"Twelve Caesars" by Raffaello Schiaminossi: Roman Emperors in 17th Century Engravings
A series of exquisite etchings depicting Roman emperors from Julius Caesar to Domitian. Based on the biographies of Suetonius and inspired by the compositions of Antonio Tempesta, this work combines the precision of classical iconography with the expressive technique of early Baroque. Schiaminossi's engravings impress with their masterful use of chiaroscuro and attention to detail, conveying the grandeur, character, and symbolic power of the rulers of ancient Rome.
"In St. Petersburg, two types of architecture prevail: Greek and Roman," — this is how the capital of the Russian state was described by the prominent historian and local historian Ivan Ilyich Pushkaryov. The founder of the city, Emperor Peter, in an attempt to distance himself from the Moscow he disliked, which called itself the Third Rome, laid the foundation for a new ancient city on the northern shores of the Neva. Absorbing the entire "spirit" and longing for antiquity, St. Petersburg recreated it in the strict plans of its architectural ensembles, classical colonnades, and triumphal arches.
Ancient literature is the foundation of the entire European cultural tradition. It has given us heroic epics, tragedies and comedies, philosophical dialogues, and the first literary theories. This test will help you assess how well you know the works, authors, and key ideas of antiquity.
If you lived in the Age of Enlightenment, you would surely be debating freedom of speech, equality, and morality by candlelight in a Parisian salon. But whose ideas would you defend to the end? Take the test and find out who is hidden within you: the rebel Voltaire, the dreamer Rousseau, the jurist Montesquieu, or the strict judge of reason Kant.
The ideas of the Enlightenment always sparked heated debates, and many, while accepting certain elements of the era's worldview, decisively rejected others. Where is your limit of Enlightenment? Take the test and find out who you resemble more: the reactionary de Maistre, the conservative Burke, the religious philosopher Hamann, or the romantic nationalist Herder.