Introduction
The evidence of Art History  can help us to understand how groups of people invaded and conquered other groups sometimes successfully and sometimes not.  

The Romans had a very long and very successful campaign of invading and ruling over new territories.  A look at the material remains of the invaded cultures show us that the Romans while taking over the ruling administration of the invaded territories, they were very tolerant of the local practices and methods of worship.  This lead to an interesting mixture of common Roman civic planning and building coupled with local or regional cultural practices. This weeks DB prompt asks you to consider this by selecting  works of art and analyzing the combination of Roman and local influences. 

• Module Outcome 

6.c  Relate Etruscan and Roman artists and art to their cultural, economic, and political contexts.

6.d  Apply the vocabulary and concepts relevant to Etruscan and Roman art, artists, and art history.

6.e  Interpret a work of Etruscan or Roman art using the art historical methods of observation, comparison, and inductive reasoning.

6.f  Select visual and textual evidence in various media to support an argument or an interpretation of a work of Etruscan or Roman art.

• Course Outcome: Interpret the meaning of works of art from diverse cultures, periods, and locations based on themes, subjects and symbols. 3. Relate artists and works of art to their cultural, economic, and political contexts. 4. Apply the vocabulary and concepts used to discuss works of art, artists, and art history. 5. Interpret art using appropriate art historical methods, such as observation and inductive reasoning.
• General Education Competency: 1. Communicate effectively using the conventions of American Standard English in professional and academic environments. 2. Use critical thinking to analyze problems and make logical decisions. 3. Demonstrate socialization skills that support cultural awareness and a global perspective. 

Grading Criteria

Posts should include the proper name of the works, in italics or underlined, the material or media of the works, the dimensions, and where the piece lives.  Formal characteristics include color, mass, volume, implied movement, linear elements, contours, pattern, etc..  If you talk about an characteristic in one of the works, compare that with the other work.  Are they the same, related or different?  Make a point in your discussion.

For a top score, you must respond constructively, not just providing praise but asking a question and adding to the conversation.  Ask a question to one students’ original post and answer a question from someone else. This is the minimum. More extensive participation will be noted.

Specifications
Post your opening response to the question early in the assignment period so that others have time to respond to you.

A thoughtful opening response will consider the formal properties of the works.

The Prompt
Respond to the following discussion question for this module.

Beginning with the Etruscans, Romans adopted the art and employed artists of the lands they conquered.  This is one of their practices that made them successful conquers. Select one or two works of Roman art and discuss what the influences are.  Your selections should remain in the arena of art works, and can include buildings but not military solutions (logistics or weapons) and not civic endeavors (plumbing and roads).  This is, after all, an art class!

Some examples that you could use are:

-the burial practices and the art that was used for those ceremonies.

-the use of mosaics

-the development and change in Roman portraiture

-places of worship, a lot of posibilities here!