Art in Rome Midterm Fall - Assignment Example

Art in Rome Midterm Fall 2 Episode 1 The Via Appia is the ancient Rome Appian way running from Rome to Brindisi. Originally, the road’s main purpose was to enable the roman military to move its forces and supplies quickly. However, the road had other uses. Besides its military importance, the Via Appia was a tomb road. Since Roman law forbade its citizens from burying their dead in the city, the people decided to bury them along the road. Rome’s main reason for prohibiting her citizens from burying the dead within the city confines was basically to avoid and limit diseases. As such, the Via Appia is lined with tomb monuments on both sides (Beard 2009). Along the road, there are both aristocratic tombs and the more common and simple tombs. One of the aristocratic tombs along the road is for Cecilia Metella who was a roman consul’s daughter. Lastly, the Via Appia had economic importance. It was used by roman merchants who wanted to access the south eastern seaports of Italy. 2 After climbing to the top seats of the coliseum, Mary shows us the arena below. 3 Ostia sits on river Tiber’s mouth. It is at this port where ships from the Mediterranean docked. Subsequently, they unloaded cargo into barges which was then transported upriver to Rome. Therefore, the city of Ostia was significant to Rome since it had vital shipping interests. Many items and goods entered Rome via the port of Ostia such as wine, oil, olive and food. As such, the port was quite important for Rome. 4 Monte Testaccio stands as a detritus mountain in a city characterized by storied hills. The romans used Monte Testaccio as a rubbish dump. All amphorae originating from the Roman Empire’s provinces were dumped in monte testaccio. During the roman era, amphorae were the primary container used for the storage and transportation of goods. Due to their re usability and low cost, these containers were produced en masse, although most of them ended up at the dump site. Most of the containers (amphorae) discarded at Monte Testaccio were used to carry olive oil. Continuous dumping of these containers led to the creation of Monte Testaccio. 5 Zabda, Achiba and Baricha are former prisoners of war in Mary’s documentary. Later, they became Roman citizens. 6 Imperial dye was made from a specific type of sea snails found in the Mediterranean Sea. The romans would extract the hypobranchial gland from the snails and salt added to the resulting juice. Next, the liquid was boiled down to form imperial dye. Episode 2 7 The marble map of Rome was drawn between 203 to 211 CE. It covered a whole wall inside Rome‘s Pacis Templum. The map illustrated or showed the ground plan of each and every architectural structure in the old city. Thus, the marble map featured structures ranging from the vast public monuments to the small rooms, staircases and even shops. Also, the map shows that the structure of Rome’s urban fabric was not segregated. Houses of the wealthy and the poor were juxtaposed in the map. Also, most of Rome was not zoned according to the map. Unlike our current modern cities, Rome cities tended to mix commercial space, religious space, living space and monumental space. 8 The humorists implied that the roman streets were quite unsafe. However, the influential people who lived in good and secure areas dint feel the effect of insecurity. Nevertheless, insecurity was a major issue in ancient Rome. This issue forced Emperor Augustus to create a police force which patrolled the city. Nonetheless, the poor areas even after the formation of the police force remained untamed and risky. The poor people in ancient Rome often resided in wooden houses which too posed a fire risk. Therefore, although the authorities cared, the streets of Rome, especially in the poor areas were unsafe. 9 Most of the ancient roman inhabitants were poor people. As such, they resided in flats referred to as insulae with many of them being five stories in height. These blocks of flats were mostly badly built, and in some instances, their roofs often caved in while their walls cracked. Additionally, they were mostly overcrowded. The people lived in two or single rooms with very basic furniture for their houses. These rooms were on most times heated by braziers using charcoal. Life for most common ancient romans was not as comfortable as it was for the ruling class. Also, the romans obtained their water form public troughs and fountains. Moreover, they used public toilets. Due to these conditions, their lighting, sanitation and space conditions were poor. It was not uncommon for ancient Romans to throw waste from via windows into the streets 10 Lack of proper sanitation, light and space led to the spread of diseases during this era. The poor waste management levels including waste water posed a major risk to the public. For example, toilet hygiene was quite poor since they used reusable sponges because they dint have toilet paper then. This led to spread of diseases majorly because the common Romans shared these sponges. Also, the public toilets were cramped together hence according the users no privacy. Lastly, the romans mostly dint clean their hands after using the toilet resulting in bacterial infection. The overcrowding led to the roman streets being unsafe. Street robberies and muggings were a common spectacle in ancient Rome. 11 Since most insuale in ancient room did not have toilet or drainage facilities, the people used the public facilities. The toilets were designed in the form of long rectangular platforms dotted with several nearly adjacent seats without any privacy partitions. These latrines were communal just like the baths. Many People could use them at the same time. Water originating from the public baths and toilets flowed continuously with the waste into the sewers located beneath the city. These public toilets were on the most part dirty and a source of bacterial infection. 12 Primus Noticimus was a rent collector who had only three great pleasures in life; wine, sex and baths. 13 In ancient Rome, bathing played a vital role in their society and culture. It was an activity practiced by nearly all social classes. Though most societies view bathing as a private affair, romans took baths communally. Although the wealthy afforded bathing structures and facilities in their homes, most romans took their baths in public facilities often referred to as thermae. The baths were made up of a series of mostly heated pools and rooms. The baths had changing rooms, exercise rooms, swimming pools, sweating rooms, hot room, warm room, and lastly a cool room. Bathers followed this order while taking their baths. The rich and powerful frequented these baths although they had their own primarily to discuss politics and socialize. The rich dominated the poor in ancient Rome. This can be clearly illustrated by them (rich) having their own baths in their houses while the common folk had to share the public baths. 14 Flavius Agricola on his epitaph advises that people should enjoy life while they are alive, for life’s pleasures ebb when death strikes. He advocates for people to enjoy wine, drink merrily, enjoy the pleasures of beautiful women and live life to the fullest before they die. He claims that there are no pleasures after death. 15 Often termed as popinae, the ancient roman bars were places where wines and simple foods such as bread, stews and olives were found. They were places for romans of the lower classes. In these places, people engaged themselves in drinking, gambling and engaging in sexual activities. As such, they were seen as immoral places full of violence and crime by respectable romans. Furthermore, prostitutes frequented these bars to look for customers. 16 The Romans used to joke about how dangerous and chaotic their city was. Consequently, they made us picture the roman streets as being dangerous, dirty and chaotic. The famous joke “write a will when you go out” affirms this analysis. 17 According to Mary, her forum was dilapidated poor with little space, poor lighting and dirty. The forum was mostly a place for dentists, gamblers, prostitutes, rent boys and thieves. 18 The phrase to lose your mables means to lose your mind. Additionally, it can be taken to mean to commence acting in a strange way which deviates from the normal. 19 The Scandinavian archaeologists discovered how the ancient roman city looked. 19 The roman SVBVRA is currently referred to as suburra meaning the inhabited place under the city. It was termed as the Rome’s wrong end. Currently it is dotted by narrow lanes that mark an illusion of a city composed of tall buildings from various different eras. Doris was an unlucky girl who perished in Rome’s many fires. Civic duty is often defined as a citizen’s responsibility. It is made up of attitudes and actions associated with free and democratic governance or social participation. Rome had civic services. The citizens thought it was their duty and responsibility to the state to participate or get involved in the empire’s affairs. Episode 3 20 Te amo parum is a Latin phrase meaning I love you not enough. 21 Prima Florentia was a very unfortunate wife since she was murdered by her husband. Given her young age (16 years), her marriage could not have lasted long or they had not been married for long. Alia Potestas is majorly known via her epitaph. The inscriptions imply that she was a hardworking woman who always rose early and retired to bed late. In relation to her body, the inscriptions paint her as a very beautiful and sensuous woman who lived happily with two men who were both her lovers. 22 In 79CE, Mount Vesuvius erupted and covered or destroyed the city of Pompeii in addition to other villas in the area. The sella curulis (folding stool) is my favorite piece of roman furniture. This is basically because the stool implied power and authority in ancient Rome. 23 There are few tombstones for roman children since some of the children were fed to beasts. Yes, school children in Rome were subjected to corporal punishment. Gemina Agatha Mater was an 11 year old roman lad who died from exhaustion by working too hard. His pushy parents are responsible for his death. A crepundia is a necklace often worn by roman babies around their necks. These necklaces were a baby’s first toy followed by dolls at a later age. 24 Romans saw their slaves as things and not human beings. Additionally, the relations between master and slave were mostly adversarial. However, relationships/ bonds of affection between slaves and their masters were also common. For example, MARCVS ARISTO had affection for his slaves. Yes, JVNIA PROCLA’s mother was adulterous. Works Cited Beard, Mary. The Roman Triumph. Harvard University Press, 2009. Print Read More