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What are the characteristics of ancient Greek and

Roman domestic architecture and interiors? What was


the home’s relationship to the outside world and how
was interior space organized? What types of objects,
materials and motifs were used in decorating and
ornamenting the interior? How do these interiors
reflect various aspects Greek and Roman society,
including issues of class, gender, and religion? What
types of sources help us understand ancient Greek and
Roman interiors?
Knossos, plan of the Palace of Minos, c. 2150/2000–c. 1300 BC
Knossos, North Propylaea, view from the south-west, c. 16th century BC
Knossos, Palace of Minos, court and staircase, east residential quarter,
late 14th century BC
Knossos, Palace of Minos, Throne Room, late 15th century BC
Knossos, Palace of Minos, Throne Room, late 15th century BC
Knossos, Palace of Minos, Bull-Jumping Fresco, East Wing, c. 1600-
1400 BC
Knossos, Palace of Minos, Dolphin Frieze, Queen’s
Apartments, c. 1500 BC
Knossos, Palace of Minos, "Prince
of Lilies" or "Priest-king” relief,
Corridor of Processions
Stirrup jar with octopus, ca. 1200– Rhyton in the form of a bull's
1100 B.C.; Mycenaean head, ca. 1450–1400 B.C.;
Minoan, Crete
Architectural orders: (a) Greek Doric; (b)
Roman Doric; (c) Ionic; (d) Corinthian; (e)
Composite; (f) Tuscan; Parts of the orders:
(i) column; (ii) entablature; (iii) base; (iv)
shaft; (v) capital; (vi) architrave; (vii) frieze;
(viii) cornice; (ix) fluting; (x) neck; (xi)
echinus; (xii) abacus; (xiii) guttae; (xiv)
taenia; (xv) triglyph; (xvi) metope; (xvii)
mutules; (xviii) cyma recta; (xix) plinth; (xx)
scotia; (xxi) torus; (xxii) egg and dart; (xxiii)
volutes; (xxiv) fascia; (xxv) dentils; (xxvi)
astragal; (xxvii) acanthus; (xxviii) caliculi;
(xxix) modillion; (xxx) cyma reversa; (xxxi)
brackets
Greek temple components: (a) anta; (b) cella; (c) pronaos; (d) peristyle;
(e) stylobate; (f) opisthodomos; (g) adyton; (h) intercolumniation
Ancient Olympia, reconstructed site plan
Temple of Zeus: Reconstruction of the East Facade (top) and West Facade (bottom); pediment
sculptural groups
Heracles and the Cretan
Bull: fourth metope over
the West porch, temple of
Zeus at Olympia. Marble,
ca 460 BC
Temple of Zeus, Olympia, c. 470 - 456 BCE. Watercolor
interior reconstruction, Victor Laloux, 1883.
Roman Seated Zeus, marble and bronze (restored), following the type
established by Phidias, Hermitage Museum
Acropolis at Athens, view from the south-west
Parthenon, Athens, Greece, 447-438 BC
Parthenon Plan
Reconstruction of the Parthenon, Athens, Greece
Reconstruction of the west pediment of the Parthenon

East pediment sculpture: in situ, Parthenon; on display at the British


Museum
Reconstruction drawing of the
pronaos of the Parthenon

Poseidon and Apollo, east


frieze, Parthenon
Reconstruction of the cella of the Varvakeion Athena, a reduced-
Parthenon with the Athena Parthenos scale Roman copy of the Athena
by Phidias Parthenos, 2nd century A.D.
Greek domestic architecture,
house types: (a) megaron or
prostas type, Priene, c. 350 BC
onwards; (b) pastas type with
peristyle court, Olynthos isolated
villa, 4th century BC; (c) pastas
type, Olynthos, c. 432 BC; (d)
pastas type with peristyle court,
Delos, 2nd century BC
Olynthos, house of the pastas type, late 5th century BC to mid-4th;
reconstruction of courtyard looking north
House of the Dolphins, Delos, 2nd century BC
Detail, mosaic floor of the House of the Dolphins, Delos
Geometric pattern mosaic; Dionysos riding a panther, House of the
Masks, Delo,s 2nd half of 2nd century B.C
Wall painting from the exterior
of a house in the Skardana
Quarter, Delos
Greek black-figure lekythos, c. 550–530 BC, attributed to the Amasis
Painter
Greek red-figure lekythos, c. Greek red-figure bell krater, c. 460 BC,
480 BC, Attributed to the Attributed to the Danae Painter
Brygos Painter
Reconstruction of a Greek klismos chair Detail of a Greek white-ground
lekythos, mid-5th century, BC,
attributed to the Achilles Painter
Detail of a fresco of a symposium, North
Wall, Tomb of the Diver, Paestum, c. 475
BCE
Domus Aurea, Rome, begun AD 64, plan of the domestic wing: (a)
columned court with fountain; (b) cryptoporticus; (c) octagonal hall
Wall frescoes from the Room of
the Landscapes, Domus Aurea,
64-69 CE
Painted vault, Domus Aurea,
64-69 CE
Model of Hadrian's Villa, Tivoli, 118-134 CE
Hadrian's Villa, Tivoli, Mosaic Emblema of drinking doves, central floor
decoration in an area of the Accademia, c. 138 CE
Tragicomic masks from Hadrian’s Villa, 2nd century
Pavement in opus sectile, Small Thermae, Hadrian’s Villa, 2nd century
Mosaic floor from
Hadrain’s Villa, c.120-138
CE
Plan of the imperial fora, Rome
Plan of the Basilica Ulpia, 98-112 CE
Reconstruction of the interior of the Basilica Ulpia, G. Gatteschi, 1906
Reconstructions of the interior of the Basilica Ulpia, Julien Guadet, 1867
Pantheon, Rome, c. 125 AD
Plan and Section of the Pantheon,
Rome, c. 125 AD
Pantheon, Rome, c. 125 CE
Interior of the dome of the Pantheon
Baths of Caracalla, c. 212-235 CE
Model of the Baths of Caracalla
Plan of the Baths of Caracalla c. 212-235 CE
Restored view of Frigidarium, Baths of Caracalla, E. E. Viollet-
le-Duc, 1863
Mosaic floors, Baths of Caracalla, c. 211-
217 AD
Mosaics with Athletes from the Baths of Caracalla, c. 220 CE
Cubiculum (bedroom) from the Villa of P. Fannius Synistor at
Boscoreale, c. 40–30 BCE
Detail of the wall painting in the cubiculum (bedroom) from the Villa
of P. Fannius Synistor at Boscoreale, c. 40–30 BCE
Garland with mask, basket, and bucrania (ceremonial bulls' heads): From
Room L of the Villa of P. Fannius Synistor at Boscoreale, c. 40–30 BCE
Seated woman
playing a kithara:
From Room H of
the Villa of P.
Fannius Synistor
at Boscoreale, c.
40–30 BCE
Pompeii, plan of the site: (a) forum; (b) Temple of Fortuna Augusta; (c) Temple of Isis; (d)
amphitheatre; (e) theatre; (f) odeion; (g) Stabian Baths; (h) Forum Baths; (i) Central Baths; (j)
great palaestra; (k) House of Sallust; (l) House of the Faun; (m) House of Julius Polybius; (n)
House of the Silver Wedding; (o) House of the Menander; (p) House of the Labyrinth; (q) Villa
of the Mysteries; (r) Temple of Venus; (s) House of the Gilded Cupids; (t) House of the Vettii;
(u) House of Loreius Tiburtinus; (v) House of Julia Felix; (w) Villa of Diomedes
Plan of the House of the
Vettii, Pompeii
Reconstruction of the courtyard of the House of the Vettii, Pompeii
Erotic fresco, House of the Vettii,
Pompeii

Wall painting of Hercules as a young


child, House of the Vettii, Pompeii
Plan and reconstruction of the interior of the
House of the Faun, Pompeii
Alexander Mosaic, House of the Faun, Pompeii
Floor mosaic of sea fauna with octopus and lobster fighting, House of
the Faun, Pompeii

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