Contribution To Literature & The Arts
In dating the Roman Republic from 509-133 BC, we miss some of the best known Roman writers and orators such as Cicero, Virgil and Ovid. However, other artists during the Roman Republic were responsible for a significant contribution to literature, including Ennius, Livius Andronicus, Plautus and Terence. In addition to many works of literature, the Roman Republic also produced various works of art, including architecture and sculpture. This analysis will review the Roman Empire’s contribution to literature and the arts during the Republic.
The conquest of Greece was responsible for introducing Romans to many works of art, from literature and poetry to architecture and sculpture. With the expulsion of the last of the Etruscan kings in approximately 510 BC, Rome became a Republic (Art 1). The origins of art during the Roman Republic can be traced to a series of wars in which Rome not only expanded its territorial boundaries but also its artistic sensibilities. In the form of war spoils, Romans were exposed to the literature and poetry, histories, architecture, sculpture, music and painting of the Greeks “Mummius…was the first to enhance the esteem which is publicly accorded to foreign paintings at Rome” (Art 1). This influence was profound, promoting Roman society to develop its own works of art. Initially, Roman works of art were copied from Greek models of art, be it literature or architecture. Over time, these Roman artworks would become less “Greek” and more “Roman” in nature. Some of the earliest poetry that remains from the Republic is attributed to Ennius. The original epic poem, entitled The Annales, consisted of fifteen books and covered a period of roughly 1000 years, from the fall of Troy to 189 BC (Annales 1). Historical in nature, The Annales was divided into books which consisted of approximately 1000-1700 lines each. The Annales structure was more tha...