If the Renaissance was about rebirth, the Romans were the ones who gave it life in the first place. Welcome to the 100s BCE to 400s CE, when aqueducts flowed, emperors schemed, and sandal sales were booming. Episode 15 is our tribute to the ancient overachievers of Rome, where concrete wasn’t just a substance — it was a way of life.
Let’s meet a few creators who kept the empire from falling apart… until, well, it did.
Vitruvius (1st century BCE)
What is he known for?
Marcus Vitruvius Pollio was a Roman architect and engineer, best remembered for his treatise De Architectura — a 10-volume handbook on how to build stuff without it falling over.
What impact did he have on society?
His ideas on symmetry, proportion, and beauty shaped everything from Renaissance cathedrals to modern ergonomic office chairs. Okay, maybe not the chairs, but definitely the idea that architecture should be a balance of firmitas, utilitas, and venustas (strength, usefulness, and beauty).
Any awards?
No Oscars, but he inspired Leonardo da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man, the world’s most famous doodle.
Was he financially successful?
Not much is known about his finances, but working under Augustus probably had perks.
Was he famous during his lifetime or only after death?
Kind of a cult classic during his time. His real fame didn’t kick in until Renaissance architects discovered his book like it was the hot mixtape of the 1400s.
Did he collaborate with any other notable creators?
He worked under Emperor Augustus, so his “boss” was basically the CEO of the Roman Empire.
Is he known for any famous art?
Indirectly. The Vitruvian Man is his unofficial fan art.
Is he known for any other inventions?
Not exactly, but he cataloged ancient machines and building methods like a Roman tech blogger.
Any other interesting tidbits?
He was also into water clocks, siege engines, and acoustics. Basically, if something could be built — or blown up — Vitruvius had notes.
Ovid (43 BCE — 17 CE)
What is he known for?
Metamorphoses. A sprawling epic of mythology, transformation, and poetic flair that influenced every angsty poet from Shakespeare to your cousin who writes haikus on Instagram.
What impact did he have on society?
He turned Roman mythology into the Western canon’s bedtime stories. Also got exiled for “a poem and a mistake” — still the vaguest HR violation in history.
Any awards?
Immortal literary status.
Was he financially successful?
Probably, until the banishment package kicked in.
Was he famous during his lifetime or only after death?
Very. Until Augustus banished him to the edge of the empire (modern-day Romania). Ovid kept writing, which is the ancient version of subtweeting your boss.
Did he collaborate with any other notable creators?
He riffed off earlier Greek myths and gave them spicy Roman flair.
Is he known for any famous art?
His works inspired paintings by Botticelli, Titian, and more.
Is he known for any other inventions?
Just the “sassy narrator” trope.
Any other interesting tidbits?
He basically invented the Roman version of a dating guide in The Art of Love. Think: 1st-century Cosmopolitan.
Apollodorus of Damascus (active 2nd century CE)
What is he known for?
The architectural genius behind Trajan’s Forum, Trajan’s Market, and the original Trajan’s Fan Club (unconfirmed).
What impact did he have on society?
He literally reshaped Rome. His innovations in dome-building and column-carving influenced architecture well into the Byzantine period.
Any awards?
Built monuments that still have Yelp reviews two millennia later.
Was he financially successful?
Likely well-compensated until he was, uh, fired.
Was he famous during his lifetime or only after death?
Absolutely. Until Emperor Hadrian (a bit of a frustrated architect himself) reportedly had him executed for making fun of one of his designs. Architects: tread lightly.
Did he collaborate with any other notable creators?
Worked closely with Emperor Trajan — the two were Rome’s power design duo.
Is he known for any famous art?
Trajan’s Column is basically a giant marble comic book. Panels and all.
Any other interesting tidbits?
He’s the original “starchitect.”
Plot twist: The Romans weren’t lone wolves.
They borrowed, blended, and occasionally bulldozed ideas from the Greeks, Egyptians, Etruscans, Persians, and everyone in between. Their genius was in remixing — turning others’ cultural Spotify playlists into the ultimate civilization mixtape.
They also built roads that lasted longer than some modern political careers and created concrete that could set underwater (finally, a pool upgrade solution!). Latin, Roman law, satire, sewage systems, and even fast food-style stalls — all Roman innovations that echo today.
So next time you flush a toilet, walk on a cobblestone, or argue about fonts in your group project, thank a Roman. Preferably in Latin.
Art Prompt:
A Cubist landscape evoking jagged geometry and fragmented light, channeling the bold color palette and angular abstraction of a 1910s Spanish master. The scene depicts an urban skyline fractured into planes of burnt orange, deep teal, and slate gray, with overlapping perspectives that make rooftops and windows cascade like a shattered mosaic. The composition vibrates with tension and rhythm, capturing both the chaos and cohesion of a city breathing in cubes.
Video Prompt:
Animated shards of a Cubist city reassemble themselves to the beat — buildings rotate, morph, and clash into place like puzzle pieces flung across space. The sky flickers through planes of burnt orange and smoky gray as viewers are pulled through shifting perspectives, rooftops dancing and dissolving in geometric bursts. Captivating motion, bold contrasts, and rhythmic edits make this a feast for fans of urban abstraction.
Song Suggestions:
- Derezzed by Daft Punk
- Midnight City by M83
Joining us mid series?
Start with Episode 1 and meet one genius per century:
https://medium.com/@DaveLumAI/the-creators-series-a-lightning-tour-of-historys-greatest-geniuses-317d81bc5532
https://blog.lumaiere.com/the-creators-series-a-lightning-tour-of-historys-greatest-geniuses/
Follow for more genius, leave a comment for your favorite Roman mind, and share if you’ve ever been exiled for poetry.
Friday Night Laughs Mini:
Why don’t Roman senators play hide and seek?
Because good luck hiding when your name is Gaius Maximus the Unmissable.
What did the Roman say to the slow chariot?
“Are you not entertained? Because I’m not… moving.”
Why did the toga get promoted?
It covered for everyone.
And why was Caesar terrible at poker?
He always folded when someone said “Et tu?”