Greek and Roman Art Roman Term Paper

Ancient Greek art has survived most successfully in the forms of sculpture and architecture, as well as in such minor arts as coin design, pottery and gem engraving. Greek architecture relied on two main styles, namely the Doric and the Ionic. The names were given by the Ancient Greeks themselves, who believed that these architectural styles were derived from the gods (Chase: 122). Ancient Greek art has survived most successfully in the forms of sculpture and architecture. However, most of the monuments of Ancient Greece have not survived; they were either destroyed by wars, or by nature in earthquakes or fires. Only a handful of temples, such as the Parthenon and the Temple of Hephaestus in Athens, have been spared.

Major forms of Roman art include architecture, painting, sculpture and mosaic work. According to a traditional classification of Roman sculpture, there are a number of distinct categories of Roman artifacts such as: portraiture, historical relief, funerary reliefs, sarcophagi, and copies (Gazda: 121). Minor forms of art were also explored by the Romans. Glass manufacture was rather developed; the large collection of glass vessels consists for the most part of products of the Greco-Roman and Roman periods (Chase: 235). Among the most striking products of the ancient workers in glass are the vases called millefiori, "a thousand flowers" by the Venetians of the Renaissance (Ibid: 236).

Without a shadow of a doubt, Roman architecture was deeply influenced by Greek architecture; however, the Romans managed to create a new architectural style which maintained the Greek influence, but also suited the Roman profile and purpose.Moreover, the Romans brought several changes and improvements to the Greek architectural styles. Firstly, these buildings had to represent the greatness of the Empire hence their size and appearance had to impress the Roman people as well as be suitable for public functions. Secondly, the Romans were forced to adapt these styles to a far vaster population - compared to that of Ancient Greece; furthermore, thanks to the wealth of the empire, builders could use better materials as well as experiment more with building techniques and styles.

Greek, Etruscan & Roman Art: The Classical Collections of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Ed. George H. Chase. Boston:, 1963.

Gazda, Elaine K. Roman Sculpture and the Ethos of Emulation: Reconsidering Repetition Harvard Studies in Classical Philology, Vol. 97, Greece in….....