Roman Empire
THE BEGINNING

At the beginning, the Romans were mostly agricultural people, mostly farmers. Unlike the Greeks and other Mediterranean civilizations, “commerce did not rate highly in the Roman system of values; it was left in the hand of inferior social classes, even slaves”. However, the Roman Empire was being developed; its first major step was taken when the spread of a “uniform Roman law” was evident. It provided the legal framework for the economic activity throughout the Empire.
 

THE PEAK

By 117 AD, the Roman Empire has reached its peak. 

 
 
Greek, Classic, 
Polykleitos, 
Doryphoros c450BCE
 

The Classic Romans

Ernst H. Gombrich
schema and correction

form

iconography

context

Roman Classic,
Roman Classic:
Augustus from Prima Porta
20 BCE

Panathanaic Procession, Frieze c. 438-432 BCE marble, height 42"   
from the Parthenon, Athens, Greece now in the British Museum, London
Imperial Procession, 13-9 BCE  marble 
detail of a releif on the Ara Pacis. Height 5'2" (1.6 m) Rome

 

 
 

 
 
 

 

Rome Arch of Titus 81CE


Rome Arch of Titus 81CE


Detail of Titus



 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


 

Rome Arch of Titus 81CE, The Spoils of Jerusalem


Rome, Pantheon 118-128CE
Marcus Agrippa
Hadrian?



 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


Rome, Pantheon 118-128CE
Marcus Agrippa
Hadrian?


Colosseum 70-82 CE Rome, Italy