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Art in the Roman Empire
Michael Grant

Number of quotes: 6


Book ID: 30 Page: 67

Section: 2E3

Here the Romans come very easily into the centre of the picture, because the basilica was their invention (even though it harked back, in some respects – as its name suggests – to the Greek peristyle and colonnaded piazza). The Roman basilica was essentially a large building used for official purposes.

Quote ID: 519

Time Periods: 0


Book ID: 30 Page: 75

Section: 2E3

In particular, Constantine adapted the old pagan basilica (which has been discussed in Chapter 9) so as to make it the model of his great Christian churches.

Indeed, these new Christian buildings owed these pagan Basilicas the main lines of their entire structure, including the arrangement of the windows.

Quote ID: 520

Time Periods: 4


Book ID: 30 Page: 82

Section: 1A

It is a commonplace that Rome created Christianity, but the debt of early Christian architecture to the architecture of the Roman empire deserves more exact definition.

Quote ID: 521

Time Periods: 1


Book ID: 30 Page: 82

Section: 2E3

The early Christians were also concerned to erect memoriae or martyria, in honour of their saints, either as extensions and end-pieces of longitudinal basilicas or independently, on their own, as free-standing buildings. These last were centralized structures, which were not an altogether novel idea.

Quote ID: 522

Time Periods: 4


Book ID: 30 Page: 88

Section: 2E3,3A3A

But let us consider, finally, the aims of Constantine, who inspired its construction, and the possibilities open to him. He was accustomed to insist on monumental public structures, adorned with a great quantity of precious objects. And, as we said earlier, he placed churches at the very summit of public monumental architecture, employing modified versions of classical, pagan traditions in their design. However, he also had to bear in mind local requirements and resources, which were duly set out in writing by the bishop of the region, just as the provincial governor or his delegate set out those of secular buildings.

Quote ID: 523

Time Periods: 4


Book ID: 30 Page: 121

Section: 1A

Medieval art is not the subject of this book, but it is worth while, all the same, to quote, in conclusion, this observation by E. Kjellberg and G. Saflund:

Without any real break the art of the ancient world still lives . . . especially where ancient culture had the opportunity of establishing firm roots. There is no gulf between the art of late antiquity and that of the Middle Ages. The tasks and conditions of artists changed with the changing state of society, but in all the wide region which had once been watered by Greek and Roman culture, both the ancient language of form and ancient ideas and symbols live on as an undying source of inspiration.

Quote ID: 524

Time Periods: 6



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