Yung​ ​1 Jason​ ​Yung Professor​ ​Stephany ​ ​Rimland ART​ ​105​ ​W71 15​ ​October ​ ​2017 Augustus ​ ​the​ ​Great The​ ​​Augustus ​ ​of​ ​Primaporta​ ​​is ​ ​a​ ​famous ​ ​free-standing ​ ​sculpture​ ​that​ ​depicts ​ ​Augustus, the​ ​very ​ ​first​ ​emperor ​ ​of ​ ​Rome. ​ ​Constructed ​ ​by​ ​an ​ ​unknown​ ​Roman ​ ​artist​ ​in ​ ​20​ ​B.C.E, ​ ​the​ ​white marble​ ​statue​ ​stands ​ ​at​ ​an ​ ​impressive​ ​height​ ​of ​ ​2.04​ ​meters. ​ ​This ​ ​flawless ​ ​portrayal​ ​of ​ ​Augustus was​ ​influenced ​ ​by​ ​the​ ​Greek’s ​ ​emphasis ​ ​on​ ​idealism. ​ ​At​ ​the​ ​time, ​ ​Roman ​ ​art​ ​incorporated characteristics ​ ​of ​ ​Greek ​ ​Classical​ ​art, ​ ​making ​ ​sure​ ​their ​ ​sculptures ​ ​were​ ​proportionate​ ​and ​ ​based on​ ​the​ ​human ​ ​figure. ​ ​Some​ ​sculptors ​ ​utilize ​ ​white​ ​marble​ ​as ​ ​their ​ ​medium​ ​considering ​ ​that​ ​it’s easy ​ ​to ​ ​manipulate ​ ​and ​ ​the​ ​texture​ ​resembles ​ ​the​ ​soft​ ​skin​ ​of ​ ​a​ ​person. ​ ​In ​ ​the​ ​​Augustus ​ ​of Primaporta,​ ​​Emperor ​ ​Augustus ​ ​stands ​ ​upright​ ​as ​ ​he​ ​signals ​ ​to ​ ​some​ ​undiscovered, ​ ​distant location. ​ ​With ​ ​Cupid ​ ​at​ ​his ​ ​leg, ​ ​he​ ​is ​ ​illustrated ​ ​as ​ ​a​ ​vigorous ​ ​visionary ​ ​who​ ​is ​ ​beloved ​ ​by​ ​the Roman ​ ​gods ​ ​and ​ ​fit​ ​to ​ ​rule​ ​the​ ​Roman ​ ​Empire. ​ ​Indeed, ​ ​the​ ​​Augustus ​ ​of​ ​Primaporta​ ​​exemplifies the​ ​ideal​ ​representation ​ ​of ​ ​an ​ ​authoritative ​ ​ruler ​ ​by​ ​rendering ​ ​the​ ​first​ ​Roman ​ ​emperor ​ ​as ​ ​a god-like​ ​figure​ ​who​ ​holds ​ ​an ​ ​unparalleled ​ ​amount​ ​of ​ ​power ​ ​and ​ ​ambition. Augustus ​ ​was​ ​a​ ​strong,​ ​influential ​ ​leader ​ ​who​ ​had ​ ​the​ ​entire​ ​empire​ ​of ​ ​Rome​ ​within ​ ​the palm​ ​of ​ ​his ​ ​hand. ​ ​He​ ​was​ ​admired ​ ​by​ ​his ​ ​citizens ​ ​and ​ ​feared ​ ​by​ ​outside​ ​nations;​ ​he​ ​undeniably yielded ​ ​a​ ​formidable ​ ​mass ​ ​of ​ ​power. ​ ​Taking ​ ​this ​ ​into ​ ​account, ​ ​it​ ​seems​ ​only ​ ​natural​ ​that​ ​a​ ​statue of ​ ​his ​ ​image​ ​would​ ​capture​ ​his ​ ​awe-inspiring ​ ​qualities ​ ​while​ ​simultaneously ​ ​comparing ​ ​him​ ​to ​ ​a god.​ ​This ​ ​statue​ ​came​ ​to ​ ​be​ ​known​ ​as ​ ​the​ ​​Augustus ​ ​of​ ​Primaporta,​ ​​which ​ ​defines ​ ​Augustus ​ ​as ​ ​the Yung​ ​2 quintessential ​ ​ruler. ​ ​The​ ​anonymous ​ ​sculptor’s ​ ​use​ ​of ​ ​the​ ​formal​ ​elements ​ ​in ​ ​art​ ​highlights ​ ​the zealous ​ ​nature​ ​of ​ ​Augustus ​ ​with​ ​the​ ​suggestion ​ ​of ​ ​implied ​ ​lines ​ ​and ​ ​motion. ​ ​Similarly, ​ ​the sculptor ​ ​demonstrates ​ ​his ​ ​knowledge​ ​of ​ ​the​ ​design ​ ​principles ​ ​by​ ​emphasizing ​ ​visual​ ​weight​ ​and human-like ​ ​proportions. ​ ​These​ ​particular ​ ​components ​ ​paint​ ​the​ ​real​ ​Augustus ​ ​as ​ ​having ​ ​more aspirations ​ ​and ​ ​might​ ​than ​ ​he​ ​actually ​ ​did. Two ​ ​of ​ ​the​ ​formal​ ​elements ​ ​that​ ​the​ ​sculptor ​ ​displays.

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Jason Yung
Professor Stephany Rimland
ART 105 W71
15 October 2017
Augustus the Great
The Augustus of Primaporta is a famous free-standing
sculpture that depicts Augustus,
the very first emperor of Rome. Constructed by an unknown
Roman artist in 20 B.C.E, the white
marble statue stands at an impressive height of 2.04 meters.
This flawless portrayal of Augustus
was influenced by the Greek’s emphasis on idealism. At the
time, Roman art incorporated
characteristics of Greek Classical art, making sure their
sculptures were proportionate and based
on the human figure. Some sculptors utilize white marble as
their medium considering that it’s
easy to manipulate and the texture resembles the soft skin of
a person. In the Augustus of

2. Primaporta, Emperor Augustus stands upright as he signals
to some undiscovered, distant
location. With Cupid at his leg, he is illustrated as a
vigorous visionary who is beloved by the
Roman gods and fit to rule the Roman Empire. Indeed, the
Augustus of Primaporta exemplifies
the ideal representation of an authoritative ruler by
rendering the first Roman emperor as a
god-like figure who holds an unparalleled amount of power
and ambition.
Augustus was a strong, influential leader who had the entire
empire of Rome within the
palm of his hand. He was admired by his citizens and
feared by outside nations; he undeniably
yielded a formidable mass of power. Taking this into
account, it seems only natural that a statue
of his image would capture his awe-inspiring qualities while
simultaneously comparing him to a
god. This statue came to be known as the Augustus of
Primaporta, which defines Augustus as the
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3. quintessential ruler. The anonymous sculptor’s use of the
formal elements in art highlights the
zealous nature of Augustus with the suggestion of implied
lines and motion. Similarly, the
sculptor demonstrates his knowledge of the design principles
by emphasizing visual weight and
human-like proportions. These particular components paint
the real Augustus as having more
aspirations and might than he actually did.
Two of the formal elements that the sculptor displays in his
creation are implied lines and
implied motion. Notice the gesture Augustus makes with his
right hand as if he’s pointing to
some place only he can observe. Also, his left forearm lifts
up a portion of his toga, revealing his
bare legs and feet. The statue itself isn’t moving, but the
placement of his arms imply a sense of
movement. As he sweeps his toga away and shifts his
weight, his fingers signify his awareness of
a place beyond the horizon. By indicating movement, the
sculptor successfully expresses the
grand ambition that Augustus had for his Roman Empire.
He sought to venture to areas that even

4. the Roman populace couldn’t fathom. What assists in this
interpretation is the sculptor’s
integration of implied lines. Looking back at Augustus’
right hand, a line seems to emanate from
the tip of his index finger. This imaginary line directs the
viewer’s attention to the place where
Augustus himself is looking. Coincidentally, his gaze
reveals an implied line as well. The eyes
are attracted to his own finger’s implied line as if he
himself recognizes its suggested path. Every
implication enhances the ambitious character of the statue,
thereby amplifying the ambitious
character of the living Augustus. Whether or not he was
actually this aspiring is irrelevant,
because his statue represents him as such. Meaning that
those who were stirred by the marble
replica will associate their reverence not with the statue but
with Augustus himself.
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This displacement of admiration can also be attributed to
the actual mass of the statue.
Not only does the figure tower over others at a height of
2.04 meters, it occupies a decent-sized

5. space and likely weighs a lot. However, the marble image of
Augustus looks relatively light due
to the lack of Roman garb. All he wears is a tunic covered
by a breastplate and a short toga. His
bare limbs make him come off as weightless and devoid of
worry. He radiates confidence by
instilling a sense of security in onlookers, validating his
competence as emperor. Interestingly
enough, he gives off the impression of a god because of his
ethereal image since they too usually
sport few clothing articles. Granted, Augustus in the flesh
and blood was not an actual god, but
Romans at the time could have certainly entertained the idea
thanks to this statue.
Setting aside their application of formal elements, the
sculptor also had a clear grasp of
the design principles in art. For example, most of the visual
weight is situated below Augustus’
navel. The wrinkly toga is draped over his left forearm
while a little Cupid atop a dolphin crowds
his right leg. This lower section juxtaposes the upper
portion of his body which appears to be
decorated with a single breastplate. Yet despite all of this
luggage, Augustus is still capable of

6. lifting up his right hand and gesturing to the uncertain.
Perhaps this symbolizes Augustus’ ability
to overcome strife or succeed in his military endeavors as
he rises in the face of difficulty. Such
perseverance was to be expected of the leader of one of the
greatest empires at the time. By
contrasting the visual weight of the top and bottom halves,
Augustus of Primaporta paints the
real Augustus as a tenacious man willing to challenge the
impossible.
Obviously, the statue seeks to depict Augustus as the perfect
male and no better is this
exemplified than in the proportions of his marble physique.
From his unrealistic height to his
smooth skin, this idealized version of Augustus is
undoubtedly robust, hardy, and vigilant. His
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slightly exaggerated features elevate his status to that of a
deity, albeit he most resembles a fit
human man. By likening his resemblance to that of a god,
Augustus would be admired not just as
the ruler of Rome but also as a divine entity. This

7. unrealistic portrayal could have even garnered
him potential worshipers. However, him being graced by the
gods is most evident with the
display of several other figures alongside Augustus. Down by
his right leg, Cupid, the Roman
God of love, seems to reach towards the emperor’s thigh,
suggesting the favoritism Augustus
receives from the gods. There are also images and icons that
adorn his breastplate. Divine
entities interact with one another establishing a sublime
scene on Augustus’ chest. All of these
icons imply Augustus’ strong connection with the Roman
gods. Possibly he himself descended
from such divine roots. On their own, each symbol only
references a powerful god worthy of
praise. But these various images are merged together in the
Augustus of Primaporta, intensifying
the statue’s godly presence. By incorporating various items
in their artwork, the sculptor evokes
harmony and wholeness between the figures. Their use of
unity and variety allows Augustus to
transcend into the realm of gods.
Concerning the chest piece itself, there’s actually a little bit
of background behind its

8. central image. Before the reign of Augustus,“the Parthian
army completely defeated the Roman
legions stationed at the Euphrates River and captured all the
Roman eagles and standards. This
humiliation...dealt a terrible blow to Rome and its people”
(Goerke-Shrode). Part of marble
Augustus’ cuirass compensates this embarrassing loss by
having the Parthian king relinquish the
precious standards, an actual exchange that occurred in 20
B.C.E (Reeder 109). Without a doubt,
this interaction highlights Augustus’ superiority over
powerful opponents. In fact, “Seated on
either side of the central group are two female figures, each
representing nations defeated by
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Rome” (Goerke-Shrode). Along with his supremacy, his
breastplate recognizes his military
prowess. However, the surrendering Parthian king evokes a
much more passionate response. The
Parthian Empire crushed Rome and seized all their valuables,
proving that the empire wasn’t
truly impregnable (Goerke-Shrode). Through an ironic twist

9. of fate, the King of Parthian himself
hands over the stolen goods, the epitome of humility for any
formidable nation. Once again,
Augustus of Primaporta sets forth the notion that Emperor
Augustus could conquer the
unconquerable by vanquishing the kings of empires.
During this capitulation, Augustus appears to be surrounded
by individuals. So important
is this incident “that the return of the standards
was...watched over by the gods, and that, with
divine help, Augustus guaranteed the order of the world”
(Goerke-Shrode). In other words,
Augustus isn’t alone; he is blessed by the Roman gods and
it is only natural for them to aid him.
To prove his good relations with the gods, the sculptor
placed a little Cupid alongside Augustus’
leg, representing his blood ties with Venus, the Roman
Goddess of love (Goerke-Shrode).
Though, other deities are clearly visible around the borders
of Augustus’ cuirass. For instance,
located at the top “are the gods Cadus, Sol, Luna, and
Aurora (Sky, Sun, Moon, and Dawn)”
(Goerke-Shrode). While opposite to them is “Diana (the
goddess of the hunt) and Apollo (the sun

10. god)...on either side of Tellus (the Earth Mother)” (Goerke-
Shrode). Such a large gathering of
gods really emphasizes the significance of the central scene,
while simultaneously ranking
Augustus amongst the divine beings themselves. Ideal
qualities like these reinforce his
competence as the ruler of Rome by implying a divine
lineage.
Taken as a whole, Augustus’ chest piece illustrates
something larger than Augustus
himself: a new era (Reeder 109). This statue “celebrated the
beginning of the the Pax Augustae
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(“Peace of Augustus”) with the peaceful return of the
Standards to Rome” (Goerke-Shrode).
Otherwise known as the Pax Romana, this era began when
Augustus sought to create a newborn,
peaceful empire that ended up lasting two centuries
(Wasson). His statue exemplifies not only a
time of harmony, but also his concern for the Roman
citizens. By fortifying his empire, he kept
the Romans out of harm’s way, ensuring that no invaders

11. injured his subjects. A strong
allegiance was then likely formed between Augustus and
his people, so much so a group called
the Imperial Cult honored him as a legitimate god (Wasson).
Without this breastplate, Augustus
is only established as an all-powerful creature. While this
sounds satisfying, this blinding
perfection could have led to a sense of alienation, since
flawless creatures are difficult to relate
to. Instead, the sculptor ingrains a touch of humanity by
adding an item that symbolizes
Augustus’ connection with his Roman people. Ironically,
this attachment ends up romanticizing
Augustus even more, since an emotional connection has
been realized. His influence can be
accurately summed up in his own statement: “I found a city
of brick and left it one of marble”
(Wasson).
Coincidentally, Augustus’ quotation pertains quite well to his
marble replica. Using
Augustus’ own analogy, his mortal self would be the brick
and his Augustus of Primaporta the
marble. Brick has superficial flaws, most notably in its
inferior image to marble. The same can

12. be said of Augustus’ portrayal in his statue. For example,
marble Augustus is pictured as having
“smoother, more idealised features, a stronger neck and the
hairstyle of an athlete” ( Museum).
He isn’t illustrated in a realistic manner, rather a more
glorified one. Part of this appeal can be
attributed to another prominent sculpture at the time:
Doryphoros of Polykleitos ( Museum). And
indeed, the relaxed posture of Doryphoros seems to have
translated to Augustus’ statue as well.
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Yet, Augustus himself looks as though he’s “addressing the
troops” (Goerke-Shrode). His calm
demeanor contrasts with his status as the commander of the
Roman army; he feels approachable
but with a hint of formality. Interestingly enough, “the statue
of Augustus of Prima Porta is
probably to be seen in connection with the triumphal
ceremony” (Reeder 91). A triumphal
ceremony was a Roman tradition that celebrated a momentous
victory of sorts; in this case,
Augustus’ ascension to the throne was the occasion (Wasson).

13. Through his physical idealistic
presentation, Augustus is seen as the model Roman man.
His young, athletic complexion carved
in the marble betrays his mortal appearance, but nonetheless
the statue exaggerates his
characteristics as to effectively capture his eminence.
The real Augustus was a flawed human being with grand
ambitions and control over the
whole of Rome. He was no god, his power was finite, and
even he probably couldn’t see beyond
the horizon. However, his marble counterpart tells a
different story. Divine symbols and
victorious icons depict Augustus as a formidable god that
can bring the greatest of enemies to
their knees. His ambition is noted through the various
implications of his figure, while his
resemblance to a human keeps him grounded in reality.
Augustus of Primaporta has two
purposes: to render Augustus as a supreme being and to
commemorate his legacy. All artwork
that represents authoritative rulers seeks to accomplish
these two things. A leader’s brilliance,
might, and influence is all personified in one single piece of
art.

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Augustus of Primaporta, Roman culture, 20 B.C.E
White Marble, Height of 6ft. 8in.
Image Courtesy of: http://www.the-art-minute.com/augustus-
of-primaporta-spin-city/
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Works Cited
Goerke-Shrode, Sabine. "The Augustus Statue of Prima
Porta." Calliope, vol. 8, no. 4, Dec.
1997, p. 15. EBSCO host,
prox2.harpercollege.edu:2048/login?url= http://search .ebsco
host.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=f5h&AN=53408&site=eho
st-live.
“Museum of Classical Archaeology Databases.” Primaporta
Augustus | Museum of Classical

15. Archaeology Databases , University of Cambridge,
museum.classics.cam.ac.uk/
collections/casts/primaporta-augustus.
Reeder, Jane Clark. “The Statue of Augustus from Prima
Porta, the Underground Complex, and
the Omen of the Gallina Alba.” The American Journal of
Philology, vol. 118, no. 1, 1997,
pp. 89–118. JSTOR, JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/1562101.
Wasson, Donald. “Pax Romana.” Ancient History
Encyclopedia , 8 Dec. 2015, www.ancient.eu/
Pax_Romana/.
http://search/