The Romans defeated the Corinthian Greeks in 146 BC and Greece fell into Roman rule. The Romans realized the worth of Greek culture and did not destroy it, but adopted it as their own. They employed Greek artists, imported Greek objects and adapted the Greek gods, myths and legend to their own needs. The Militaristic empire became supreme throughout the ancient world and their lands extended from Scotland through to India and from Germany, south to Africa. For five hundred years the Romans ruled until it was swept away by the Barbarians (the Goths, Visgoths, Huns, and Vandals) in 476 ad. Classical art, learning and law survived in newly founded Christian churches which became of main importance through the Dark Ages.
The highly refined art of the Greeks had been meant to appeal to the senses. The art of the Romans was designed to appeal to the imagination of the crowds of people - it was spectacular and sensational.
Architecture
The empire style developed from Etruscan and Hellenic sources. The arch of the Etruscan origin was used for spanning great distances. The Romans invented a cement which allowed them to build with brick and rubble. This was often faces with marble and then the Greek orders - Doric, Ionic or Corinthian, stuck on the outside. Preference was shown for the more lavish Corinthian and a composite Corinthian & Ionic form was used to impress their subjects. Monuments were built to commemorate important events and people (eg: battles, emperors, polticians, senators). The triumphant Arch was an often built monument.
Long years of peace and wealth occured from trading, caused a demand for public buildings - the forum or meeting place, theatres, baths, gymnasiums, shops apartments, markets. For connecting the outlying provinces, a network of roads and bridges built with great skill was established. This allowed rapid movement of military forces to quell uprisings. With the increase of luxurious living, multi-storied villas were built which retained the Greek idea of a central garden and a pool surrounded by rooms. The Basilia, a building built for trading and all the administration of justice was an enlarged version of the Etruscan temple.
The striving for effect and grandeur and luxury led to over-ornamentation and decadence of style.
Sculpture
Beneath the Roman love of luxury and comfort, lay the drive and power of a people who considered themselves rulers of the world. Their architecture expressed grandeur of hte empire, so their sculpture showed their self awareness of just what they were. The ideal portrait of the greek athlete came to an end about 80 BC and the true-to-life portrait came to being, inwhich everything unpleasant or not was shown.
Roman relief sculpture depicted comtemporary events with as much truth to reality as possible (c/f Greek mythology, legend).
Late in the Empire, sculpture took on a crowded restless appearance which became more intense as the Barbarians gained ascendency.
Painting
Roman painting took the form of wall decoration, although easel paintings of wooden panels are known to have been done. As Romans had copied Greek sculpture it is reasonable to expect they copied Greek painting. The excellence of technique and drawing in Roman painting indicates what Greek painting must have been like.
Fragments of Roman paintings are to be found in tombs, villas, and in Pompeii and Herailaneum which lay under volcanic ash until excvated in the 18th century.
The excellent condition of these paintings is a tribute to the technique used - encaustic or hot wax process and fresco painted over hot wax. Portrait painting, landscapes and architectural decoration were used as subject matter.
Minor Arts
Roman pottery assumed a purely functional role, where Greek pottery has recieved care and thought for shape and decoration in order to delight the senses. The Romans were skilled in the manufacture of luxury goods - bronze, furniture, clothes etc. Some of the worlds first art collection appeared - the nobility collecting examples of art from all over the known world.