What is the relationship between conflict in Ancient Rome and the production of art and architecture?
The conflicts of ancient Rome often reflected power struggles within the Roman Empire. Consequently, there was a need to glorify the emperor in his quest for and ability to control an expanding empire. One of the ways this was accomplished was to undertake significant construction campaigns glorifying the city of Rome and its Emperor. Thus the Roman triumphal arch and its decoration functioned as an important form of political propaganda, promoting the Roman Empire and its emperor. B. THE CHURCH: Historically, the Roman Catholic Church was another major patron of the arts. The subject matter of Christian art referred to religious themes and thus was intended to further the piety of the beholder. However, an artwork often served more than one purpose. The Catholic Church in Rome was the patron of a vast building campaign during the 17th century with a great proliferation of the arts, which also served the Church’s political interests. Fra Andrea Pozzo, The Glorification of St. Ignatius,
