Roman Legacy: Education, Art, and Architectural Influence

Rome's Enduring Legacy: Education and Art

The study of Latin and Greek, along with classical writings, formed the core of education from the Renaissance to the early twentieth century. Unlike Greek, Latin maintained a continuous presence through religious and legal contexts in the Middle Ages. Renaissance humanism and the emergence of Romance languages, derived from Latin, further emphasized the importance of Latin studies. Early Renaissance humanism aimed to emulate ancient Roman culture, focusing on developing an elegant Latin style, exemplified by Lorenzo Valla's Elegantiae linguae Latinae. Latin was considered the quintessential language until the seventeenth century.

Classical studies, involving the reading of great works, provided role models and aimed at character formation and elegance, essential for an educated person. Curricula often included selected passages from Virgil, Tacitus, Cicero, and Horace. The study of Latin and Greek was considered the best training for the mind, due to the logical structure of their grammar.

Roman Art and Architectural Influence

Roman infrastructure, such as roads, continued to be used in the Middle Ages. The Roman road north of the Iberian Peninsula, for example, gained prominence as part of the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route. Former civil buildings, like the Roman basilica, influenced early Christian art, serving as models for Romanesque churches.

While the Gothic and Gothic revival periods saw a departure from Roman architectural influence, late-stage sculpture began to exhibit classicism, foreshadowing a revival of classical art. This included Renaissance domes, Roman architectural orders, decorative plant motifs on windows, and equestrian statues as symbols of authority. The Baroque style increased building proportions while maintaining classical influences, with French Baroque architecture characterized by its high classicism.

Neoclassicism, emerging in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, marked a significant period in classical art history. It adopted the ancient world as a model for ethics and aesthetics, emphasizing the noble serenity and grandeur of classical art. While Greek architectural models were favored, Roman pictorial themes, such as the Oath of the Horatii and the Abduction of the Sabine Women, were also prominent, particularly in the works of French Revolution painter Jacques-Louis David.