Roman Art, Literature, and Architecture

Key Terms

(Pages 143 – 146)

Roman Literature

Important People

Catullus- the “best lyric poet” Rome produced. He adapted and refined the Greek forms of poetry to express his emotions. He wrote a variety of poems on political figures, social customs, the use of language, the death of his brother, and the travails of love. He was obsessed with Clodia, and therefore wrote poems dedicated to her. He wrote how he loved her and how he hated her. He was known for how he expressed his intense feelings in such simple words.

Cicero- Cicero was the man who perfected oratory. He was the greatest exemplar of the Roman Republic and was the best prose writer during that period. Cicero believed that an orator was a statesman, a man who achieved his highest goal by being active in society.

Virgil- Virgil was the most prominent poet of the Augustan age. His best piece was The Aeneid, an epic poem clearly made to rival Homer’s work.

Horace- Horace was a Roman poet. He said, “Captive Greece took captive her rude conqueror.” This means the Greeks captivated the Roman’s minds with their culture. The Greeks influenced the Roman culture. His concern was to point out to his contemporaries the “follies and vices of his age.”

Ovid- Ovid was a Roman poet. Ovid wrote a series of playful love poems called the Amores. The Art of Love was his other work. His work was a handbook on the seduction of women.

Livy- Livy was a historian. His most famous piece was the History of Rome. It covered the founding of the city to 9 B.C. Livy thought of history in terms of moral lessons. He thought that the human character determined history. His problem was that he did not criticize his sources.

Seneca- He was very strongly attached to the philosophy of Stoicism. He expressed the basic tenets of Stoicism as living according to nature, accepting events dispassionately as part of a divine plan, and a universal love for all humanity. His letters show humanity, benevolence, and fortitude, but his emotions are often damaged by an attempt to be clever with words.

Tacitus- Tacitus was claimed to be the greatest historian of the silver age. His main works include the Annals and Histories, which was about the historical account of Roman history during the reign of Tiberius to the assassination of Domitian. Tacitus believed that history had a moral purpose. He did not agree with the way that emperors abused their power. His work Germania is about the early Germans.

Important Works

The Aeneid- The Aeneid is a poem written by Virgil. This is an epic poem about Aeneas, a hero of Troy, who survives the destruction of Troy and eventually settles in Latium. This is where there is a connection between Rome and Troy. This connection is where Rome’s civilization is intertwined which Greek history. Aeneas is the ideal Roman- his virtues are duty, piety, and faithfulness. Virgil’s purpose was to show that Aeneas had fulfilled his mission to establish Romans in Italy.

Satires- Satires was a medley of poems on many subjects. Horace is an observer of human weaknesses. He directed his attacks against movements such as sexual immortality, greed, and job dissatisfaction.

Ages of Literary Accomplishments

The Augustan Age- This age was the high point of Latin literature. This period was called the golden age of literature.

Silver Age- This age also has good literary efforts but did not have as high a standard as those of the golden age.

Types of Literature

Oratory- Oratory was the ability to persuade people in a public debate. Oratory aided the development of Roman prose.

Art

Statues- Statues were placed in public buildings as well as in private homes.

Portrait sculptures- The statues were characterized by an intense realism that had many details.

Wall paintings and frescoes- These paintings were usually found in houses of the rich. They usually showed landscapes, portraits, and scenes from mythological stories.

Architecture

Curvilinear Forms- the Romans used these forms in many of their architecture: the arch, vault, and dome.

The Combination of Concrete and Curvilinear Forms- By combining concrete and curvilinear forms, the Romans was able to construct massive buildings such as public baths and amphitheaters. These large buildings enabled by Roman engineering skills. These skills were used especially in the construction of roads, aqueducts and bridges.

Amphitheaters- The use of amphitheaters was for shows. For example, the Colosseum in Rome was used for gladiatorial shows and the Circus Maximus was used for footraces as well as chariot races.

Public Baths- These baths played an important role in the role of urban life. The baths were especially noisy during the near end of the afternoon where Romans stopped after work to use the baths before dinner. These baths were elaborately decorated with marble and constructed with high ceilings. There were three types of baths in the baths. The first bath contained very hot water, the next contained cooler water, and the last bath contained very cold water. The Romans believed that going through the bats in this order was better for the skin.

Van Pham

Period 3

December 31, 2004