Arch of Titus, Rome, Italy
History
In the Forum Romanum, on the Via Sacra on Palatine hill, is a Roman Triumphal Arch known as the Arch of Titus. It was constructed in 81 CE by Domitian. Even though this piece of looks beautiful and looks like it has weathered well, it hasn’t… “ instead of regular maintenance, it was in fact subjected all thru the Middle Ages to various depredations, so that by the early 19c, according toPlatner, "The injury to the structure was so great that it was taken down in 1822 and rebuilt by Valadier, who restored a large part of the attic and the outer half of both piers in travertine. The frieze and inscription are therefore preserved only on the side towards the Colosseum."(Penelope.uchicago.edu).
This piece has
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The Arch of Titus also serves now more as a religious and political statement paying tribute to the late emperor Titus. The most important reason this piece is so important to art history is that this arch is the first full endeavor to create an illusion of space by sculptors in Rome. This is arch has a lot of meaning to ancient history and is so exquisite. I can’t believe all it has been weathered through.
Design
The Arch of Titus’ style is of course Ancient Roman, but also Classical, and Corinthian. The three styles in combination makes this piece of architecture amazing. It is simple yet breathe taking. The Corinthian style pilasters are at the corners of this great arch. When I was in the Cosmetology field we were all taught the human mind can only comprehend three different combinations before something became too complicated and looked horrible.
Materials and Techniques
This Arch is made out of Pentelic marble its technique is cut stone masonry. The attic part is make of Luna Marble. The carving on the east side of the Arch of Titus was originally inscribed with bronze. The bronze does not seem to be visible any longer. The east side reads, “
The Edict of Milan was proclaimed by the Roman Emperor Constantine after he defeated the Emperor Maxentius at the Battle of the Milvian Bridge. After Constantine’s victory over Maxentius, the Roman senate celebrated by creating an arch at the base of the Palatine, known as the Arch of Constantine. It marvels with the old construction structures of free-standing columns, consisting of the carved reliefs of victories, trophies, and a triple gateway. The Arch of Constantine has circular reliefs representing the sun and moon on the east and west ends. On the keystones of the arches, there were carvings of the river and other gods. A very significant and astonishing aspect of this arch is the historical pattern, called the frieze, that was carved on the sides of the arch representing the ethic and style of architecture of that time period.
“A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots.” –Marcus Garvey. The U.S. is a combination of many cultures and influences over the centuries and because of this we are alike to many of them. We could name many of these influences: the Greeks, the Chinese Dynasties but the Romans were particularly like us. We might see them as barbaric is some ways but the reality is that the U.S. takes pages from many areas of the Romans, and comparisons could be drawn between both of us. Examples include government, our religions, and in some ways entertainment. The U.S. is much like the old Roman Empire was more than a millennium ago
The Parthenon in Athens, for example, is a dedication to Athena; the goddess of wisdom and the patron of Athens (OI). As depicted in The Parthenon at the Acropolis in Athens, Greece (Doc6), this architectural piece is shown to have Doric columns that have a cylindrical shape seeming to be plain but sturdy. In comparison to the Doric style, the Ionic style was more elegant as it was taller and more decorative; engraved with vertical lines and topped with a curved rectangular shape. The Corinthian design is similar to the Ionic design because of the elaborate designs at the end of the pillars; it features more detailed designs that seem to be based around nature such as the inclusion of leaves and flowers. There are many buildings today that include these types of columns in their architectural design mainly in monuments and government buildings. According to the depiction of the White House in Greek Architecture (Doc8), the columns of the White House most closely resemble the Ionic style. Greek architecture are one of the many important legacies that Western civilization had inherited, influencing many architectural elements and building types used in art and architecture
A solitary triumphal arch can hardly give aesthetic satisfaction unless its proportions are in tune with its surroundings, and the Romans do not seem to have given much thought to that aspect. The true triumphal arches are thus those which support the bridges and aqueducts that have survived (n.d. para. 6).
There were many reasons for the fall of the Roman Empire. Each one interweaved with the other. Many even blame the initiation of Christianity in 337 AD by Constantine the Great as the definitive cause while others blame it on increases in unemployment, inflation, military expenditure and slave labour while others blame it on the ethical issues such the decline in morals, the lack of discipline of the armies and the political corruption within the Empire. Three major contributions that led to the collapse of the once great empire were: the heavy military spending in order to expand the Empire, the over-reliance on slave labour which led to an increase in unemployment, and the political corruption and abuse of power by the Praetorian Guard leading to the unfair selection of many disreputable emperors and the assassination of those not favoured by the Guard.
In Shakespeare’s “Julius Caesar,” Public vs. Private self is a reoccurring theme. Throughout the play, characters tend to view their public persona more important than their private persona. The characters all think they know what is best for Rome but in the end only put themselves on the path that leads straight to their death.
The piece Augustus of Primaporta was built in the Early Imperial period and is a sculpture of the emperor Augustus. In this piece, Augustus was sculped in the way he wanted to be seen and remembered. This sculpture conveyed
Questions- What were the three areas in which the Romans made lasting contributions to Western Civilization?
The Roman sculptures have a close relation and influence of Greek sculptures. Rome was known for incorporating different aspects of other cultures; the style of clothing, architecture, military techniques, art, etc. to the Roman culture. The Bust of Cicero and Augustus of Prima Porta are examples of unbelievable statuary techniques and style that Rome achieved and improved as their own art.
There are three tiers of these columns and arches. The columns are Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian (Figure 22). Having the Doric influence at the base of the column and Corinthian at the top. Also arches lined the outside of the theatre. The Romans are well known for their arches so it seems that they use them in almost every building. The interior is just as impressive as the exterior. It is large enough to hold around 20,500 citizens. The seats are built into the foundation (Figure 23). They are built in a way that the main stage is the lowest point and the seats are built with the ones on the bottom being the lowest and the ones at the top being the highest (Figure 24). Much like the aqueduct, the theatre is built for the sole purpose of providing entertainment to the citizens. Unlike the Arch of Titus, it is decorated with cravings or imagery depicting beauty. It is rather plain, having only arches and columns decorating the exterior of the building. It was most likely done this way so it wouldn’t distract the people from the main reason they went there, to enjoy the arts of theatre and plays. The context behind this building is much like the colosseum, this building was constructed to
The Romans did not invent the arch that has been used so much in their architecture. The development of the arch however allowed them to fully use it to their advantage for resolving situations that required the cost of expensive labor.
Built to appease the Romans and as a promise of a new era of responsible and compassionate rule, it was a symbol for the power of the people over the emperor. It is precisely for this reason that the image of the Colosseum has been reiterated over time. During antiquity, as the Colosseum was nearing completion, the senatorial mint under Titus honoured the architectural wonder by representing it on a bronze sesterce coin. This coin, shown in figure 2.1, is highly detailed and accurately depicts the architectural structure and layout of the Colosseum. On close
"National Roman Museum - Palazzo Massimo Alle Terme." Soprintendenza Speciale per I Beni Archeologici Di Roma. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Mar. 2014.
...ions that hold great political significance. The unusual wide opening of the arch (impossible to close with doors), symbolizes the new peace achieved after a long period of civil wars. The gods on the inside celebrate the grandeur of Rome and the power of Augustus (“Arch of Augustus 27 B.C.”). The middle piers are 2.95 meters wide while the sides are 1.35 meters. The width of the central archway is 4.05 meters and the side arches are 2.55 meters. The breadth of the whole structure is 17.75 meters (Thayer). Very little remains of the arch today. But, we can theorize the look of the arch based on the coins from that time period. The Arch of Augustus was the first three-way arch in Rome and later served as a model for the Arch of Septimius Severus and the Arch of Constantine (“Arch of Augustus”). It still stands today as the first marker of Rome’s progression.
"Roman Architecture." Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6Th Edition (2013): 1-2. Literary Reference Center. Web. 12 Mar. 2014.