One of the goals of Justinian emperor was to make sure he made a church that was bigger than all the others ever built. To achieve the goal, Justinian emperor hired the services of Isidore of Miletus who was a physicist and Anthemius of Tralles, who was a mathematician. The basilica was later used as a Roman Catholic cathedral (Mainstone 162).
From Procopius account it is evident that Justinian was committed to construction. Most of his outstanding constructions were churches in Constantinople, which included the Hagia Sophia. The presentation is categorical in noting that Justinian had to reconstruct the church after it was destroyed by Nika riots (Mainstone 162). As a result of all the works he made, it is evident that Justinian must have left a thing to be remembered by his subjects. One of the specific activities that might have caused his remembrance is the outstanding decorations that he had used on his constructions (Nelson 83). Some of the mosaics that Justinian made in the churches included him and his emperors. The artistic mosaics were spread to the rest of the Roman region.
One of the outstanding structures that would help Justinian Empire to be remembered was the dome of the church. Although it was destroyed by an earthquake, it was one of the architectural magnificent wonders that attracted a number of architects who adored it (Mainstone 165). Other than the dome, Lustration urns were also magnificent and they created the hyped interest on the church; the urns were curved out of marble blocks. The imperial gate to the structure was another outstanding structural phenomenon that had contributed to the respect accorded to the architects of the church and the emperor. The imperial gate is reported have been reserved for the emperors only. The upper gallery also had great mosaics that were used to preserve it. In addition to all the above stated artistic structures, Justinian emperor introduced figurative decorations on the walls. The decorations were different from those used by the other emperors. Some of the decorations included the image of Jesus at the centre of the dome. The church also had some of the greatest mosaics that included formed figures of Virgin Mary, saints and geometric images.
In all the structures and the differences introduced into the mode of construction of the third church, Justinian must have earned respect from his subjects not only because of his position as a ruler, but also as a role model (Nelson 100).
Did Justinian impact life as we know it because he is such a great ruler, or is he just a follower who keeps trying to hold on to the loose threads of a fallen empire? Some might say that without Justinian, humanity is a step further back. Others may argue evermore that Justinian is a two-faced liar who you cannot trust (Doc. 2). Contrary to many beliefs, Justinian creates a new Byzantine Empire after the fall of Rome that is influential to many different cultures, more advanced and educated than Rome, and more economically thriving than the Roman Empire.
The representation of divinity was clearly defined in Christ in Majesty with Symbols of the Four Evangelists through its subject matter, technique, and style. Christ acts as the focal point, but the artist also used different subjects from the Old and New Testament to decorate the apse. Unlike the mosaics in the apse of Byzantine churches, the artist employed the technique of classical fresco painting. The artist also applied decoration to the figures with the hierarchy of scale, and through the geometric style in the drapery instead of maintaining a sense of realism.
St Peter’s basilica which is built based on rational form of architecture is a Late Renaissance church located within Vatican City, designed by Donato Bramante. Its significant history is that according to the Catholic tradition this was the place that Saint Peter was buried. Not so far away...
Roman emperor Julian the Apostate and Christian leader Antony both exhibited many qualities of character during their existence. Both of them led very distinctive lives although shared several ethical values. Book 25 of “The Later Roman Empire” and the book “Early Christian Lives” show concrete evidence of this. In the following essay, I will argue how both leaders’ lives were devoted to their religious beliefs and their mutual cardinal virtues.
When Emperor Constantine found the city of Constantinople, it was soon to become the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire. But the Christin city needed a great church to represent it’s great value, so the Hagia Sophia was built (Krystek, Lee). The Hagia Sophia was built by the Byzantine Empire in 537 C.E., which was an Empire influenced greatly by the greek and roman styles (Krystek, Lee). It has a square base with a large dome on the top. Round arcs surrounded the large dome, adding mystical beauty to the Hagia Sophia (Krystek, Lee). Also, multiple colors of bricks were used to create patterns on the outside of the Hagia Sophia. On the inside, the walls are made of marble with glass panes which bring beautiful sunlight into the large museum (Krystek, Lee). The Hagia Sophia is very significant because it was rebuilt many times. The first church was built and then burnt down in 404 C.E. (Krystek, Lee). It was then rebuilt and burned down by riots in 502 C.E. (Krystek, Lee). Then the 3rd church was built by Justinian. After long periods of time, Sultan Mehmed conquered Constantinople and changed it to an islamic city, converting the church to a mosque (Krystek, Lee). In 1934, President Ataturk changed the mosque to a museum for the people and tourists, instead of a sacred place of worship (Krystek, Lee).
Pantheon and Hagia Sophia Pantheon and Hagia Sophia are two extremely outstanding architectural pieces of their times. They have been built according to the traditions of those particular times. The materials used to built these buildings and the purpose for which they were used are all very important aspects and have been briefly covered in this report. Pantheon The statesman Agrippa built pantheon in 27 B.C. Then it was completely rebuilt by the emperor Hadrian. The Pantheon is remarkable for its size, its construction, and its design. The dome was the largest built until modern times. The present structure was probably originally built as a temple for all the pagan gods. We do hear of it as being a law-court and a reception area for Emperor Hadrian meeting his quests too. Some say that the rotunda of the building was once a Roman bath. Due to all this mystery, the Pantheon is often referred to as the Sphinx of Rome. The visitor will probably not appreciate the construction as much as the Flavian amphitheatre, but it is still a great masterpiece of engineering and well worth a visit. Most Roman and Greek temples at the time of the Pantheon's construction were large, colonnaded, rectangular enclosures with sanctuaries situated in their centers. The Pantheon was different. It consisted of a large circular drum topped with a hemispherical dome. It is a masterpiece of both engineering and art a lasting memory of Ancient Rome’s might. Roman architecture is architecture of wall and enclosed tactile space. Individual column with entablature is no longer the basic architectural unity. Spatially, it shows a development from closed, simple space units and regular articulation to more complex spatial relations, more fluid interpenetrati...
Both Byzantine and Roman mosaics developed at a similar time which led to the influenced upon one another. They possessed distinct techniques, materials, styles and subject matter. Byzantine structures emphasized on decorative touches while Roman mosaics were greatly functional. Both styles were enhanced in order to honour religious figures and domestic life (Ovadiah, 1987).
Karl Marx once said “History repeats itself, first as tragedy, second as farce” (8). His words ring true with regards to the two periods of Iconoclasm that happened during the Byzantine era. The exact target of all of these destructive acts may be different (icons, Buddhas, and a Christian Monastery), however, what these events do have in common is one similar outcome: the loss of beautiful historical religious artistry that can never really be replaced.
In the St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church the icon of The Nativity of Christ is located in the center of the North wall on the first story of icons.
When walking around a city, you may notice that the architecture and art look similar to other works. Many of these designs have changed along the course of history and time whilst others have not. The designs that many people still see in society and day to day living is from two of the many cultures of the old civilizations, Roman and Islamic. The art and architecture forms from the Islamic and Roman cultures have many comparisons and contrasts between them. They, the Islamic and Roman nations, have both adopted from other cultures and have made their own discoveries in the art and architecture worlds. The Roman and Islamic architecture and art vary drastically from each other and yet have varying comparisons between the two.
Monuments such as the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem and San Vitale in Ravenna, perform a great importance in Byzantine and Islamic architecture. Both of these structures did not exclusively represent the main place of worship, but most importantly as a symbol of achievement and growth within the current times of construction. Starting in 524, under the influence of Orthodox bishop Ecclesius, the development of San Vitale was to represent the achievements of the emperor Justinian. Julius Argentarius was the sponsor for this structure and it was dedicated by Bishop Maximian in 547. The Dome of the Rock is built on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem in 692 with the help of Abd al-Malik with the suspected intention to symbolize Islams influence in Jerusalem and its involvement in a highly Jewish and Christian supremacy. Although separated by over 100 yrs, both of these domes share multiple similarity's including a projected confidence of their originating culture.
Not only is the Pantheon one of the most amazing architectural structures of the Roman Empire, but it is also one of the most intriguing. It was built during the early second century under the rule of Emperor Hadrian to replace a temple built in 27 B.C. by Marcus Agrippa which had burned down in 80 A.D. Like the temple it replaced, the Pantheon was a dedication to the Roman gods. An intriguing fact about the Pantheon is that it was one of the first buildings where the focus is on the interior rather than the exterior. On the outside, the cella appears in the shape of a ...
The Basilica Nova, also known as the New Basilica or the Basilica of Maxentius and Constantine is an ancient Roman structure located in the Forum Romanum, or the Roman Forum, in Rome, Italy. At the time of its construction, the Basilica Nova was considered the largest building sitting within the Roman Forum, and the largest structure to be built overall. The construction of the Basilica Nova took place in the Late Imperial Period (3rd-4th centuries CE) and was started in 306 CE under the rule of Constantine’s rival, Emperor Maxentius. However, the structure was not completed until after Maxentius’ defeat by Constantine in the Battle of the Milvian Bridge in 312 CE. Constantine took over and changed the plan of the unfinished basilica and made
Byzantine art had many basic characteristics. The first was expressionistic using color and emotion. Many of the are lacked depth in a two dimensional fashion. The art was symbolic in nature, decorative, detailed. The figures are stiff and ...
During the Early Byzantine Empire, the mosaics themes revolved around Christianity, however, mosaics formed a new aesthetic, which is weightless, frontal figures (Kleiner 239). For example, the Justinian (Fig. 6) (547) mosaic on the north wall of the apse, San Vitale, Ravenna, Italy. Justinian is placed in front of the figures that seem to be floating/weightless. Furthermore, the artworks rejected classical illusionism. In the Middle Byzantine Empire, Basil I created a mosaic about the Mother of God in Hagia Sophia (Fig. 7), Turkey in 867 (Kleiner 247). This mosaic showed the domination of iconophiles. Furthermore, the mosaic involves rich colors such as golden