LATE EMPIRE
Economy in decline
State religion loosing power to
Eastern Cults, CHRISTIANITY.
Time when Pagan World gradually
transforms into Christian World
The Late Empire
The emperor Commodus (the son of
Marcus Aurelius) was probably insane. He
claimed at various times to be the
reincarnation of Hercules and Jupiter. He
order the months of the Roman year to be
named after him and changed the name of
Rome to Colonia Commodiana. He was
eventually strangled in his bath.
The reign of Commodus marked the
beginning of a period of economic and
political decline.
The Family of Marcus Aurelius (known as
Antonine Dynasty)
Commodus as Hercules, ca. 191-192
AD, LATE EMPIRE ROMAN
The Late Empire
Painted portrait of Septimius Severus and his family
A.D. 200 LATE EMPIRE ROMAN\
Tempera on wood
African general named Septimius
Severus became master of the
Roman world. After Commodus’
death.
The new emperor proclaimed
himself as Marcus Aurelius’s son.
For this reason, he is depicted with
long hair and the “trademark”
beard.
The painted tondo, circular format,
portrait is an eloquent testimony to
that damnatio memoriae and to the
long arm of Roman authority.
Portrait bust of Caracalla,
c. 211-217 CE, marble
Characterization of
portraits, based of
Marcus Aurelius.
Constantly in threat.
Suspicious nature.
Was assassinated, like
many emperors in the
late empire.
Portrait busts of Caracalla,
c. 211-217 CE, marble
Ludovisi Battle Sarcophagus (Rome), 250-260 CE, marble
practice of inhumation over
cremation creating a demand
for sarcophagi
battle between Romans and
possibly the Goths
dissatisfaction with the
Classical style (chaotic
movement, disproportioned
bodies)
fearless central figure with the
emblem of Mithras (persian god
of light, truth, & victory over
death) carved on his forehead
Left and Right: Metopes depicting struggle between a Lapith and
a centaur, from the Parthenon (Athens)
lapiths and centaurs/ battle between passion and reason (Greeks
and Persians)
Soldier Emperors
• After the Severan dynasty ended came
numerous generals that became emperor's,
until they were murdered by another
general.
Heroic portrait of
Trebonianus Gallus (Rome),
251-253 CE, bronze
Trebonianus Gallus, one of the
“soldier emperors”/ body of a
wrestler, exuding brute force
Not a classical athlete, but
aged soldier.
Portraits of the four Tetrarchs,
c. 305, porphyry
In 293 Diocletian(general
became emperor) established a
tetrarchy with himself as the
Eastern ruler (Augustus of the
East) and Maximian as ruler of
the West.
Each had a caesar, a vice-ruler,
who was his heir.
This political solution /attempt
to retain order in the Roman
Empire failed after Diocletian
retired in 305.
The Late Empire
Portraits of the Four tetrarchs
Saint Mark’s, Venice, A.D. 305
LATE EMPIRE ROMAN
Carved in porphyry, a hard purple stone
used primarily for imperial objects, these
four emperors symbolize the equality of their
rule. No individualized features.
Embraces indicate their unity. The staring
eyes, squatty forms, and absract quality are
characteristic of much late Roman
sculpture, where symbolism is more
important than realism and individuality.
Arch of Constantine (Rome), c. 312-315 CE
Reliefs from a triumphal arch dedicated to Marcus
Aurelius found on the Arch of Constantine
Constantine and the Edict of Milan/ Maxentius and the
Milvian Bridge/ Constantinople (site of Byzantium)
triple-passageway arch with borrowed reliefs from the
“good emperors”/ Constantine’s distribution of largess to
the citizenry
Respecting the past by reusing 2nd century sculpture,
while rejecting the norms of classical design in its frieze.
Paving the way for iconic art in the middle ages
Relief from the Arch
of Constantine
depicting a
personification of
the Sun, above a
frieze of
Constantine entering
the city of Rome
Portrait of Constantine from
the Basilica Nova (Rome), c.
315-330, marble
colossal image of eternal
authority, suggestive of
Jupiter/ composed of a brick
core, a wooden torso covered
with bronze, and a head and
limbs of marble/ return to the
Augustan image of eternal
youth/ located in the western
apse of the Basilica Novaa
Reconstruction drawing of the
Basilica Nova (Rome) c. 306-312 CE.
Similar greek temples that housed deities in cellla
Ruins of the Basilica Nova
richly stuccoed and marbled interior/ central nave
covered with groin vaults (their fenestration
providing ample light)/ 20 feet thick wall buttresses
used for reinforcement
Aula Palatina Basilica (Trier, Germany),
early 4th century CE
Basilica like audience hall. Design closely parrels
many early christian chuches