1. Greek & Roman Art
2000 BC

2. GREECE: The Birthplace of Western Civilization
Ancient Greece Map
Modern Greece Map

3. Brief History of Ancient Greece
Begins around 2000 BC
Early primitive people entered the land and remained
Culture was known as Mycenaean but was overtaken by stronger tribes
Dorians took over changing life and co-mingling with the Mycenaean
Towns grew into “city-states” that were independent unlike other empires
Landscape added to this independence because of the terrain of mountains, valley and the sea
This contributed to keeping the Greek city-states from forming a nation
Rivalry among the city-states but none conquered the other
Fear from Persia (Iran) united them long enough to fight the invaders during the 5th century.
Suspecting more invasions, several city-states formed an alliance (where the smaller cities gave money.
Because Athens was the most powerful member, it was the permanent head.
Pericles, the Athenian leader began to use the money to rebuild & beautify Athens
His actions were resented (especially Sparta) which led to the Peloponnesian War in 431 BC
Because of terrible plague 1/3 of Athenians died and eventually so did Pericles.
Athens was defeated which led to 100years of conflict among city-states eventually collapsing to foreign invaders in 338 BC
During all of this, the Greek people made important contributions to art in architecture, temples, and of course, philosophy

4. The Parthenon: The Parthenon, Acropolis Athens, Greece c. 447 BC
Parthenon Proposed Model

5. Khan Academy: Parthenon

6. Greek Vase Decoration Figures on Greek vases
were often set in storytelling scenes
Narrative art
Although used as jugs, later they were used
as “funeral vases” such as modern
gravestones or tombstones
Funerary Vase, Athens, Greece, c. 8th century BC, Terra cotta, 42 5/8” The Metropolitan Museum of Art,
New York, NY.

7. Greek Sculpture: Evolution to Greatness
Sculpture in the Archaic Period (600 – 480 BC_
Concentrated on carving large, freestanding figures.
KOUROS – which means “male youth”
Kouros, 530 BC, Marble, 6’7” The J. Paul Getty Museum, Malibu, CA

8. Khan Academy on Kouros
art/daedalic-archaic/v/kouros-youth-archaic-greek-c b-c-e

9. Greek Sculpture: Classical
Abandoned straight, stiff poses
Figures appeared to move.
Roman bronze reduction of Myron's Discobolus, 2nd century AD (Glyptothek, Munich)

10. Hellenistic Sculpture: After the Peloponnesian War
art/hellenistic/v/nike-winged-victory-of-samothrace-c-190-b-c-e
Winged Victory of Samothrace, 190 BC, Parian marble, 96”, The Louvre, Paris, France.
The Winged Victory of Samothrace, discovered in 1863, is conventionally thought to have been made to celebrate a naval victory in 190 BC.

11. The History of The Parthenon
KHAN ACADEMY: THE Parthenon
art/classical/v/parthenon

12. ROMAN ART: Copiers of Greek Art
Romans took over Greece
Established a Republic government
Eventually controlled territory from Britain to Mesopotamia
The Roman Empire Map

13. Roman “Plagiarism” Admired Greek art
Brought Greek artist to Rome to work from them
DIFFERENCES
More realistic
Greek sculpture were public monuments; however, Roman sculpture was for private patrons.
Remind them of specific individuals
Romans wanted the facial features and expression to show character
Commissioned portraits of heads rather than the entire figure; whereas, the Greeks felt like a “bust”—the head and shoulders—were incomplete

14. Roman Portrait Sculpture
Bust of a Man, 50 BC, 14 1/6” x 7 1/16”, Terracotta, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston MA.

15. Roman Architecture: Roman Amphitheatre
Round Arch—a wall or another arch is needed to counter the outward force of the arch
Keystone—top stone of the arch holding other stones in place
Barrel Vault—a half-round stone ceiling made by placing a series of round arches from front to back.

16. PANTHEON:
The Pantheon  is a former Roman temple, now a church, in Rome, Italy, on the site of an earlier temple commissioned by Marcus Agrippa during the reign of Augustus (27 BC – 14 AD). T
The present building was completed by the emperor Hadrian and probably dedicated about 126 AD. He retained Agrippa's original inscription, which has confused its date of construction as the original Pantheon burnt down so it is not certain when the present one was built.[2]

17. PANTHEON: 118-128 AD, Roman Temple. Rome, Italy

18. PANTHEON: YOUTUBE

19. Roman Amphitheatre: Arles, France, 1st Century AD.

20. Roman Baths: Baths were vast enclosed structures
that contained libraries, lecture rooms, gymnasiums,
shops, restaurants and walkways.
Social and cultural center as well
as a place for hygiene.
Every Roman city had its baths.
Series of rooms with pools of progressively
cooler water: the caldarium to the frigidarium
Roman Baths, Bath, England, First Century AD.

21. Roman Sports: The Colosseum
Named after a colossal statue of the Roman emperor Nero that once stood nearby
72-80 AD
Covered 6 acres
For chariot races and armed contests.
civilizations/roman/early-empire/v/colosseum-amphitheatrum-flavium-c c-e-rome

22. The Colesseum
The Colosseum, Rome, Italy, 72-80

23. Decline Power of Rome
Transfer of the capitol from Rome to the ancient Greek city of Byzantium— renamed Constantinople.
Marked the beginning of the Byzantine Empire
Eventually invaders from the north overtook Rome after wave after wave of barbarian invasions.
By the end of the 5th century, the Western Roman Empire had come to an end and the barbarian kingdoms of the Middle ages took place.