Ancient Greek and Roman Art and Infrastructure

Greek and Roman Pottery: Manufacturing and Function

Making pottery in Greece was important for trade and daily life in the 6th century BC. Two cities highlighted in their manufacture were Corinth and Athens, which exported all kinds of vessels to the most remote places. The shape of the vessels, which are very varied, along with the painting and decoration, are a major feature of the ware and provide us with many details of the public and private life of the ancient Greeks.

Also, Romans often used a more functional type of pottery, consistent with the use it was intended for, and little or no decoration can be found. However, Terra Sigillata was considered a luxury ceramic, characterized by its vermilion lacquer and its refined decoration. This decoration was achieved not through paint, but through:

• Incisions
• Reliefs
• Motifs such as leaves, flowers, and geometric designs

Greek and Roman Mosaics: Stone Paintings

Mosaics were conceived as "paintings in stone." Often, small pebbles were used as separation between the pieces. The mosaic technique was employed by the Greeks from the 4th century BC, but its authentic disseminators were the Romans.

Mosaics were used to decorate the floors of the main rooms of the house or some walls, especially those of the garden. Mosaics could represent geometric shapes, figures, or both things. They were often made of many tesserae of marble, predominantly combining black and white tiles.

Figurative Mosaics

Figurative mosaics represented themes such as:

• Mythological scenes
• Hunting
• Circus racing

Roman Roads and Transport Infrastructure

In Greece, the initiative to build extensive land transport networks was not taken due to its rugged geography; mainly sea lanes were used. In contrast, the Romans developed an extraordinary roadway network that linked all provinces with Rome. Many ways departed from Rome, including the famous Via Appia.

In Hispania (the Iberian Peninsula), roads facilitated the connection between the interior and the main ports of the Mediterranean. The main roads crossing the peninsula were the Via Augusta and the Via Argentea.

Milestones

On the main Roman roads, every mile featured milestones (miliarios) which expressed the distance between the point where they were located and the destination or starting point of the road.

Greek and Roman Painting Techniques

Few samples of Greek painting on fresh boards have reached us; more numerous are the paintings found on ceramic vessels. The Romans, in their pictorial representations, used the same motifs and techniques as the Greeks. The best preserved Roman paintings are found at Pompeii and Herculaneum, consisting of natural paints done al fresco (on fresh plaster).