Audience Hall of Constantius Chlorus (early 4th century CE)

Periods in Ancient ROME
The Republic (509 -27 BCE)
Early Empire (27 BCE - 96 CE)
High Imperial Art of Trajan and Hadrian (96 - 200 CE)
The Late Empire (200 - 300 CE)
The Romans: High Imperial Art of Trajan and Hadrian
- Prior to 96 CE the next emperor
was always a relative.
- Instead of using genetics to choose
the next emperor, Nerva (96 - 98 CE)
chose his next emperor based on
intelligence (political and military):
Nerva (96 - 98 CE)
Trajan (98 - 117 CE)
Hadrian (117 - 138 CE)
Antoninus Pius (138 - 161 CE)
Marcus Aurelius (161 - 180 CE)
- Under Trajan, Rome reached its
greatest territorial expanse.
Roman Empire under Trajan in 117 CE.
Pantheon
Column of Trajan
Basilica Ulpia
Trajan’s Market
Forum of Trajan
Arch of Titus
Statue of Nero
Colosseum
Circus Maximus
Aqueduct
The Romans: High Imperial Art of Trajan and Hadrian
- The Forum of Trajan was Rome’s largest market.
- Begun by Trajan in 110 CE and completed by Hadrian in
117 CE.
- A basilica is a large rectangular building with lots of open
space.
Basilica Ulpia, Column of Trajan, and the Forum of Trajan
(110 - 117 CE) Rome, Italy.
Basilica Ulpia (Completed 113 CE) Rome, Italy.
- The Basilica Ulpia is 385 ft. long and 182 ft. wide.
Column of Trajan
Trajan’s Market
Basilica Ulpia
Forum of Trajan
Basilica Ulpia, Column of Trajan, and the Forum of Trajan (110 - 117 CE) Rome, Italy.
- In order to build his Forum, Trajan had to destroy a commercial district.
- He made up for the loss by creating Trajan’s Market, comparable to a modern shopping mall.
The Romans: High Imperial Art of
Trajan and Hadrian
- Column dedicated to Trajan’s victory over the Dacians
(people now known as Romanians).
Dacia = modern day Romania
- Originally had a bronze statue of Trajan at the top, but
was replaced with the statue of Saint Peter in 1588 that
still stands today.
- Built by Hadrian to hold the urn containing Trajan’s
ashes.
Column of Trajan (113 - 117 CE) Marble. Height 125’. Rome, Italy.
The Romans: High Imperial Art of Trajan and Hadrian
- The relief sculptures show the Romans crossing the
Danube River, then constructing a fort as they conquer
the Dacians.
- Includes over 2,500 figures sculpted into the column.
The Romans: High Imperial Art of Trajan and Hadrian
- The Pantheon is a temple dedicated to the
Olympian gods.
Pantheon = “all the gods”
- Designed and built during the reign of Hadrian.
- Originally was built on a stylobate with stairs, but dirt
and the construction of streets have hidden the
platform and stairs.
- The building is an architectural feat considering the
use of a domed ceiling on top of a rotunda.
Pantheon (118 - 128 CE) Brick, concrete, marble. Height 143’.
Rome, Italy.
- The dome is 143’ in diameter and 143’
in height at its top.
- “Marcus Agrippa, son of Lucius, who
was consul three times.”
- Agrippa was the son-in-law (and
advisor) of Augustus.
- Agrippa built on this site in 25-27 BCE,
but it was destroyed by fire in 80 CE.
Pantheon (118 - 128 CE) Brick, concrete, marble. Height 143’. Rome, Italy.
- Rotunda = large circular room
- Light enters through a 29’ diameter
oculus
Oculus = round central opening
- The light shines through the oculus
rotating throughout the rotunda like a
sun.
Pantheon (118 - 128 CE) Brick, concrete,
marble. Height 143’. Rome, Italy.
exedrae
exedrae
exedrae
exedrae
Rotunda
exedrae
exedrae
exedrae
Portico
Entry Steps
The Romans: High Imperial Art
of Trajan and Hadrian
- Portraits of emperors also served as
political propaganda.
- Marcus Aurelius, like Hadrian and Titus,
was proud of his military work.
- This statue when it was discovered was
first thought to be Constantine, the first
Christian emperor.
- The raised leg of the horse had once
trampled a barbarian.
- He wears no armor or weapons...conquers
by divine will.
- Shows the orator pose.
Equestrian Statue of Marcus Aurelius (176 CE) Bronze.
Height 11’ 6”. Rome, Italy.
The Romans: High Imperial Art of
Trajan and Hadrian
- Marcus Aurelius chose his son, Commodus as the next
emperor.
- Commodus, unlike the prior emperors, had no political
skills and wasn’t extremely intelligent.
- He was only concerned with surrounding himself with
the luxuries of life.
- He claimed to be the incarnation (embodiment) of
Hercules and Jupiter.
Commodus as Hercules (191 - 192 CE)
Marble. Height 46 1/2”. Rome, Italy.
Commodus as Hercules (191 - 192 CE)
Marble. Height 46 1/2”. Rome, Italy.
The Romans: High Imperial Art of Trajan and Hadrian
- Architectural complex 20 miles
outside of Rome.
- Hadrian had his architects
reconstruct his favorite places in
the Roman Empire...Athenian
Agora, Athenian Grove of
Acadame, and buildings from
Alexandria, Egypt.
- Copies (and some originals) of
Greek statues surrounded the
Canal (large pool).
Hadrian’s Villa at Tivoli (125 - 135 Century CE) Tivoli, Italy.
Periods in Ancient ROME
The Republic (509 -27 BCE)
Early Empire (27 BCE - 96 CE)
High Imperial Art of Trajan and Hadrian (96 - 200 CE)
The Late Empire (200 - 300 CE)
The Romans: The Late
Empire, 3rd & 4th Centuries.
- After Commodus is murdered, Septimus Severus
became emperor.
- Caracalla was co-emperor (211-217 CE) with his
brother, Geta, after his father Septimus Severus
- He murdered his brother in 212 CE.
- He himself was murdered in 217 CE.
- Portrait shows him as a fierce and ruthless emperor.
Caracalla (3rd Century CE) Marble.
Height 14 1/2”. Rome, Italy.
Bartolomeo Cavaceppi. Bust of Caracalla (1750 - 1770 CE)
Marble. Getty Museum of Art, Los Angeles.
The Romans: The Late Empire, 3rd & 4th Centuries.
- Before becoming emperor
Caracalla’s father began a project
to construct public baths in Rome.
- Caracalla completed the baths
project in 216 - 217 CE.
- The building held exercise rooms,
shops, dressing rooms and pools.
- The building covered 5 acres.
Baths of Caracalla (211 - 217 Century CE) Rome, Italy.
After Caracalla is murdered...
Anarchy
Murder. Assassinations. Incompetent emperors who
were really just soldiers...
Anarchy
Then, fast forward 50 years.
- After 50 years of anarchy, Diocletian restored order
to Rome.
- Diocletian divided the Roman empire into 2 parts in
286 CE.
- Augustus Diocletian ruled the East
- Augustus Maximian ruled the West
- In 293 CE Diocletian created the “Tetrarchy.”
Tetrarchy = rule of four
- The Roman empire was now divided into 4 parts with
4 different rulers.
The Tetrarchs (c. 300 CE). Porphyry. Height 5’11”. Venice, Italy.
- Tetrarch portraiture is radically different than previous
Roman portraiture.
Porphyry = a hard purplish stone from Egypt that was
reserved for imperial use only.
The Tetrarchs (c. 300 CE). Porphyry. Height 5’11”. Venice, Italy.
The Romans: The Late Empire,
3rd & 4th Centuries.
- Constantine in 312 CE battled another Roman,
Maxentius for rule of the Western empire in the Battle
of the Milvian Bridge (entryway to Rome).
- “In this sign you shall conquer.”
- Army shields monogramed with XP
(Chi and Rho = Christos)
- Showed gratitude by declaring Christianity a legal
religion.
- He was still seen as a god by his people and was
still devoted to Mithras (god of light and truth) and Sol
Invictus (sun god).
Constantine the Great (325 - 326 CE)
Marble. Height of head 8’ 6”. Rome, Italy.
- Edict of Milan (313 CE) with Licinius = religious
tolerance for all.
- Became the sole ruler of Roman empire and moved
the capital to Byzantium in 330 CE...which he named
“Nova Roma.”
- The residents instead called the capital
“Constantinople” (now is Istanbul, Turkey).
- He commissioned a 30 ft. statue of himself to act as
a “stand in” for when he could not be in a meeting.
Constantine the Great (325 - 326 CE) Marble. Height of head
8’ 6”. Rome, Italy.
The Romans: The Late Empire,
3rd & 4th Centuries.
- Built next to the Flavian Amphitheater to
commemorate Constantine’s defeat of Maxentius.
- Arch of Constantine uses recycled relief
sculptures from monuments for Hadrian, Trajan
and Marcus Aurelius.
- Connects Constantine to the famous emperors
of the past.
Arch of Constantine (312 - 315 CE) Rome, Italy. (Dedicated on July 25, 315)
Audience Hall of Constantius Chlorus (early 4th century CE) Trier, Germany.
Audience Hall of Constantius Chlorus (early 4th century CE) Trier, Germany.
Audience Hall of Constantius Chlorus (early 4th century CE) Trier,
Germany. (View of the Nave, 100 ft. in height)