In ancient Rome, as with the majority of ancient cultures, religion and politics played an essential role in the making of art. Although new approaches towards art developed, such as portraiture, art was primarily used as a means of political messages and of religious worship. This is evident in two pieces from the early empire (27 BC- 96CE), the "Bronze Heracles" (30BC-70CE) which was used mainly for religious purposes, and the "Marble Torso Clad in …showed first 75 words of 1396 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1396 total…Hercule, 70-78 CE, Herculaneum, Bronze, 62cm." <Tab/><http://cartelfr.louvre.fr/cartelfr/visite?srv=car_not_frame&idNotice=2804> ThinkQuest: Library: Greek Classical Period Sculpture. "The Methods of Greek <Tab/>Sculpture" < http://library.thinkquest.org/23492/data/methods.htm> Torso Clad in Cuirass. 90-96 CE. Early Imperial Roman99.346. Museum of Fine Arts, <Tab/>Boston, Massachusetts.