- Work of about 19 BC, but the copy dated 14 AD.
- Work belonging to the Roman era art High Roman Empire (Julio-Claudian dynasty).
- Currently, this work is in the Vatican Museums.
Analysis of the Work:
This work of the round made of marble is a copy made after the death of Augustus in an original portrait in bronze. This copy was found in the Prima Porta villa outside Rome, where he lived Livia, wife of the emperor.
Comment:
Appears represented Length Augusto, dressed in a tunic over which is a shell and a muscular or cloak paludamentum around his hip and holding his left arm while lifting his right arm in position to rally the troops. With the left hand holding the cane consular. The Augustus of Prima Porta clearly draws on the Doryphoros Polykleitos as can be seen both in the proportions of the sculpture and the position adopted to support the weight on his right leg while bending and retracts the left (contrapposto).
Must see in this work a political purpose as we obeservar propaganda in the reliefs represented in the shell where, under the representation of the sky appears Tiberius, Livia’s son and stepson and successor of Augustus, to receive from the eagles and aprtos insignia taken from the Roman legions led by Crassus. Likewise, both sides are represented allegories of the two provinces recently built the Empire as were the hispania (left) and Gaul (right). At the bottom there is Mother Earth with Romulus and Remus and the Horn of Plenty, escorted by Apollo and Diana. Also under the feet of Augusto show a representation of Cupid riding on the back of the dolphin (allegory of Venus).
Whatever be the point of support for the sculpture must be seen again in this small group of sculptures as an intentional propaganda although the relief of the shell is shown as a peacemaker Augusto Empire with the group of Cupid and dolphin refers to the divine origins of the Julio-Claudian family akin to Venus through Aeneas. Also, the fact that Augustus appears barefoot, which in the original work in bronze is not happening on account informs us that Augustus as a god and receive reports on the date of the work after the death of Augustus as deified it was not until last muerte.Por say the work is profusely carved on its front while the back is finished just because the sculpture was made to place it against the wall.
Conclusion:
This work starts imperial portraits as part of the dissemination of the emperor’s image throughout the Empire as well as an element of propaganda and legitimation of imperial power.