Representations of war and violence were pervasive throughout the Roman world, displayed in homes and public spaces.
From a purely artistic perspective, violent scenes allowed artists to showcase their ability to render a variety of dramatic, contorted poses, portray strong emotions and compose dynamic and complex scenes.
From the viewer's perspective, however, the violent images that pervaded Roman life were intended to commemorate, moralise and even entertain. Roman battle scenes drew upon Hellenistic concepts of pathos, sympathy and fate, where the pitiful circumstances of the defeated enemy served to glorify the victor. Yet at a time of increasing wars (and victories) and greater interest in arena spectacles, some Romans were questioning the moral implications of viewing violence, as several literary examples demonstrate. Still, violence played a significant role in Roman identity. Rome's foundation myths involved acts of rape, fratricide and war. The brutal rape and suicide of a Roman noblewoman allegedly precipitated the expulsion of Rome's last king and the formation of its republic. Ancient historians document the expansion of the Roman Empire through numerous military campaigns, and not surprisingly the earliest images of war and violence in Roman art were connected to the celebration and commemoration of military triumphs.Scenes of violence appear in nearly every artistic medium produced by the Romans, from grand-scale public art to private displays in homes, villas and tombs, and even on personal objects such as gems and lamps. Many of the scenes combine eroticism and violence in ways that reflect social and political power in Roman society. This chapter examines a selection of images in three contexts - private (domestic settings), funerary (often a private monument with a public audience) and public (state monuments) - spanning from the third century bce to the early fourth century ce.
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