ANCIENT ROMAN

ART & Entertainment

By Ms. Hoffe
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:
Name and describe various types of Ancient
Roman art

Describe forms of entertainment enjoyed by the

ancient Romans
 What are some examples of Roman art?

What kinds of themes would you expect to find in

ancient roman art?

What is the value of art from the past?

ROMAN SCULPTURES
Roman sculpture was heavily
influenced by Greek and
Hellenistic styles
Many sculptors adopted a
realistic style and added
intricate details to their work
Sculptors often concentrated
on the face and upper body
when creating sculptures of
people
 ROMAN RELIEFS
Relief is a sculptural technique
where the sculpted elements
remain attached to a solid
background of the same
material.
They were often used to
document scenes of important
Roman events such as key
battles.
 ROMAN PAINTINGS
Roman painters were not
considered important members
of society therefore we know
little about them
Portrait, landscape and still-life
paintings were all very
common during Ancient Roman
times
Many large scale wall paintings
have been found from this era
 ROMAN MOSAICS
Mosaics are a picture or
pattern made from small
chips of coloured stone or
marble.
In addition to mosaic wall
art, mosaic floors were
also popular in the homes
of wealthy Romans.
Art Gallery
 INSTRUCTIONS
One group member should read the information card out loud for all
group members to hear.
As a group, discuss how you would like to communicate what you
learned through art.
Decide what type of Ancient Roman art form you would like to create
and what materials you will require.
Assign 1-2 group members to collect your required materials.
All group member should participate in creating your art piece.
Write the name and a short description of your creation on the cards
provided.
Set up your display for the art gallery tour!
 INSTRUCTIONS
Groups will spend approximately 1-2 minutes viewing each art piece.
Group members should consider the following questions while viewing
art pieces:
What ancient Roman art form(s) inspired this piece?
What does the title of the art piece mean?
What are the artists trying to say?
What Ancient Roman entertainment does this piece
illustrate?
Groups will move to next art piece when lights flicker.
 Gladiator battles took place in
amphitheatres such as the Colosseum.
These events were only held on special
occasions. Gladiators were recruited from
different sources:

Ancient Roman


Slaves under Roman control
Prisoners of War
Volunteers

Gladiators They all were required to swear an oath to

fight to the death, although, a losing
gladiator could appeal to the emperor for
mercy.

Victory brought great prestige to gladiators.

Free men were often awarded large sums of
money and slaves were sometimes granted
freedom.
 Chariot races were considered to be a
family event. The races were held on an
oval track or circus.

The most famous track was called the

Chariot Races Circus Maximus which was the first and

largest stadium in Ancient Rome.

Charioteers would steer their horses and

chariots around the track 7 times.

Chariot races were influenced by the

Etruscans and the Greeks.