The Suggestive Power of the Roman Ideal: A Comparison of Roman Imperial and Provincial Domestic Space

Abstract

The Roman Empire during Augustus’ reign had an almost unfathomable magnitude. Given the plethora of different territories, one wonders if whether the standards set by the imperial family were conspicuous in other parts of the Empire. Looking at the domestic spaces of the Emperor and his family in Rome compared to ones in Pompeii and Ephesos, it would seem as if they did not, for the subjects of the wall paintings were, in some cases, drastically different. However, this paper argues that the Roman imperial standard that extended outside of Rome, in regards to domestic space, did not define an artistic style or set of motifs but a standard of behavior based upon imitation that was set by Augustus. Taking advantage of a behavior that was already present in the Roman Republic, Augustus enhanced and solidified the practice of imitating other cultures’ art styles within Roman culture, with the intent being emotional control or to create a place of refuge.