Questions? Consult the FAQs!Roman Architecture
Purpose of Course showclose
In this course, we will study the architecture of Ancient Rome, beginning with its origins in the eighth century BC, and continuing through the fourth century AD with the move of the Roman capital to Constantinople. The course of lectures and readings outlined below will familiarize you with the major building methods and styles used in Roman architecture. In addition, interior decoration (including the very important topic of Roman wall painting) will be addressed. By the end of the course, you will be able to identify some of the most important works of Roman architecture and discuss the historical and cultural conditions that informed their production.
An important theme throughout the first half of the course is the relationship between Ancient Rome and Greek and Etruscan cultures, which were highly influential in the formation of a distinctive Roman architecture. Understanding the role that Roman architecture played in the eastern and western Roman provinces is also significant to this course, as it draws Roman architecture into a broader geographical and cultural context. Roman art and culture were tremendously important for Western culture after the fall of the Roman Empire; by completing this course, you will be well-prepared for study of later Western architecture.
Note: Throughout this course, you may find it useful to refer to the glossary of Ancient Rome art posted on the companion website that Wadsworth Publishing has developed for its textbook, Gardner’s Art through the Ages, 12th Edition. You may wish to bookmark this page in your browser for ease of use. Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on this webpage.
Course Information showclose
Primary Resources: Diana E. E. Kleiner, Roman Architecture (Yale University: Open Yale Courses), http://oyc.yale.edu (Accessed March 10, 2011) License: Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 3.0. The original version can be found here.
Requirements for Completion: In order to complete this course successfully you must satisfactorily complete one short labeling quiz, one formal analysis writing assignment, and pass the final exam with a score of 70% or higher.
Note that you will only receive an official grade on your final exam. However, in order to adequately prepare for this exam, you will need to work through both the quiz and analysis assignment.
Your score on the exam will be tabulated as soon as you complete it. If you do not pass the exam, you may take it again.
Time Commitment: This course will take a total of approximately 43 hours to complete.
Tips/Suggestions: As with any art history course, it is important that you take time to carefully examine any and all images presented in this course. Pay careful attention to images presented in video lectures, and pause the videos or go back as necessary to review. Most images also can be easily located in a Google search.
Learning Outcomes showclose
- Demonstrate an understanding of the general arc of the history of ancient Rome.
- Identify the major historical events in ancient Roman history and the emperors who presided during these events.
- Demonstrate an understanding of the vital role that imagery, especially architecture, played in Rome’s political and cultural world.
- Identify the origins of various styles that the Romans borrowed and explain how they were re-purposed.
- Identify the major stylistic developments from Rome’s origins to its demise.
- Identify the styles that were popular under the rule of different emperors, and explain how those styles relate to a political ideology.
- Discuss the different building techniques used by the Romans and explain how the development of new techniques changed the appearance of Roman architecture.
- Demonstrate an understanding of the different provinces of the Roman Empire and the ways in which regional differences are apparent in architecture.
- Identify specific monuments and be able to provide basic identifying information: title, date, location, architects (if known), patron.
- Explain the importance of Roman architecture in shaping the architecture of later Western civilizations.
Course Requirements showclose
√ Have access to a computer
√ Have continuous broadband internet access
√ Have the ability/permission to install plug-ins or software (e.g. Adobe Reader of Flash)
√ Have the ability to download and save files and documents to a computer
√ Have the ability to open Microsoft files and documents (.doc, .ppt, .xls, etc.)
√ Be competent in the English language
√ Have read the Saylor Student Handbook.
√ Have completed ARTH101: Art Appreciation and Techniques, ARTH110: Introduction to Western Art History—Pre-historic to High Gothic, ARTH111: Introduction to Western Art History—Proto-Renaissance to Contemporary Art, and four 200-level ARTH courses.Unit Outline show close
Expand All Resources Collapse All Resources
-
Unit 1: Architecture in Republican Rome and the Early Empire
This course begins with the earliest known architecture of the ancient city of Rome, which dates back to the eighth century BC and the founding of Rome by Romulus. Rome’s relationship to its Greek neighbors and to the Etruscans (whom they superseded in Italy) is of paramount importance to our study of this period, as Roman architecture initially borrowed from both of these cultures as it created an innovative architecture full of new motifs and technologies. In accordance with the Roman Empire’s desire to conquer vast territories, its architecture also suggests power and domination. Meanwhile, technological innovations freed the Romans from the kinds of restrictions that had previously limited architecture. Roman architecture could now take almost any shape in even the most unfavorable of settings.
Unit 1 Time Advisory show close
At the end of this unit, you will understand the developments of early Roman architecture and recognize some of the most important monuments of Ancient Rome.
Unit 1 Learning Outcomes show close
-
1.1 Introduction to Roman Architecture
- Reading: SUNY College at Oneonta: Dr. Allen S. Farber’s “Roman Power / Roman Architecture”
Link: SUNY College at Oneonta: Dr. Allen S. Farber’s “Roman Power / Roman Architecture” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read the entirety of this webpage in order to get an overview of Roman art and culture. Please also look closely at all cited images.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Lecture: Yale University: Professor Diana E. E. Kleiner’s “Introduction to Roman Architecture” Lecture
Link: Yale University: Professor Diana E. E. Kleiner’s “Introduction to Roman Architecture” (YouTube)
Also available in:
HTML, Adobe Flash, Mp3 or QuickTime
iTunes U
Instructions: Please watch the entirety of this video. As with all lectures for this class, you should pay careful attention to every image discussed and take careful note of dates and vocabulary.
Terms of Use: Diana E. E. Kleiner, Roman Architecture (Yale University: Open Yale Courses), http://oyc.yale.edu (Accessed March 10, 2011) License: Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 3.0. The original version can be found here.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: SUNY College at Oneonta: Dr. Allen S. Farber’s “Roman Power / Roman Architecture”
-
1.2 The Founding of Rome
- Reading: Metropolitan Museum of Art: Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History: Colette Hemingway and Seán Hemingway’s “Etruscan Art” and Metropolitan Museum of Art: Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History: Department of Greek and Roman Art’s “The Roman Republic”
Link: Metropolitan Museum of Art: Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History: Colette Hemingway and Seán Hemingway’s “Etruscan Art” (HTML) and Metropolitan Museum of Art: Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History: Department of Greek and Roman Art’s “The Roman Republic” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read the entirety of these web pages in order to get an overview of Etruscan and early Roman art and culture. Please also look closely at all cited images.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Lecture: Yale University: Professor Diana E. E. Kleiner’s “It Takes a City: The Founding of Rome and the Beginnings of Urbanism in Italy” Lecture
Link: Yale University: Professor Diana E. E. Kleiner’s “It Takes a City: The Founding of Rome and the Beginnings of Urbanism in Italy” (YouTube)
Also available in:
HTML, Adobe Flash, Mp3 or QuickTime
iTunes U
Instructions: Please watch the entirety of this video. As with all lectures for this class, you should pay careful attention to every image discussed and take careful note of dates and vocabulary.
Terms of Use: Diana E. E. Kleiner, Roman Architecture (Yale University: Open Yale Courses), http://oyc.yale.edu (Accessed March 10, 2011) License: Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 3.0. The original version can be found here.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Metropolitan Museum of Art: Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History: Colette Hemingway and Seán Hemingway’s “Etruscan Art” and Metropolitan Museum of Art: Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History: Department of Greek and Roman Art’s “The Roman Republic”
-
1.3 Innovation in Roman Architecture
- Reading: University of California, Santa Barbara: Professor Fikret Yegul’s “Roman Concrete” and University of California, Santa Barbara: Professor Fikret Yegul’s “Terraces and Substructures”
Links: University of California, Santa Barbara: Professor Fikret Yegul’s “Roman Concrete” (HTML) and University of California, Santa Barbara: Professor Fikret Yegul’s “Terraces and Substructures” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read the entirety of these web pages for an introduction to the use of Roman concrete and its applications. Please also look closely at all cited images.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Lecture: Yale University: Professor Diana E. E. Kleiner’s “Technology and Revolution in Roman Architecture” Lecture
Link: Yale University: Professor Diana E. E. Kleiner’s “Technology and Revolution in Roman Architecture” (YouTube)
Also available in:
HTML, Adobe Flash, Mp3 or QuickTime
iTunes U
Instructions: Please watch the entirety of this video. As with all lectures for this class, you should pay careful attention to every image discussed and take careful note of dates and vocabulary.
Terms of Use: Diana E. E. Kleiner, Roman Architecture (Yale University: Open Yale Courses), http://oyc.yale.edu (Accessed March 10, 2011) License: Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 3.0. The original version can be found here.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Assessment: The Saylor Foundation's "Quiz: Early Ancient Rome"
Link: The Saylor Foundation's "Quiz: Early Ancient Rome" (PDF)
Instructions: Click on the link above and complete this short-answer quiz that will test your knowledge of the material covered to-date in this course. You can check your answers with The Saylor Foundation’s “Answer Key” (PDF).See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: University of California, Santa Barbara: Professor Fikret Yegul’s “Roman Concrete” and University of California, Santa Barbara: Professor Fikret Yegul’s “Terraces and Substructures”
-
1.4 Pompeii and Herculaneum
-
1.4.1 The Eruption of Mt. Vesuvius
- Reading: SMATCH’s (Scientific Methodologies Applied to Cultural Heritage, Inc.) version of Pliny the Younger’s Letters to Tacitus
Link: SMATCH’s (Scientific Methodologies Applied to Cultural Heritage, Inc.) version of Pliny the Younger’s Letters to Tacitus(HTML)
Instructions: Please read the entirety of this webpage for a primary source description of the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in August of 79 AD.
Note on the Text: This text comes from the personal correspondence between Pliny the Younger, an important Roman scholar, and the historian Tacitus. The correspondence provides us with a first-hand account of the eruption of Mount Vesuvius and the subsequent destruction it wrought. This text is made available by SMATCH, Scientific Methodologies Applied to Cultural Heritage, Inc.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Lecture: Yale University: Professor Diana E. E. Kleiner’s “Civic Life Interrupted: Nightmare and Destiny on August 24, A.D. 79” Lecture
Link: Yale University: Professor Diana E. E. Kleiner’s “Civic Life Interrupted: Nightmare and Destiny on August 24, A.D. 79” (YouTube)
Also available in:
HTML, Adobe Flash, Mp3 or QuickTime
iTunes U
Instructions: Please watch the entirety of this video. As with all lectures for this class, you should pay careful attention to every image discussed and take careful note of dates and vocabulary.
Terms of Use: Diana E. E. Kleiner, Roman Architecture (Yale University: Open Yale Courses), http://oyc.yale.edu (Accessed March 10, 2011) License: Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 3.0. The original version can be found here.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: SMATCH’s (Scientific Methodologies Applied to Cultural Heritage, Inc.) version of Pliny the Younger’s Letters to Tacitus
-
1.4.2 Houses and Villas
- Reading: Metropolitan Museum of Art: Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History: Ian Lockey’s “Roman Housing”
Link: Metropolitan Museum of Art: Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History: Ian Lockey’s “Roman Housing” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read the entirety of this webpage for an introduction to Roman domestic architecture. Please also look closely at all cited images.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Lecture: Yale University: Professor Diana E. E. Kleiner’s “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous: Houses and Villas at Pompeii” Lecture
Link: Yale University: Professor Diana E. E. Kleiner’s “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous: Houses and Villas at Pompeii” (YouTube)
Also available in:
HTML, Adobe Flash, Mp3 or QuickTime
iTunes U
Instructions: Please watch the entirety of this video. As with all lectures for this class, you should pay careful attention to every image discussed and take careful note of dates and vocabulary.
Terms of Use: Diana E. E. Kleiner, Roman Architecture (Yale University: Open Yale Courses), http://oyc.yale.edu (Accessed March 10, 2011) License: Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 3.0. The original version can be found here.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Metropolitan Museum of Art: Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History: Ian Lockey’s “Roman Housing”
-
1.4.3 First and Second Style Wall Painting
- Reading: Metropolitan Museum of Art: Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History: Department of Greek and Roman Art’s “Roman Painting”
Link: Metropolitan Museum of Art: Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History: Department of Greek and Roman Art’s “Roman Painting” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read the entirety of this webpage for an overview of the major styles of Roman wall painting. Please also look closely at all cited images.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Lecture: Yale University: Professor Diana E. E. Kleiner’s “Habitats at Herculaneum and Early Roman Interior Decoration” Lecture
Link: Yale University: Professor Diana E. E. Kleiner’s “Habitats at Herculaneum and Early Roman Interior Decoration” (YouTube)
Also available in:
HTML, Adobe Flash, Mp3 or QuickTime
iTunes U
Instructions: Please watch the entirety of this video. As with all lectures for this class, you should pay careful attention to every image discussed and take careful note of dates and vocabulary.
Terms of Use: Diana E. E. Kleiner, Roman Architecture (Yale University: Open Yale Courses), http://oyc.yale.edu (Accessed March 10, 2011) License: Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 3.0. The original version can be found here.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Metropolitan Museum of Art: Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History: Department of Greek and Roman Art’s “Roman Painting”
-
1.4.4 Third Style Wall Painting
- Lecture: Yale University: Professor Diana E. E. Kleiner’s “Gilding the Lily: Painting Palaces and Villas in the First Century A.D.” Lecture
Link: Yale University: Professor Diana E. E. Kleiner’s “Gilding the Lily: Painting Palaces and Villas in the First Century A.D.” (YouTube)
Also available in:
HTML, Adobe Flash, Mp3 or QuickTime
iTunes U
Instructions: Please watch the entirety of this video. As with all lectures for this class, you should pay careful attention to every image discussed and take careful note of dates and vocabulary.
Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 1.4.3.
Terms of Use: Diana E. E. Kleiner, Roman Architecture (Yale University: Open Yale Courses), http://oyc.yale.edu (Accessed March 10, 2011) License: Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 3.0. The original version can be found here.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Lecture: Yale University: Professor Diana E. E. Kleiner’s “Gilding the Lily: Painting Palaces and Villas in the First Century A.D.” Lecture
-
1.4.5 Special Subjects in Pompeian Wall Painting
- Lecture: Yale University: Professor Diana E. E. Kleiner’s “Exploring Special Subjects on Pompeian Walls” Lecture
Link: Yale University: Professor Diana E. E. Kleiner’s “Exploring Special Subjects on Pompeian Walls” (YouTube)
Also available in:
HTML, Adobe Flash, Mp3 or QuickTime
iTunes U
Instructions: Please watch the entirety of this video. As with all lectures for this class, you should pay careful attention to every image discussed and take careful note of dates and vocabulary.
Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 1.4.3.
Terms of Use: Diana E. E. Kleiner, Roman Architecture (Yale University: Open Yale Courses), http://oyc.yale.edu (Accessed March 10, 2011) License: Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 3.0. The original version can be found here.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Assessment: The Saylor Foundation's "Matching Quiz: Roman Wall Painting"
Link: The Saylor Foundation's "Matching Quiz: Roman Wall Painting" (PDF)
Instructions: Click on the link above to complete a brief matching quiz that will test your understanding of the different styles of Roman wall painting, as taught in subunit 1.4 on Pompeii. You can check your answers with The Saylor Foundation’s “Answer Key” (PDF).See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Lecture: Yale University: Professor Diana E. E. Kleiner’s “Exploring Special Subjects on Pompeian Walls” Lecture
-
1.5 Augustan Rome
- Reading: Metropolitan Museum of Art: Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History: Department of Greek and Roman Art’s “Augustan Rule (27 B.C.-14 A.D.)”
Link: Metropolitan Museum of Art: Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History: Department of Greek and Roman Art’s “Augustan Rule (27 B.C.-14 A.D.)” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read the entirety of this webpage for an overview of Rome under the Emperor Augustus. Please also look closely at all cited images.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Lecture: Yale University: Professor Diana E. E. Kleiner’s “From Brick to Marble: Augustus Assembles Rome” Lecture
Link: Yale University: Professor Diana E. E. Kleiner’s “From Brick to Marble: Augustus Assembles Rome” (YouTube)
Also available in:
HTML, Adobe Flash, Mp3 or QuickTime
iTunes U
Instructions: Please watch the entirety of this video. As with all lectures for this class, you should pay careful attention to every image discussed and take careful note of dates and vocabulary.
Terms of Use: Diana E. E. Kleiner, Roman Architecture (Yale University: Open Yale Courses), http://oyc.yale.edu (Accessed March 10, 2011) License: Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 3.0. The original version can be found here.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Metropolitan Museum of Art: Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History: Department of Greek and Roman Art’s “Augustan Rule (27 B.C.-14 A.D.)”
-
1.6 Tombs
- Reading: 3D Visualization in the Arts Network’s “Mausoleum of Augustus, Rome,” Vatican Art’s “The Pyramid of Gaius Cestius,” and Livius.org: Jona Lendering’s “Rome: Tomb of Eurysaces”
Links: 3D Visualization in the Arts Network’s “Mausoleum of Augustus, Rome,” (HTML) and Livius: Jona Lendering’s “Rome: Tomb of Eurysaces” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read the entirety of these web pages for an overview of some of the most important Roman tombs. Please also look closely at all cited images.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Lecture: Yale University: Professor Diana E. E. Kleiner’s “Accessing Afterlife: Tombs of Roman Aristocrats, Freedmen, and Slaves” Lecture
Link: Yale University: Professor Diana E. E. Kleiner’s “Accessing Afterlife: Tombs of Roman Aristocrats, Freedmen, and Slaves” (YouTube)
Also available in:
HTML, Adobe Flash, Mp3 or QuickTime
iTunes U
Instructions: Please watch the entirety of this video. As with all lectures for this class, you should pay careful attention to every image discussed and take careful note of dates and vocabulary.
Terms of Use: Diana E. E. Kleiner, Roman Architecture (Yale University: Open Yale Courses), http://oyc.yale.edu (Accessed March 10, 2011) License: Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 3.0. The original version can be found here.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: 3D Visualization in the Arts Network’s “Mausoleum of Augustus, Rome,” Vatican Art’s “The Pyramid of Gaius Cestius,” and Livius.org: Jona Lendering’s “Rome: Tomb of Eurysaces”
-
1.7 Rome under Nero
- Reading: Metropolitan Museum of Art: Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History: Department of Greek and Roman Art‘s “The Julio-Claudian Dynasty (27 B.C.-68A.D.) and The Colosseum.net’s “Domus Aurea”
Links: Metropolitan Museum of Art: Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History: Department of Greek and Roman Art‘s “The Julio-Claudian Dynasty (27 B.C.-68A.D.)” (HTML) and The Colosseum.net’s “Domus Aurea” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read the entirety of these web pages for an overview of Roman art under the Emperor Nero. Please also look closely at all cited images.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Lecture: Yale University: Professor Diana E. E. Kleiner’s “Notorious Nero and His Amazing Architectural Legacy” Lecture
Link: Yale University: Professor Diana E. E. Kleiner’s “Notorious Nero and His Amazing Architectural Legacy” (YouTube)
Also available in:
HTML, Adobe Flash, Mp3 or QuickTime
iTunes U
Instructions: Please watch the entirety of this video. As with all lectures for this class, you should pay careful attention to every image discussed and take careful note of dates and vocabulary.
Terms of Use: Diana E. E. Kleiner, Roman Architecture (Yale University: Open Yale Courses), http://oyc.yale.edu (Accessed March 10, 2011) License: Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 3.0. The original version can be found here.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Metropolitan Museum of Art: Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History: Department of Greek and Roman Art‘s “The Julio-Claudian Dynasty (27 B.C.-68A.D.) and The Colosseum.net’s “Domus Aurea”
-
1.8 The Colosseum
- Reading: University of Chicago: Encyclopaedia Romana: James Grout’s “Colosseum”
Links: University of Chicago: Encyclopaedia Romana: James Grout’s “Colosseum” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read the entirety of this webpage for an overview of Rome’s most important amphitheater, the Colosseum. Please also look closely at all cited images.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Lecture: Yale University: Professor Diana E. E. Kleiner’s “The Creation of an Icon: The Colosseum and Contemporary Architecture in Rome” Lecture
Link: Yale University: Professor Diana E. E. Kleiner’s “The Creation of an Icon: The Colosseum and Contemporary Architecture in Rome” (YouTube)
Also available in:
HTML, Adobe Flash, Mp3 or QuickTime
iTunes U
Instructions: Please watch the entirety of this video. As with all lectures for this class, you should pay careful attention to every image discussed and take careful note of dates and vocabulary.
Terms of Use: Diana E. E. Kleiner, Roman Architecture (Yale University: Open Yale Courses), http://oyc.yale.edu (Accessed March 10, 2011) License: Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 3.0. The original version can be found here.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: University of Chicago: Encyclopaedia Romana: James Grout’s “Colosseum”
-
1.9 Rome under Domitian
- Reading: Metropolitan Museum of Art: Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History: Department of Greek and Roman Art’s “The Flavian Dynasty (69-96)” and University of Chicago: Encyclopaedia Romana: James Grout’s “Arch of Titus”
Links: Metropolitan Museum of Art: Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History: Department of Greek and Roman Art’s “The Flavian Dynasty (69-96)” (HTML) and University of Chicago: Encyclopaedia Romana: James Grout’s “Arch of Titus” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read the entirety of these web pages for an introduction to Rome under the Emperor Domitian. Please also look closely at all cited images.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Lecture: Yale University: Professor Diana E. E. Kleiner’s “The Prince and the Palace: Human Made Divine on the Palatine Hill” Lecture
Link: Yale University: Professor Diana E. E. Kleiner’s “The Prince and the Palace: Human Made Divine on the Palatine Hill” (YouTube)
Also available in:
HTML, Adobe Flash, Mp3 or QuickTime
iTunes U
Instructions: Please watch the entirety of this video. As with all lectures for this class, you should pay careful attention to every image discussed and take careful note of dates and vocabulary.
Terms of Use: Diana E. E. Kleiner, Roman Architecture (Yale University: Open Yale Courses), http://oyc.yale.edu (Accessed March 10, 2011) License: Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 3.0. The original version can be found here.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Assessment: Pearson Education’s Companion Website: Art History: A View of the West, 3rd Edition: “Chapter 6, Etruscan and Roman Art: Elements and Media: Labeling” Quiz
Link: Pearson Education’s Companion Website: Art History: A View of the West, 3rd Edition: “Chapter 6, Etruscan and Roman Art: Elements and Media: Labeling” Quiz (HTML)
Instructions: Click on the link above and complete this brief labeling quiz in order to test your knowledge of Roman buildings and architectural techniques.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Metropolitan Museum of Art: Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History: Department of Greek and Roman Art’s “The Flavian Dynasty (69-96)” and University of Chicago: Encyclopaedia Romana: James Grout’s “Arch of Titus”
-
Unit 2: Architecture of Later Rome and the Provinces
The second half of this course looks at later Rome, beginning with the Emperor Trajan and his many important monuments in Rome. Building on the information you learned in the first half of this course, you will follow the development of Roman architectural styles and ambitions as the Roman Empire gained power and expanded its borders. As the Empire grew, it began to build important structures in distant Roman provinces and continued to build in Rome, but on a gargantuan scale. This unit ends with the reign of Emperor Constantinople, Rome’s first Christian Emperor, a phase in Roman history that anticipates—in its history as well as in its art—the Christian Middle Ages.
Unit 2 Time Advisory show close
Unit 2 Learning Outcomes show close
-
2.1 The Trajan Forum
- Reading: The Stoa Consortium for Electronic Publication in the Humanities: Trajan’s Column: Gretchen Umholtz et al’s “Introductory Essay”; University of Chicago: Encyclopaedia Romana: James Grout’s “The Forum of Trajan” and “Trajan’s Markets”
Links: "The Emperor Trajan And His Forum” (HTML); University of Chicago: Encyclopaedia Romana: James Grout’s “The Forum of Trajan” (HTML) and “Trajan’s Markets” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read the entirety of these web pages for an overview of Rome and its architecture under Emperor Trajan. Please also look closely at all cited images.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Lecture: Yale University: Professor Diana E. E. Kleiner’s “The Mother of All Forums: Civic Architecture in Rome under Trajan” Lecture
Link: Yale University: Professor Diana E. E. Kleiner’s “The Mother of All Forums: Civic Architecture in Rome under Trajan” (YouTube)
Also available in:
HTML, Adobe Flash, Mp3 or QuickTime
iTunes U
Instructions: Please watch the entirety of this video. As with all lectures for this class, you should pay careful attention to every image discussed and take careful note of dates and vocabulary.
Terms of Use: Diana E. E. Kleiner, Roman Architecture (Yale University: Open Yale Courses), http://oyc.yale.edu (Accessed March 10, 2011) License: Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 3.0. The original version can be found here.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The Stoa Consortium for Electronic Publication in the Humanities: Trajan’s Column: Gretchen Umholtz et al’s “Introductory Essay”; University of Chicago: Encyclopaedia Romana: James Grout’s “The Forum of Trajan” and “Trajan’s Markets”
-
2.2 Rome and Tivoli under Hadrian
- Reading: De Imperatoribus Romanis: Herbert W. Benario’s “Hadrian (A.D.117-138)”; University of Chicago: Encyclopaedia Romana: James Grout’s “Temple of Venus and Rome” and “Pantheon”
Links: De Imperatoribus Romanis: Herbert W. Benario’s “Hadrian (A.D.117-138)” (HTML); University of Chicago: Encyclopaedia Romana: James Grout’s “Temple of Venus and Rome” (HTML) and “Pantheon” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read the entirety of these web pages for an introduction to the Emperor Hadrian and his most significant commissions. Please also look closely at all cited images.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Lecture: Yale University: Professor Diana E. E. Kleiner’s “Rome and a Villa: Hadrian’s Pantheon and Tivoli Retreat” Lecture
Link: Yale University: Professor Diana E. E. Kleiner’s “Rome and a Villa: Hadrian’s Pantheon and Tivoli Retreat” (YouTube)
Also available in:
HTML, Adobe Flash, Mp3 or QuickTime
iTunes U
Instructions: Please watch the entirety of this video. As with all lectures for this class, you should pay careful attention to every image discussed and take careful note of dates and vocabulary.
Terms of Use: Diana E. E. Kleiner, Roman Architecture (Yale University: Open Yale Courses), http://oyc.yale.edu (Accessed March 10, 2011) License: Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 3.0. The original version can be found here.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Assessment: The Saylor Foundation’s "ARTH409 Assessment 2.2"
Link: The Saylor Foundation’s ARTH409 Assessment 2.2 (PDF)
Instructions: Please complete the linked assessment above. When you have finished, check your work against The Saylor Foundation's "Guide for Responding to Assessment 2.2" (PDF).See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: De Imperatoribus Romanis: Herbert W. Benario’s “Hadrian (A.D.117-138)”; University of Chicago: Encyclopaedia Romana: James Grout’s “Temple of Venus and Rome” and “Pantheon”
-
2.3 Ostia, Port of Rome
- Reading: Ostia-Antica.org’s: Introduction to Ostia: “4 Ostia’s hey-day: the second century and the Severan dynasty” and University of California, Santa Barbara: Professor Fikret Yegul’s “The New Utilitarian Aesthetic”
Link: Ostia-Antica.org’s: Introduction to Ostia: “4 Ostia’s hey-day: the second century and the Severan dynasty” (HTML) and University of California, Santa Barbara: Professor Fikret Yegul’s “The New Utilitarian Aesthetic” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read the entirety of these web pages for a brief introduction to some Roman architecture in Ostia. Please also look closely at all cited images.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Lecture: Yale University: Professor Diana E. E. Kleiner’s “The Roman Way of Life and Death at Ostia, the Port of Rome” Lecture
Link: Yale University: Professor Diana E. E. Kleiner’s “The Roman Way of Life and Death at Ostia, the Port of Rome” (YouTube)
Also available in:
HTML, Adobe Flash, Mp3 or QuickTime
iTunes U
Instructions: Please watch the entirety of this video. As with all lectures for this class, you should pay careful attention to every image discussed and take careful note of dates and vocabulary.
Terms of Use: Diana E. E. Kleiner, Roman Architecture (Yale University: Open Yale Courses), http://oyc.yale.edu (Accessed March 10, 2011) License: Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 3.0. The original version can be found here.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Assessment: The Saylor Foundation's "Quiz: Rome through the Third Century"
Link: The Saylor Foundation's "Quiz: Rome through the Third Century" (PDF)
Instructions: Click on the link above to complete a brief quiz that will test your knowledge of the material covered in this course from subunit 1.5 through 2.3. You can check your answers with The Saylor Foundation’s “Answer Key” (PDF).See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Ostia-Antica.org’s: Introduction to Ostia: “4 Ostia’s hey-day: the second century and the Severan dynasty” and University of California, Santa Barbara: Professor Fikret Yegul’s “The New Utilitarian Aesthetic”
-
2.4 Second and Third Century Rome
- Reading: Metropolitan Museum of Art: Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History: Department of Greek and Roman Art’s “The Severan Dynasty (193-235)”; University of Chicago: Encyclopaedia Romana: James Grout’s “Baths of Caracalla”; and PBS: Nova Online’s “Secrets of Lost Empires: Roman Bath: A Day at the Baths”
Links: Metropolitan Museum of Art: Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History: Department of Greek and Roman Art’s “The Severan Dynasty (193-235)” (HTML); University of Chicago: Encyclopaedia Romana: James Grout’s “Baths of Caracalla” (HTML); and PBS: Nova Online’s “Secrets of Lost Empires: Roman Bath: A Day at the Baths” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read the entirety of this webpage for an introduction to some of the large-scale commissions in the second and third centuries AD, especially the Roman bath. Please also look closely at all cited images. For Nova Online site, be sure to click each of the links, numbers 1-10, at the left side of the screen.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Lecture: Yale University: Professor Diana E. E. Kleiner’s “Bigger is Better: The Baths of Caracalla and Other Second- and Third-Century Buildings in Rome” Lecture
Link: Yale University: Professor Diana E. E. Kleiner’s “Bigger is Better: The Baths of Caracalla and Other Second- and Third-Century Buildings in Rome” (YouTube)
Also available in:
HTML, Adobe Flash, Mp3 or QuickTime
iTunes U
Instructions: Please watch the entirety of this video. As with all lectures for this class, you should pay careful attention to every image discussed and take careful note of dates and vocabulary.
Terms of Use: Diana E. E. Kleiner, Roman Architecture (Yale University: Open Yale Courses), http://oyc.yale.edu (Accessed March 10, 2011) License: Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 3.0. The original version can be found here.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Metropolitan Museum of Art: Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History: Department of Greek and Roman Art’s “The Severan Dynasty (193-235)”; University of Chicago: Encyclopaedia Romana: James Grout’s “Baths of Caracalla”; and PBS: Nova Online’s “Secrets of Lost Empires: Roman Bath: A Day at the Baths”
-
2.5 Roman North Africa
- Reading: Metropolitan Museum of Art: Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History: Jean Sorabella’s “Art of the Roman Provinces, 1-500 A.D.” and De Imperatoribus Romanis: Michael L. Meckler’s “Septimius Severus (193-211 A.D.)”
Link: Metropolitan Museum of Art: Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History: Jean Sorabella’s “Art of the Roman Provinces 1-500 A.D.” (HTML) and De Imperatoribus Romanis: Michael L. Meckler’s “Septimius Severus (193-211 A.D.)” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read the entirety of these web pages for an introduction to Roman art in the Provinces and the emperor Septimius Severus. Please also look closely at all cited images.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Lecture: Yale University: Professor Diana E. E. Kleiner’s “Hometown Boy: Honoring and Emperor’s Roots in Roman North Africa” Lecture
Link: Yale University: Professor Diana E. E. Kleiner’s “Hometown Boy: Honoring and Emperor’s Roots in Roman North Africa” (YouTube)
Also available in:
HTML, Adobe Flash, Mp3 or QuickTime
iTunes U
Instructions: Please watch the entirety of this video. As with all lectures for this class, you should pay careful attention to every image discussed and take careful note of dates and vocabulary.
Terms of Use: Diana E. E. Kleiner, Roman Architecture (Yale University: Open Yale Courses), http://oyc.yale.edu (Accessed March 10, 2011) License: Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 3.0. The original version can be found here.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Metropolitan Museum of Art: Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History: Jean Sorabella’s “Art of the Roman Provinces, 1-500 A.D.” and De Imperatoribus Romanis: Michael L. Meckler’s “Septimius Severus (193-211 A.D.)”
-
2.6 Jordan, Lebanon, and Libya
- Reading: Metropolitan Museum of Art: Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History: Department of Ancient Near Eastern Art’s “Trade between Romans and the Empires of Asia” and “Nabataean Kingdom and Petra”; Brown University: Petra Great Temple Excavation: Professor Martha Sharp Joukowsky’s “A Brief History of Petra” and “The Great Temple Tour”
Links: Metropolitan Museum of Art: Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History: Department of Ancient Near Eastern Art’s “Trade between Romans and the Empires of Asia” (HTML) and “Nabataean Kingdom and Petra” (HTML); Brown University: Petra Great Temple Excavation: Professor Martha Sharp Joukowsky’s “A Brief History of Petra” (HTML) and “The Great Temple Tour” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read the entirety of these web pages for an overview of Roman architecture in the eastern provinces. Please also look closely at all cited images.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Lecture: Yale University: Professor Diana E. E. Kleiner’s “Baroque Extravaganzas: Rock Tombs, Fountains, and Sanctuaries in Jordan, Lebanon, and Libya” Lecture
Link: Yale University: Professor Diana E. E. Kleiner’s “Baroque Extravaganzas: Rock Tombs, Fountains, and Sanctuaries in Jordan, Lebanon, and Libya” (YouTube)
Also available in:
HTML, Adobe Flash, Mp3 or QuickTime
iTunes U
Instructions: Please watch the entirety of this video. As with all lectures for this class, you should pay careful attention to every image discussed and take careful note of dates and vocabulary.
Terms of Use: Diana E. E. Kleiner, Roman Architecture (Yale University: Open Yale Courses), http://oyc.yale.edu (Accessed March 10, 2011) License: Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 3.0. The original version can be found here.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Metropolitan Museum of Art: Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History: Department of Ancient Near Eastern Art’s “Trade between Romans and the Empires of Asia” and “Nabataean Kingdom and Petra”; Brown University: Petra Great Temple Excavation: Professor Martha Sharp Joukowsky’s “A Brief History of Petra” and “The Great Temple Tour”
-
2.7 Rome in Athens
- Reading: The Stoa Consortium for Electronic Publication in the Humanities: The Ancient City of Athens: Kevin T. Glowacki’s “The Library of Hadrian,” University of Chicago: Encyclopaedia Romana: James Grout’s “Temple of Olympian Zeus (Olympieion),” and The Stoa Consortium for Electronic Publication in the Humanities: The Ancient City of Athens: Kevin T. Glowacki’s “The Philopappos Monument”
Links: The Stoa Consortium for Electronic Publication in the Humanities: The Ancient City of Athens: Kevin T. Glowacki’s “The Library of Hadrian” (HTML), University of Chicago: Encyclopaedia Romana: James Grout’s “Temple of Olympian Zeus (Olympieion)” (HTML), and The Stoa Consortium for Electronic Publication in the Humanities: The Ancient City of Athens: Kevin T. Glowacki’s “The Philopappos Monument” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read the entirety of these web pages in order for an overview of some of the most important Roman monuments in Athens. Please also look closely at all cited images.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Lecture: Yale University: Professor Diana E. E. Kleiner’s “Roman Wine in Greek Bottles: The Rebirth of Athens” Lecture
Link: Yale University: Professor Diana E. E. Kleiner’s “Roman Wine in Greek Bottles: The Rebirth of Athens” (YouTube)
Also available in:
HTML, Adobe Flash, Mp3 or QuickTime
iTunes U
Instructions: Please watch the entirety of this video. As with all lectures for this class, you should pay careful attention to every image discussed and take careful note of dates and vocabulary.
Terms of Use: Diana E. E. Kleiner, Roman Architecture (Yale University: Open Yale Courses), http://oyc.yale.edu (Accessed March 10, 2011) License: Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 3.0. The original version can be found here.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The Stoa Consortium for Electronic Publication in the Humanities: The Ancient City of Athens: Kevin T. Glowacki’s “The Library of Hadrian,” University of Chicago: Encyclopaedia Romana: James Grout’s “Temple of Olympian Zeus (Olympieion),” and The Stoa Consortium for Electronic Publication in the Humanities: The Ancient City of Athens: Kevin T. Glowacki’s “The Philopappos Monument”
-
2.8 The Western Provinces
- Reading: Livius.org: Jona Lendering’s “Arusio (Orange),” “Nemausus (Nîmes),” “Segovia”
Links: Livius.org: Jona Lendering’s “Arusio (Orange)” (HTML), “Nemausus (Nîmes)” (HTML), and “Segovia” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read the entirety of these web pages for an overview of Roman art in the western provinces. Please also look closely at all cited images.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Lecture: Yale University: Professor Diana E. E. Kleiner’s “Making Mini Romes on the Western Frontier” Lecture
Link: Yale University: Professor Diana E. E. Kleiner’s “Making Mini Romes on the Western Frontier” (YouTube)
Also available in:
HTML, Adobe Flash, Mp3 or QuickTime
iTunes U
Instructions: Please watch the entirety of this video. As with all lectures for this class, you should pay careful attention to every image discussed and take careful note of dates and vocabulary.
Terms of Use: Diana E. E. Kleiner, Roman Architecture (Yale University: Open Yale Courses), http://oyc.yale.edu (Accessed March 10, 2011) License: Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 3.0. The original version can be found here.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Livius.org: Jona Lendering’s “Arusio (Orange),” “Nemausus (Nîmes),” “Segovia”
-
2.9 The Roman Tetrarchy
- Reading: Livius.org: Ancient Rome: Jona Lendering’s “Tetrarchy,” and ibiblio’s “Diocletian the Builder, and the Decline of Architecture”
Links: Livius.org: Ancient Rome: Jona Lendering’s “Tetrarchy” (HTML) and ibiblio’s “Diocletian the Builder, and the Decline of Architecture” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read the entirety of these webpage for an introduction to the Roman Tetrarchy. Please also look closely at all cited images.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Lecture: Yale University: Professor Diana E. E. Kleiner’s “Rome Redux: The Tetrarchic Renaissance” Lecture
Link: Yale University: Professor Diana E. E. Kleiner’s “Rome Redux: The Tetrarchic Renaissance” (YouTube)
Also available in:
HTML, Adobe Flash, Mp3 or QuickTime
iTunes U
Instructions: Please watch the entirety of this video. As with all lectures for this class, you should pay careful attention to every image discussed and take careful note of dates and vocabulary.
Terms of Use: Diana E. E. Kleiner, Roman Architecture (Yale University: Open Yale Courses), http://oyc.yale.edu (Accessed March 10, 2011) License: Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 3.0. The original version can be found here.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Assessment: The Saylor Foundation's "Commission a Building or Other Architectural Monument"
Link: The Saylor Foundation's "Commission a Building or Other Architectural Monument" (PDF)
Instructions: Click on the link above to review detailed instructions for completing a creative essay assignment that utilizes the knowledge you have acquired so far in this course. You can check your answers with The Saylor Foundation’s “Answer Key” (PDF).See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Livius.org: Ancient Rome: Jona Lendering’s “Tetrarchy,” and ibiblio’s “Diocletian the Builder, and the Decline of Architecture”
-
2.10 Rome under Constantine
- Reading: School of Architecture University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign: Professor Robert Ousterhout’s “Architecture under Constantine I (312-37)”; University of Chicago: Encyclopaedia Romana: James Grout’s “Arch of Constantine” and “Basilica of Constantine”; and Livius.org: Jona Lendering’s “Constantinople (1)”
Links: School of Architecture University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign: Professor Robert Ousterhout’s “Architecture under Constantine I (312-37)” (HTML); University of Chicago: Encyclopaedia Romana: James Grout’s “Arch of Constantine” (HTML) and “Basilica of Constantine” (HTML); and Livius.org: Jona Lendering’s “Constantinople (1)” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read the entirety of these web pages for an overview of Rome and Constantinople under Emperor Constantine. Please also look closely at all cited images.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
The Saylor Foundation is missing some materials for this portion of the course. If you are interested in contributing your content to fill this gap or aware of a resource that could be used here, please submit it here.
Submit MaterialsSee a broken link? Please let us know!
- Lecture: Yale University: Professor Diana E. E. Kleiner’s “Rome of Constantine and a New Rome” Lecture
Link: Yale University: Professor Diana E. E. Kleiner’s “Rome of Constantine and a New Rome” (YouTube)
Also available in:
HTML, Adobe Flash, Mp3 or QuickTime
iTunes U
Instructions: Please watch the entirety of this video. As with all lectures for this class, you should pay careful attention to every image discussed and take careful note of dates and vocabulary.
Terms of Use: Diana E. E. Kleiner, Roman Architecture (Yale University: Open Yale Courses), http://oyc.yale.edu (Accessed March 10, 2011) License: Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 3.0. The original version can be found here.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: School of Architecture University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign: Professor Robert Ousterhout’s “Architecture under Constantine I (312-37)”; University of Chicago: Encyclopaedia Romana: James Grout’s “Arch of Constantine” and “Basilica of Constantine”; and Livius.org: Jona Lendering’s “Constantinople (1)”
-
Final Exam
- Final Exam: The Saylor Foundation's "ARTH409 Final Exam"
Link: The Saylor Foundation's "ARTH409 Final Exam"
Instructions: You must be logged into your Saylor Foundation School account in order to access this exam. If you do not yet have an account, you will be able to create one, free of charge, after clicking the link.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Final Exam: The Saylor Foundation's "ARTH409 Final Exam"
