Answer to Question #278737 in English for Jnls

Question

Compare and contrast Greek and Roman artworks.

Answer 1

Although Roman art is sophisticated and diverse, most of it is better defined by the cultures it conquered. From their temples and sculptures to their reliefs and paintings, the ancient Greeks were the most influential of these cultures. The first significant programs for sculpture, painting, and architecture were established in Greece. Because their art recalls the Classical and Hellenistic periods of ancient Greece, many of the first Roman artists were of Greek heritage. Because the Romans fashioned their forms and styles after the Greeks, most of what is termed Roman art is critiqued as being simple reproductions of Greek art. However, other cultures, particularly the Etruscans, affected the Romans as well.

Both the Greeks and the Romans devoted their temples to the gods, but unlike today's temples, which are used for worship, Greek and Roman temples were utilized for diverse purposes. Greek temples served as the residence of a specific god as well as a location to worship the god that resided there. Temples were utilized by the Romans to honor a god for military triumph or to demonstrate a politician's increased riches and rank by commissioning the construction of a temple. While Greek temples were normally utilized by one person at a time, Roman temples were frequently used as a meeting place for individuals to express a variety of social and political concerns. An altar to the gods was located within the cella of both Greek and Roman temples. These altars were created using components from Greek temple architecture, and Roman sarcophagi were occasionally styled after them. The components that the Romans took from Greek temples are depicted on the Sarcophagus of Lucius Cornelius Scipio Barbatus from his grave on the Via Appia from 200 B.C.E. It is a hybrid of two Greek temple styles: Ionic and Doric. The Ionic style is represented by the curves on the lid, and the Doric style is represented by the squares on the side of the sarcophagus, each of which has a set of columns on each vertical line.