From Captor to Captive

From Captor to Captive 

A Brief History of Rome in Paint

Founding, republic, empire, Christianity and defeat; these five words outline the entire history of the Roman Empire. They encapsulate the story of Rome’s ascension to greatness and eventual plummet into the depths of defeat. The entire world recognized and feared the Roman Empire. With approximately one million occupants, the largest standing military, and an empire of over five million square kilometers, Rome deserved this attention. 

While Rome is no longer at its high point, this greatness lives on in the pieces of Roman society and culture that modern nations have adopted. Take a walk through the American capital of Washington D.C. and you will see distinct traces of Roman government and architecture. You will be struck by the debt that we owe to this bygone empire as you recognize the many pieces of Roman culture that are present in our own. As we look back on this impactful empire with a bird’s eye view, five distinct periods within Roman history appear. These five periods can be summed up in five simple words; founding, republic, empire, Christianity and defeat. Historians, poets and artists support this delineation of Roman history and the pieces of art contained in this exhibit illustrate this.

The Founding of Rome

The Abduction of the Sabine Women by Nicolas Poussin. 1633-34.Oil on Canvas. (46.160).

Within the chaos depicted in this painting, feelings of terror, determination and helplessness are evident. Terror is seen on the faces of the female captives as determination outlines the movements of their Roman captors. This painting depicts the abduction of the Sabine women, an event which occurred during the founding period of Roman history. Because Rome was founded solely by men, its doom seemed inevitable after the neighboring cities refused to let them marry their daughters. The Romans however decide to take wives by force from the neighboring Sabines and they do so successfully, helping to insure the longevity of Rome.

The Roman Republic

Cicero Denounces Catiline by Cesare Maccari. 1889. Fresco. (Palazzo Madama, Rome).

In 509 BC, the Roman Monarchy was overthrown and the Roman Republic put into place. The Roman Republic was led by two popularly elected consuls who were advised by a governing body called the senate. Senators would transcribe and debate decrees, molding them into final documents which they presented to the consuls to be ratified. This painting shows the Roman senate in session with Senator Cicero exposing another senator’s plot to overthrow the aristocratic senate in 63 BC. While this plot was defeated, a few years later in 49 BC another plot, led by the consul Julius Caesar, came to fruition, creating Rome’s first dictatorial emperor. 

The Roman Empire  

Vercingetorix throws down his arms at the feet of Julius Caesar by Lionel Royer. 1899. Oil on Canvas. (Crozatier Museum, Le Puy-en-Velay). 

Julius Caesar, pictured in red, was a military and political genius. As a consul, he created political alliances that gave him a monopoly of power and as a commander he extended Roman territory to the English Channel. His military success and political power eventually allowed him to become the sole ruler of Rome, ushering in the empirical age of Rome. This painting shows Julius Caesar accepting King Vercingetorix’s surrender. King Vercingetorix had united the Gauls in a desperate attempt to overthrow the Romans. Though mildly successful in his first encounters with the Romans, King Vercingetorix was eventually conquered and taken prisoner. After five years of being paraded through the streets of Rome, King Vercingetorix was executed.

The Christian Roman Empire 

   First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea by Vasily Surikov. 1876. Oil on Canvas. (Russian Museum, St. Petersburg Russia).

This painting depicts Constantine enthroned at the Council of Nicea where important doctrinal statements were written, setting in stone the beliefs of the Christian Church.  From 1-313 AD the Roman Empire sporadically persecuted Christians because they refused to sacrifice to the Roman Emperor and Roman gods. This persecution ended in 313 AD when the Christian Emperor Constantine, officially granted Christians full religious freedom in the Edict of Milan. Constantine took an active part in furthering the well-being of the church by building churches and protecting Christian’s freedoms.

The Defeat of Rome

Sack of Rome by Karl Briullov. 1833-1836. Oil on Canvas. 

(State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow Russia).

The sack of Rome in 455 AD by the Vandals under King Genseric revealed the weakening power of Rome which would eventually lead to their complete defeat in 476 AD. This scene, depicting the King Genseric riding into Rome, mirrors the chaos seen in Nicolas Poussin’s, The Abduction of the Sabine Women which depicted the founding of Rome. Briullov also paints many of the figures in the same stances and with the same expressions as figures in Poussin’s painting. However, the Romans role in the painting has been reversed; instead of being conquers establishing a new city, they are now the conquered and the Roman Empire has ended.