This programme covers the whole epoch of ancient Roman art and architecture, from the pre-Roman Etruscan period, through the periods of the Republic and, subsequently, the Empire when Roman art came under the powerful influence of Greek art, to the diverse developments of Roman arts of the late Roman period.

Etruscan and Roman sculpture are described, together with the Etruscan skills in metalwork and the Roman interest in portraiture, as shown in the Augustus of Primaporta and the equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius.Narrative relief sculpture too is shown to be important, as in the Ara Pacis and Trajan's Column.
Architectural types and styles are examined, such as the basilica, the temple and the massive edifices, whose ruins can still be seen in many lands.

The ancient Roman Art on the wall paintings of Pompeii, such as those of the Villa of the Mysteries, forms another subject for discussion, as do the encaustic portraits discovered at the Fayum in Egypt, and also, of course, Roman Mosaic art.

Specific masterpieces of architecture are discussed, such as the Porta Augusta in Perugia, the Colosseum, the Arch of Titus and the Pantheon in Rome, and the Pont du Gard in France.

Finally, the extraordinary achievements, collectively, of Graeco-Roman Civilisation, are shown to have provided a bedrock of artistic traditions, styles, subject matter and techniques all of which served as vital inspiration to artists and architects of later periods of European civilisation.