Deck 17: The Severan Dynasty

Question 1

The primary vehicle for introducing the Severan family to the Roman people was

A) triumphal arches establishing Septimius Severus's military successes.
B) new inscriptions on buildings declaring their sovereignty.
C) marble sculpted portraits of each member of the imperial family.
D) coins bearing the likeness of the imperial family.

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Portraits of Julia Domna and her two sons promoted the idea of felicitas saeculi, meaning that

A) the Severan princes were legitimate descendants of the Antonines because of Julia's family heritage.
B) Septimius Severus and Julia Domna celebrated the formal adoption of their two sons in official portraiture.
C) happiness and stability had returned to the Roman world because of the promise of peaceful succession.
D) the borders of Rome were secure and stable because of Caracalla's and Geta's military successes.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

A painting technique that uses pigments mixed with egg yolk is called

A) encaustic.
B) tempera.
C) fresco.
D) mosaic.

Answer 3

B

Question 4

The portraits of Septimius Severus that depict him with four corkscrew locks of hair over his forehead underscore his association with which deity?

A) Serapis.
B) Divus Augustus.
C) Jupiter.
D) Mars Ultor.

Question 5

The knotted brow and sharp turn of the head in Caracalla's portraits emphasize his ____________ personality.

A) charismatic
B) youthful
C) introspective
D) ruthless

Question 6

What feature of Severus Alexander's portraits contrasts sharply with those of earlier emperors and empresses?

A) the addition of a beard to emulate the style of the Greeks
B) the use of paint to emphasize individual facial features
C) the turn of the emperor's head to direct his gaze away from the viewer
D) the use of the drill to represent eyes and hair more realistically

Question 7

The marble sketch map of the city of Rome commissioned under Septimius Severus is known as the

A) contabulatio.
B) Forma Urbis Romae.
C) optimus princeps.
D) De Architectura.

Question 8

The Arch of Septimius Severus commemorates the emperor's victory over what people group?

A) the Parthians
B) the Dacians
C) the Gauls
D) the Pergamenes

Question 9

The location of the Arch of Septimius Severus connected the Severan dynasty with which important figure in Roman history?

A) Trajan
B) Aeneas
C) Romulus
D) Augustus

Question 10

The Arch of the Argentarii is actually a porta, meaning that it is

A) a room covered by a groin vault.
B) the terminus of an aqueduct.
C) a gate with a flat-roofed passageway.
D) an entryway with an arcuated lintel.

Question 11

The Arch of the Argentarii was paid for by what group of people?

A) the imperial family
B) merchants and freedmen
C) foreign slaves
D) provincial kings who had recently been granted Roman citizenship

Question 12

What major change did Elagabalus make to Roman religion that ultimately led to his murder?

A) He made Sol Invictus the supreme god of the state.
B) He banished of Ba'al from the capital.
C) He rededicated the Capitolium to Jupiter Ultor.
D) He made worship of the deified emperors illegal.

Question 13

The shrines that the Severans restored or erected are significant because they reflect

A) the infiltration of Gallic deities into the Roman pantheon.
B) the Etruscan roots of the Severan dynasty.
C) the decreasing popularity of the traditional Greek pantheon.
D) the increasing popularity of Oriental religions in Italy.

Question 14

The most significant Severan architectural project in Rome was the

A) Temple of Hercules and Bacchus (Melqarth and Shadrap).
B) Arch of the Argentarii.
C) Thermae Antoninianae (Baths of Caracalla).
D) Forma Urbis Romae.

Question 15

Which of the following is NOT true concerning the Thermae Antoninianae (Baths of Caracalla)?

A) The mosaics and statues emphasized a new model of male perfection.
B) The walls and vaults of the building did not make use of concrete.
C) The baths were started by Septimius Severus, but completed by Caracalla.
D) The complex included gardens, libraries, and meeting halls in addition to bathing facilities.

Question 16

How did Septimius Severus emphasize the legitimacy and stability of his family's rule?

Question 17

Discuss how the iconography associated with certain deities influenced portraits of the Severan imperial family.

Question 18

Discuss how the portraits of Caracalla as emperor break with the Antonine tradition.

Question 19

Describe the major changes that took place in imperial portraiture during the third century.

Question 20

What is the Forma Urbis Romae and what information does it yield about the city of Rome?

Question 21

Describe the major building projects that the Severans undertook in Rome.

Question 22

Compare and contrast the design of the Arch of Septimius Severus to earlier imperial triumphal arches.

Question 23

Discuss how political considerations affected the artistic integrity of the Arch of the Argentarii.

Question 24

Describe the structural design and artistic embellishments in the Baths of Caracalla.

Question 25

Explain how the model of male perfection displayed in the Baths of Caracalla differed from the Greek male ideal.

Question 26

Discuss the effect that the Severans' Eastern background had on Roman religion.

Question 27

How was Septimius Severus's victory over the Parthians celebrated in imperial art?

Question 28

Because the Senate immediately declared a new emperor after the death of Commodus, Rome subsequently enjoyed a long period of peace and stability.

Question 29

Septimius Severus most frequently portrayed himself in the role of imperator.

Question 30

The Severan dynasts were revolted by Roman worship of Eastern deities and banished Eastern cults from the capital.