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The Roman Republic lasted from 509 BCE – 27 BCE. The Romans pioneered aqueducts, concrete, paved roads, republics, calendars, and other aspects of human culture still found today. The Romans wanted their original city to be an asylum for prisoners, outsiders, and convicts to increase citizenship.
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Depiction of the original Roman lords Romulus and Remus suckling on the teat of a wolf. In Roman myth, Romulus and Remus were exiled in attempted murder to protect their home kingdom and are then raised by a she-wolf. In adulthood, Romulus assassinates Remus, therefore founding Rome. The figures of Romulus and Remus were only added during the 13th-to-15th century. -
Urban Roman houses (Domus) were more conventional homes, though their fronts had stores leading to sequences of courtyards and soup kitchens (thermopoliums). Impluviums were rooms with sunroofs and pools for collecting rainwater, cubiculums were bedrooms, and tricliniums were kitchens. Early Roman house paintings were blocks of color, and over time morphed into decorative outdoor scenes into depictions of merry people on friezes. -
Statue of a figure in Adlocutio pose with signature Roman characteristics, such as his hair and boots. He wears a toga, a symbol of political leadership, and has natural facial wrinkles. The Romans believed in the guidance of their elders above all else, meaning their leaders were often older men. Eloquence and persuasion were highly valued, making politics a measure of wisdom as well as charisma. -
Massive concrete-and-brick amphitheater made for gladiatorial combat and other blood sports. Able to hold 7,000 visitors through hierarchical seating. The poorer a person was, the higher and farther away from the arena their seats were. -
Arch erected in honor of the emperor Titus, known for leading the Siege of Jerusalem (70 CE), resulting in the destruction of the Second Temple. . The interior contains a relief sculpture depicting war, where Titus rides a chariot of multiple horses along with soldiers and Nike. On the opposite side, slaves march back into Rome holding loot from a presumed Jewish population. -
Concrete complex of bath houses, a gymnasium, lecture halls, and other social and cultural facilities. This building reflects Rome’s efficiency and prosperity at the time under the rule of Trajan. The first emperor born outside of Italy, Trajan was a former army commander and governor of Upper Germany. He commissioned many public works, such as roads, baths, bridges, aqueducts, harbors, and buildings. -
Market complex of five levels and barrel vaults, equivalent to the modern shopping mall. Held over 150 rooms for shops and offices. -
Massive circular building with a dome (a rare feature for the time) held by columns typical of Roman design. This temple was one meant for all gods for worship. The Romans were accepting of all other religions, with the caveat that those of different religions must also include the values of the Romans. -
Wall extending the 73 miles of the Roman Empire’s northernmost border. It consists of milecastles for 125 soldiers every 88 miles. These castles were used for watching guard, signaling other milecastles, and allowing passage. A philosopher, humanist, and defense-oriented leader, Hadrian was an intellectual emperor interested in the histories of other cultures, such as the Greeks. He is one of the first Emperors who was unshaved, a common trait of subsequent philosopher-emperors. -
Relatively small temple dedicated to the teachings and worship of early Christianity. The entrance and courtyard were open to all visitors, though the teaching and assembly areas required visitors to be baptized. The ceiling of the baptistry font was decorated in blue materials (signifying the divine) and frescoes depicting classic biblical tales. The Apse depicts Christ as a classical shepherd, as well as Adam and Eve after their banishment from the Garden of Eden. -
Christianity was deemed illegal at this time, leading to the followers of Christianity to hide their faith despite their occupation of half of the Near East, Italy, and Greece. Christian works borrowed imagery from the Greeks and Romans, altering them to fit the Christian faith
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One of the first depictions of Christ, being a marble statue small enough to fit in a household. He holds a sheep over his shoulders, borrowing Roman imagery to symbolize the protection of his flock in Christian faith. Other statues like this one borrow from Greek bases to retell stories of the Christian mythos, such as the character of Jonah borrowing iconography from Odysseus. -
Period that birthed the Tetrarchy, a system of shared imperial rule that sliced the Empire’s power in half and then halved again. Each division was ruled by the Sr. Emperor (Augustus) and the Lt. Emperor (Caesar). All administrative action was done through the mutual supervision of the emperors.
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Underground tombs decorated with disguised wall art of Christian tales. In Rome, Christians had to operate underground, using catacombs – underground tombs built under churches – to practice their faith and ritualistically bury their dead. Niches in the walls called Loculi were used to hold bodies. A piece of circular wall art depicts the central figure of Christ as the Good Shepherd as well as other common depictions of the story of Jonah. -
Large archway commissioned by Constantine, the sole ruler of the Roman Empire in 323 CE, ending the Tetrarchy. The arch contains influences from the Good Emperors (and their monuments) of varied years, from Trajan, Aurelius, and Hadrian. A frieze depicts Constantine’s troops at war with Maxentius, which displays Constantine’s visually abstracted style different from stereotypical Roman art. -
With the rule of Constantine, the practice of Christianity was no longer illegal. Beyond the gatehouse is the courtyard open to the public, while the building beyond was the farthest part a non-Christian could visit. The apse is a mosaic depicting Christ seated and joined by St. Peter and another figure, as well as Christ as the sacrificial lamb surrounded by the 12 disciples as sheep. Due to illiteracy of the common man, biblical stories were shown repeatedly in Christian constructs.