CHAPTER SIX
ETRUSCAN AND ROMAN ART
6
Multiple Choice
1. The Etruscans often decorated their tombs to resemble
A. royal palaces.
B. rooms in their homes.
C. outdoor environments.
D. Greek temples.
2. How do the relief carvings on the Arch of Constantine (Fig. 6-66) demonstrate a stylistic shift
in art of the fourth century?
A. more recognizable details with classicizing illusionism
B. a two-dimensional, hierarchical approach to representation
C. closer adherence to Etruscan artistic traditions
D. active, graceful postures influenced by Hellenistic art
3. How did the Roman state facilitate the empire’s development and administration?
A. He convinced the people that he was a god.
B. He implemented martial law and enforced religious tolerance.
C. He revived an interest in Greek Classical ideals.
D. He initiated massive building projects to improve city life.
4. Housing in a Roman city was made up of apartment blocks called
A. compartments.
B. segments.
C. insulae.
D. burrows.
5. What was the function of the colossal statue of Constantine the Great (Fig. 6-69)?
A. It stood outside the Flavian Amphitheater.
B. It served as a permanent stand-in for the emperor.
C. It was an object of worship located in the Basilica Nova.
D. It helped structurally support the roof of the Basilica Nova.
6. The study of what part of Roman homes was neglected until 1973?
A. the “female” spaces
B. the wall paintings
C. the gardens
D. the exterior facade
7. The Flavian Amphitheater (Figs. 6-37 and 6-38) is also known as the “Colosseum” because of
A. the statue of Nero that stood next to it.
B. its imposing size and seating capacity.
C. its function as a public entertainment site.
D. the muscular physique of Roman gladiators.
8. How are the Ara Pacis Augustae (Fig. 6-19) and the Column of Trajan (Figs. 6-46 and 6-47)
similar?
A. Both record a military event.
B. Both include realistic, anecdotal details.
C. Both were built as imperial tombs.
D. Both show the emperor’s ancestry.
9. What did Constantine issue in 313 CE that became a model of religious tolerance?
A. Edict of Constantinople
B. Verdict of Rome
C. Treaty of Ravenna
D. Edict of Milan
10. What medium demonstrates exceptional technical skill in the Etruscans’ production of large-
scale sculpture?
A. marble
B. terra cotta
C. limestone
D. stucco
11. Which part of their temples did the Etruscans decorate with sculpture, in contrast to Greek
architectural plans?
A. porch
B. pediment
C. roof
D. side walls
12. Which metalworking technique was used to decorate bronze Etruscan cistae?
A. etching
B. engraving
C. repousse
D. niello
13. The Romans’ tradition of realistic portrait sculpture probably derives from their
A. desire to revive Greek Classical ideals.
B. veneration of deceased ancestors.
C. concerns about the afterlife.
D. use of art as political propaganda.
14. How does Augustus of Primaporta (Fig. 6-18) differ from Greek Classical sculpture?
A. the figure’s accurate proportions
B. the figure’s youthful appearance
C. the figure’s identifiable facial features
D. the figure’s contrapposto pose
15. Which cultural influence can be seen in the dramatic action of the Gemma Augustea (Fig. 6-
22)?
A. Egyptian
B. Etruscan
C. Classical Greek
D. Hellenistic
16. The wall paintings in the House of the Vetii (Fig. 6-28)
A. depict a continuous narrative around the entire room.
B. resemble framed pictures hung on the wall.
C. exemplify the Roman tradition of still-life painting.
D. are unusual because most homes relied on mosaics for decoration.
17. Who proposed a schematic system for organizing Pompeian wall paintings?
A. Pliny the Elder
B. Anna Maria Carruba
C. Wilhelmina Jashemski
D. August Mau
18. Which of the Flavian Amphitheater’s (Figs. 6-37 and 6-38) architectural elements serves no
structural purpose?
A. the entablature of the outer wall
B. the arcade of the outer wall
C. the interior groin vaults
D. the barrel-vaulted corridors
19. The biggest problem with concrete is
A. it is expensive and difficult to manipulate.
B. it requires highly skilled workers.
C. it deteriorates when exposed to moisture.
D. it is difficult to transport.
20. In comparison to Greek women, Roman women were
A. treated like slaves.
B. involved in rituals.
C. not allowed to own property.
D. socially far freer.
21. Which technique was used to make the mosaic The Unswept Floor (Fig. 6-55) look realistic?
A. shadow
B. foreshortening
C. scale
D. saturation
22. In approximately 1000 BCE, which group of people occupied the northern and western
regions of what was to become known as the Italian peninsula?
A. Villanovans
B. Pompeians
C. Samnites
D. Dacians
23. What is a slow-drying type of plaster that can be molded and carved?
A. pozzolana
B. concrete
C. stucco
D. terra cotta
24. Which architect described the accomplishments of the Roman builders in his Ten Books of
Architecture?
A. Pausanias
B. Apollodorus
C. Pliny
D. Vitruvius
25. Which of the following proves that artists working for Christian patrons continued to use
pagan themes?
A. a large silver platter from the fourth century (Fig. 6-70)
B. Denarius with Portrait of Julius Caesar (Fig. 6-14)
C. Commodus as Hercules (Fig. 6-57)
D. The Unswept Floor (Fig. 6-55)
Short Answer
1. What was the legend of Romulus and Remus?
2. What was the government structure of the Roman republic?
3. What do the wall paintings of Pompeii reveal about the lives of the people?
4. What does the Arch of Titus (Figs. 6-35 and 6-36) depict?
5. What events took place in the Flavian Amphitheater (Fig. 6-38)?
6. What scenes are depicted on the Column of Trajan (Figs. 6-46 and 6-47)?
7. What unique architectural elements are present in the Pantheon (Figs. 6-48, 6-49, and Fig. 6-
51)?
8. How did the Equestrian Statue of Marcus Aurelius (Fig. 6-56) survive demolition?
9. What purpose did the Baths of Caracalla (Fig. 6-60) serve?
10. How do The Tetrarchs (Fig. 6-62) show a turn toward symbolic representation?
Essay
1. What were some of the ways Roman emperors maintained control over their vast territories?
2. Discuss some of the building innovations of the Romans.
3. Compare and contrast the composition, iconography, and content of Sarcophagus with the
Indian Triumph of Dionysus (Fig. 6-58) and Spoils from the Temple in Jerusalem (Fig. 6-36).
4. Track the development of portraits from the Roman Republic, through the Early Empire, and
into the Late Empire. Give examples.
5. Compare and contrast the style, medium, and iconography of Augustus of Primaporta (Fig. 6-
18) and Equestrian Statue of Marcus Aurelius (Fig. 6-56).