Augustus dies, nephew Tiberius takes throne as last general, Tiberius adopts Gaeas (Caligula), he is assassinated, last one standing is Claudius (Caligula’s uncle, hiding somewhere), he is a successful emperor, he marries and adopts son from a older marriage, this is Nero, Claudius dies (maybe poisoned), Nero is 17. Nero has powerful mother, going well, decides he doesn’t want to live in mothers shadow, starts consolidating power (kills wife and mother) and goes a bit crazy. Have massive 6 day power, half of city is dissemated (Nero is good, rebuilds, has fire code have to start building in brick and have wider streets). Decides that he could take portion of city for himself, had been elite housing, all entertainment in colloseum valley, fills it in with artificial lake, takes temple platform that was going to be for Claudius, has Domus Aurea (Golden House). He builds colossus – huge statue of himself, at entrance to his massive house, forum is like his driveway.

Left: Aureus with portraits of Nero and Agrippina the Younger, 54 CE

Right: Head of Nero, Palatine Hill, Rome, ca. 59-64 CE

Rome. Area of the DomusAurea. Mid-1st c. CE.

Rome. DomusAurea. Mid-1st c. CE.

Golden house – underground now, series of rooms, peristyle, entertaining places, fountain walls, seashells and mosaics. Nero finishes palace structure. 

Rome. DomusAurea. Mid-1st c. CE with the foundations of the Baths of Trajan (in red) overlapping

Red lines are foundations for concrete podium to build baths for another emperor. 

Rome. DomusAurea. Octagonal room. Mid-1st c. CE.

Octagonal room, first successful dome architecture of the time.

Internal revolving floor to mimic real constellations in the sky. Covered in marble mosaics (but were robbed).

Rome. DomusAurea. Mid-1st c. CE.

Fourth style – very whimsical. Influential on later art styles. A guy fell and found himself in here, so decided to go caving to see amazing frescos – inspired grotesque style (like grotto). Nero builds himself amazing house, emperor figure, egotistical, kills many people, bodyguards revolt, leads to Nero’s suicide rather to be caught and killed. 

68 Nero commits suicide. We have period of 4 emperors. Succession crisis. Promote commander in position of power but then have to fight for power. Then Vespasian is able to settle some order. 

Year of the Four Emperors

68/69 CE

Galba

Otho

Vitellius

Vespasian

Civil war following the suicide of Nero in 68 CE.

Galba commander in Spain, he had support of senate and army to become emperor. Comes to Rome with support of Otho, who believes he’ll be successor of Galba. But Galba choses someone else, have conflict. Otho is able to convice body gaurds to switch sides (praetorian guard), Galba is killed. Otho models himself on Nero. Vitellius marches towards Rome, meets Otho in battle, Otho is forced to commit suicide. Vitellius is a cruel and gluttonous individual, army supports Vespasian. 

Sestertius with portrait of Galba, Rome, 68 CE

Quick succession of emperoros, not many public works. Have coinage. Here is Galba.

Giulio-Claudians portrayed themselves in youthful form. Under Nero have less idealized form. Nero shown with wrinkles, and beard, hair curled around his head looking like a crown.

Have trend of individualized look, can see Galba as older, sunken features, heavy under chin, big nose. Moving away form idealized imagery. 

Gold Aureus with portrait of Otho, Rome, 69 CE

Aging as well. Otho was bald, tries to portray himself with hair, maybe a wig? Imagery depicted how emperors wanted themselves to be viewed. 

Portrait of Vitellius, 69 CE

Broken over time. Idea of Gluttony (full face, crows feet, bags under his eyes, creases on forehead)

After four emperoros, Vespecian is able to control things, has two children, Titus and Domitian. Served under emperor Claudius in birtan, sent to Judea, taken over Judea except Jerusalem. When declared emperor, he left his son Titus to finish fighting revolts, declares victory once they sack great temple in Jerusalem.

Vespecian – treasuries in Rome had been used by Nero for Domus Aria. So Vespecian tries to have tax reforms to fill treasury and then started projects given back to public, gave him some support. His famous work was the colloseum, but finished under Titus. Mount Vesuvius erupts during Titus’ reign. Have fire and plague. Titus dies and his brother takes over. 

Portrait of Vespasian, 70-79 CE

Hairstle is shorten and cropped, clean shaven, military look, showing he is a good commander, not displaying himself as idealized youth, came into power when he was 60. Furrowed brow, crows feet, realistic features. Pursed lips suggests that he may not have teeth.

Portrait of Titus, 79-81 CE

Military garment on, similar features to Vespecian, more hair, receding hairline, 

Portrait of Domitian, Rome, ca. 88 CE

Similar facial structure to Vespecian. Has hairstyle recalling Nero. He has a bad reputation, gets senate to declare him dominus et deus (lord and god), created a number of public works, very unpopular. Killed. Senate institutes rules as damnatiomemoriae (damnation of memory), people went around and destroyed his images, wanted to strike him from public memory. Also with Nero and Caligula. 

Bust of a Flavian woman, Rome, ca. 90 CE

Very idealized and youthful, in contrast with male portraits. Elaborate hairstyle. Have use of drills to make coils, gives shadowy effect. These were painted. 

Rome. Imperial Fora.

Plan of forum. Get forum under Vespecian – the black lined one. Trying to display that he brought peace (like Augustus). Had plants and trees not just paved over. Art like Domus Arcus and from Judean conquest.

Bottom – Ceasar. Above him – Augustus. Black – Vespecian. Long one – forum trans.itoria On the left – forum of trasian (?)

Rome. The Forum of Peace. Late 1st c. CE.

Garden like atmosphere. By Vespician. 

Rome. The Forum of Peace. Late 1st c. CE.

Temple not on high podium, flushed with columns, unusual design.

Rome. Colosseum/Flavian Amphitheatre. Late 1st c. CE.

Colosseum – built over artificial lake by Nero. Flavians tried to give this back to the public. Called colosseum because they edited the face of Nero’s collosol to be a normal sun diety, generic face, is in front of Colosseum.

Have arches on top of arches. Facing made from travertine stone to make it more aesthetically pleasing.

Now see super structure.

Rome. Colosseum/Flavian Amphitheatre. Late 1st c. CE.

Central area would have not been visible. Had 80 entrance ways, had tickets with assigned sections. Vestil virgins (priestesses of Vesta) had good seating. The bottom would have been covered with wood with sand underneath to soak up the blood. Project was sponsored by Vespecian, took 10 years, started aroud 70 CE, he died in 79, son Titus finished it and dedicated it to him. Had a series of games that lasted 100 days straight.

Got robbed from marble and decorations. Underneath – series of cages, rooms for gladiators, some tunnels that led to gladiator school, trap doors so animals could spring out. 

Rome. Colosseum/Flavian Amphitheatre. Late 1st c. CE.

Series of arches for seating. Entrace ways called vomitoria. Series of engaged collumns like theater of Marcellus. Tuscan collumns, then ionic, and then Corinthian columns. 

Rome. Colosseum/Flavian Amphitheatre. Late 1st c. CE.

Sculptures within each of arches. Have wooden supports – for giant cloth canvas covering crowd from sun. Operated by roman navy.

Columns: engaged on every layers, Tuscan style on lowest, then ionic style (classic), then Corinthian order (floral plants)

Rome. Colosseum/Flavian Amphitheatre. Late 1st c. CE.

What it looks like now. Tiers of arches would have extended. Foundations not as strong because of lake. Marble was robbed out of it. Have later medieval additions. Had squatters. 

Rome. Arch of Titus. Late 1st c. CE.

Impressive Flavian architecture. Known as arch of Titus. To commemorate his win in Judea and his way on becoming a god. Dedicated by his brother after the death of Titus. Wasn’t sponsored by Titus but by his brother. White marble done by Benito Mussolini. Have spandrels, series of victory goddess. Holding symbols of crowns of laurel, winged creatures. Had military procession

Rome. Arch of Titus. Late 1st c. CE. Spoils of Jerusalem.

Here is the military procession, Holding candelabra or menorah taken. Items taken. Not clear is triumph went underneath arch or if later triumphs did. 

Rome. Arch of Titus. Late 1st c. CE.  Triumph of Titus.

Procession – Titus himself. In chariot called quadriga. Someone holding laurel crown over his head. Difference in scale and depth. 

Arch of Titus, vault with apotheosis of Titus, Rome, after 81 CE

Scene of apotheosis – becoming a god. Titus looks similar to portrait. Flying on eagle being lifted up toward the gods to join them. Inside the arch at the top. 

Rome. Imperial Palace on the Palatine. Late 1st c. CE.

Arch of Titus built by brother. Flavian date from period of Domitian. Like expansion of palace on Palatine. Augustus lived in little house. Then in Julio-Claudian dynasty expanded and built palaces. Nero builds Domus Aria – huge. Flavians give back land such as colosseum and baths. Do not give back Palatine (taken from Nero) but build themselves a state/residential palace. Emperors are becoming more and more imperial. Wanting to be deified. Domatium wants to become a god as he is still living.

Palatine not well excavated – lots of stuff people don’t want to build up like convent church, have beautiful garden.

Here is bulk of palace and additions that were added later.

Bottom is public. Private part is above. 

Rome. Imperial Palace on the Palatine. Late 1st c. CE.

Have audience chamber, emperor could come out and greet people every morning (like patron greets clients). Have basilica – used as meeting hall.

Have marble and water – fountains and perystiles, banqueting hall. Impressive. 

Left: “Stadium”/ “Hippodrome” of Domitian at the Imperial Palace, Palatine Hill, Rome, late 1st c. CE

Right: Sunken garden of Third Court at the Imperial Palace, Palatine Hill, Rome, late 1st c. CE

Have sunken garden, concrete construction, everything is built upwards expect this garden, all marble is gone. Stadium – long structure, just a massive garden in shape of stadium. Could walk. Have baths were emperor can see people walk around. This area is for private, only here is friend of emperor. Sunken garden for privacy. Most of what you see are substructures.

Rome. The Stadium of Domitian (Piazza Navona). Late 1st c. CE.

Actual stadium Domitian built. Like a racetrack. Put obelisk from Egypt in the center. Run around. 

Rome. The Stadium of Domitian (Piazza Navona). Late 1st c. CE.

Very little survives. Domitian disliked because he talks about himself as living god. He is killed.

Influence that praetorian guards have and military. They can decide who will become and remain emperor. Different than elections. Emperosreceive all of these positions, hold all power. Become less subtle (unlike Augustus), if they go to far they get assassinated, like Nero and Caligula. Want to be imperial but have to remain balanced, see this in Amphitheater versus houses.

Nero – suicide because he knew they were outside, rather than be tortured. Choice to prevent falling into hands of someone much worse.

Fresco – art of painting a wall, with plaster, paint in when wet, better than painting on stone.

Barrel vault – start with arch. Every stone pushes on another stone. In concrete its easier. One arch, lets do one arch behind it, have a vault. A bunch of arches behind each other, easy to do in concrete. To make theater, get a vault, manipulate shape by making one end smaller so its sloping on top, distributes mass, this is a conical vault. Slope entire thing up, one end is higher and wider. Start stacking the vaults, will always get steeper. Purpose – can build large structures because it is very strong, distributes stress on the sides. Very deep foundations. Allows you to make sloping shape without giant wall of concrete, people can move in and out, cheaper.

Domes – force distributed out in all directions, done in Domus Aria and then Pantheon.

Years for emperors – put century – Flavian is 1st century CE.

Pompeii –concepts for houses,