Malaspina Great Books, Established 1995; Created by Russell McNeil, PhD, Visitors:

With the growing importance of global warming, Climate News Live provides up-to-date news and information. This is a non-partisan source of timely news articles, current events, and the relevant topics that are shaping the public policy debate in the United States and elsewhere. ... (click on picture or headline above for more)

title author

Malaspina Great Books Blog

The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius: Selections Annotated and Explained Russell McNeil, PhD Editor, Malaspina Great Books In 1862 the English literary critic and poet Matthew Arnold described Marcus Aurelius as "the most beautiful figure in history." The Stoicism of Aurelius is grounded in rationality and rests solidly on an ethical approach rooted in nature. Stoicism promises real happiness and joy in this life and a serenity that can never be soured by personal misfortune. This philosophy has universal appeal with practical implications on problems ranging from climate change and terrorism to the personal management of sickness, aging, depression and addiction. I truly believe that the Meditations of Marcus Aurelius has much to offer us now...(Click on book cover for more)

Category:	Ancient Art
Name:	Roman Art and Architecture Greek Art
Birth Year:	c. 31 BCE
Death Year:	476 CE
Representative Image:
Biography, Lectures, and Research Links:	Background Blog Roman Art and Architecture SEARCH NOW: by title by author Find your favorite art: barewalls.com The Romans adopted the external language of classical Greek architecture for their own purposes, which were so different from Greek buildings as to create a new architectural style. The two styles are often considered one body of classical architecture. Sometimes that approach is productive, and sometimes it hinders understanding by causing us to judge Roman buildings by Greek standards. From the point of view of modern times, the ancient civilizations of the Mediterranean sometimes seem to blend smoothly into one melange we call the Classical. This stylistic designation elides the 8 or 10 centuries the period spans and the remarkable changes in technology and architectural design that take place. While later architects reviving classical forms in the Renaissance or the Neo-classical styles picked what they wanted to imitate, it is essential to separate the parts. A working division can be made into: Greek architecture before Alexander the Great; Hellenistic architecture; and Roman architecture. Only Greek Architecture before Alexander (who died in 323 B.C.) carries any ethnic designation. The ancient Greeks were notoriously dismissive of barbaroi, those who spoke Greek non-natively or (even worse!) not at all. The incredible conquests of Alexander and the subsequent application of a veneer of Greek city states to a base of Egyptian, Semitic, and even Iranian populations produced an important change. Though Greek-speaking remained the touchstone of whether one was a member of civilized culture or not, the ethnic diversification of the Hellenistic world is clear. The formal elements of classical Greek architecture were applied to temples for gods never worshipped in Greece. The Romans can be seen as the latest Hellenistic empire. Pre-imperial architecture is more or less Etruscan with some Greek elements. By the time the Romans conquered mainland Greece in the 2nd century B.C. they were importing Greek craftsmen to build major public buildings. The term Roman Art and Roman Architecture has no ethnic meaning of "Italic Romans". Most art historians assume that it has the ethnic meaning of Greek-speaking slave or Greek-speaking free laborer, in fact. The elements of classical architecture turn out to be just that -- elements that can be applied in radically different architectural contexts than those for which they were developed. The classical orders have a kind of meaning or stylistic developmental history in 5th century B.C. Greece that can be passed over or shifted in 1st century A.D. Gaul, which is why they have been revived over and over again since then. These ancient styles of building design are distinguished by the type of column and entablature (architrave, frieze and cornice) used. There are five recognized orders - doric, ionic and corinthian are Greek; tuscan and composite are Roman: Doric - Originated on the mainland and western Greece. It is the oldest and simplest of the orders, characterized by short, faceted, heavy columns with plain, round capitals (tops) and no base. Above the capital is a square abacus connecting the capital to the entablature. The Entablature is divided into two horizontal registers, the lower part of which is either smooth or divided by horizontal lines. The upper half of the doric entablature is divided into triglyphs and metopes. Ionic - Came from eastern Greece. Distinguished by slender, fluted pillars with a large base and two opposed volutes in the capital. Also marked by a entasis, a little bulge in the columns. Corinthian - The most ornate of the Greek orders, characterized by a slender fluted column having an ornate capital decorated with leaves. Designed by Callimachus, a Greek sculptor of the 5th century BC. Composite - A mixed order, combining the volutes of the Ionic with the leaves of the Corinthian order. Tuscan - A very plain design, with a plain shaft, and a simple capital, base, and frieze. [This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License and uses material adapted in whole or in part from the Wikipedia article on Classical architecture.] The Great Books: Roman Art Please browse our Amazon list of titles about Roman Art. For rare and hard to find works we recommend our Alibris list of titles about Roman Art and Architecture. Post Comments, Questions or Suggestions! This database is maintained by Malaspina Great Books .
	Great Books Online: Amazon Search Search: All Products Books Classical Music DVD Popular Music Software Video magazines Toys & Games Baby Computer & Video Games Electronics Wireless Phones Tools & Hardware Outdoor Living Kitchen & Housewares Camera & Photo All Products Keywords:
	Biographical & Documentary Video Research
Best Choice Books, Music, Art:	Roman Art Roman Imperial Architecture Ancient Rome: Monuments Past and Present The Colosseum
Browse Books, Music, Art & Book Reviews:	Books from Alibris: Roman Art and Architecture Books from Amazon: Roman Art
	Audiobooks at iTunes: Thousands of Classics
	Art Posters: Roman Art Art Posters: Roman Architecture
Library Catalogs:	COPAC UK: Roman Art and Architecture Library of Canada: Roman Art Library of Congress: Roman Art Other Library Catalogs: Roman Art and Architecture
External Links:	Representative Image: Roman Architecture (Photo by Russ McNeil May, 2005) Research Links: Roman Art and Architecture Malaspina Canada Links: Roman Art and Architecture
Online Research:
Records from Related Period and Category:	Ancient Art

About this Database:

This web page is part of a biographical database on Great Ideas. These are living ideas that have shaped, defined and directed world culture for over 2,500 years. By definition the Great Ideas are radical. As such they are sometimes misread, or distorted by popular simplifications. Understanding a Great Idea demands personal engagement. Our selection of Great Ideas is drawn from literature and philosophy, science, art, music, theatre, and cinema. We also include biographies of pivotal historical and religious figures, as well as contributions from women and other historically under-represented minorities. The result is an integrated multi-cultural and multi-disciplinary database built upon the framework of the always controversial Great Books Core List published in 1940 by the late Great Books Pioneer Mortimer Adler (1902-2001). Most of the works on that list are available in the 60 volume Great Books of the Western World.