The document discusses Augustus, the first emperor of Rome. It describes how Augustus skillfully transitioned Rome from a republic to an empire while maintaining the illusion of the republican system. Under his rule, Rome experienced Pax Romana, a period of unprecedented peace and prosperity. Augustus commissioned many works that portrayed him as youthful and divine to represent his legitimacy and idealized rule. One such work was the Prima Porta statue that drew on Greek ideals while communicating Augustus' military accomplishments.

1. Imperial Rome: The Age of
Augustus

2. The Romans created a Republican system of government because they hated the
idea of kings

3. Roman patricians valued their freedom, and their government structure was
designed to ensure that no single individual gained too much power

4. Augustus, Roman Imperial
Period, 1st or 2nd century A.D.
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
But in 31 BCE the Roman Senate elected Octavian, the nephew of Julius Caesar,
first Consul of the Roman Republic – and in 27 BCE he became the first emperor
of the Roman Empire

5. Octavian’s uncle, Julius Caesar, had tried to become the sole ruler of Rome -- but
he was assassinated by a group of Roman Senators
The Chiaramonti Caesar, c. 30-20 BCE
Vatican Museums

6. Those stern old men were not to be messed with!

7. Augustus, Roman Imperial
Period, 1st or 2nd century A.D.
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
But Octavian was successful because he was a skilled politician, and he
maintained the illusion of the Republican system, even though he retained all
power

8. Engraving depicting a meeting of the Roman Senate
Image source: http://www.utexas.edu/courses/lat311moore/lat311images2.htm
When Octavian proposed to relinquish his powers in 27 CE, the Senate responded
by granting him the title of Augustus -- which means “revered one”
He’s not
power-hungry
like his uncle
And he’s brought
peace and prosperity
after years of civil
war
We love him!

9. After years of civil war, Rome prospered under Augustus, and his reign came to be
known as the Pax Romana – a period of unprecedented peace and prosperity
Pax Romana:
Roman Peace

10. Augustus, Roman Imperial
Period, 1st or 2nd century A.D.
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Portrait styles changed dramatically under Augustus

11. The Chiaramonti Caesar, c. 30-20 BCE
Vatican Museums
This portrait of Julius Caesar conforms to the Roman tradition of veristic portraiture

12. The face is lined with wrinkles, the nose is misshapen, and the expression on his
face communicates the stern moral values that were so dear to the Roman Senate
classThe Chiaramonti Caesar, c. 30-20 BCE
Vatican Museums

13. Augustus, Roman Imperial
Period, 1st or 2nd century A.D.
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
But under Augustus a new style of idealism, based on Greek classical models,
became the official style of the new Empire
The Chiaramonti Caesar, c. 30-20 BCE
Vatican Museums

14. Augustus, Roman Imperial
Period, 1st or 2nd century A.D.
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
The youthful image of the emperor, resembling Greek statues of the god Apollo,
signaled a fresh new direction for Rome, and the promise that Rome had become a
“new Athens” – a culture much admired by Roman citizens
The Chiaramonti Caesar, c. 30-20 BCE
Vatican Museums

15. Augustus of Prima Porta
Early 1stc BCE
Copy of bronze original, 6’ 8”
Vatican Museum
The most famous statue of Augustus is the Augustus of Prima Porta, which was
found at the Villa of his wife Livia, at Prima Porta

16. Replica statue of the Augustus of Prima
Porta at Rosicrucian Park in San Jose,
California
Wikimedia
The original was a colossal bronze statue that was placed on top of his mausoleum

17. Augustus of Prima Porta
Early 1stc BCE
Copy of bronze original, 6’ 8”
Vatican Museum
The statue is a densely coded political portrait that communicates the emperor’s
credentials for being the rightful ruler of Rome

18. Augustus of Prima Porta
Early 1stc BCE
Copy of bronze original, 6’ 8”
Vatican Museum
The emperor is dressed in military attire -- which is fitting since he was
“Commander in Chief,” and much of his popularity derived from his military
accomplishments

19. Augustus of Prima Porta
Early 1stc BCE
Copy of bronze original, 6’ 8”
Vatican Museum
He raises his arm in the ad locutio gesture of a general addressing his army, but it
also recalls the gesture of the Roman Orator, signaling respect for Republican
traditions

20. The statue’s pose should look familiar, since it is based directly on
Polykleitos’s Doryphoros, which was well known in ancient Rome

21. But the original has been “Romanized” by the addition of clothing, and by the
portrait features of the head

22. So it was like taking a real portrait of an actual person, and photoshoping it onto a
perfect ideal body

23. While the portrait is recognizable, it is youthful and idealized (as all of Augustus’
portraits were, even after he became an old man)

24. So the statue fuses Roman realism and Greek idealism to communicate the idea of
a “perfect” and “flawless” ruler
Greek Idealism Roman Realism

25. The Emperor is, in fact, godlike in his beauty and perfection – and there are other
references to his divine status

26. The Emperor is barefoot, which is significant, because Roman portrait statues
usually showed figures wearing sandals; only statues of heroes and gods were
barefoot

27. The Cupid riding a dolphin at his feet is a particularly complex symbol, alluding to
the Emperor’s divine lineage

28. The Chiaramonti Caesar, c. 30-20 BCE
Vatican Museums
Cupid was the son of Venus (Aphrodite), and Octavian’s uncle Julius Caesar
claimed that his family descended from Aeneus, whose mother was none other
than the goddess of love
Julius Caesar Venus

29. So the figure of Cupid symbolizes the idea that Augustus, too, could trace his
family tree back to the gods!

30. The statue of Augustus was originally painted, and his breastplate (called
a cuirass) is also densely packed with symbolism

31. In the center we see a Roman soldier (recognizable by his costume) and a
Parthian (a barbarian, recognizable by his trousers)
Roman Parthian

32. The Parthian is handing the Roman a staff with an eagle on it – which which was
one of the standards that Roman armies carried into battle
Roman
standard

33. This is a reference to one of Augustus’ great diplomatic victories: the return of the
Roman standards from the Parthians in 20 CE

34. So the breastplate is kind of like a resume, listing the Emperor’s actual
achievements that qualify him for the job

35. But this actual historical event is elevated to the level of myth by symbols of divine
intervention

36. Above the central scene are images of Sol and Caelus, the Roman gods of the sun
and the sky
Sol
Caelus

37. And on the sides are personifications of the territories conquered by Augustus – the
message being that that the sun will shine on all territories of the empire

38. At the very bottom is a figure of Tellus (Mother Earth), who reclines with two
children at her breasts, holding a cornucopia, a horn shaped vessel, over
flowing with fruit

39. She symbolized the bounty of Augustus’ reign, and the prosperity that his reign
brought to the Roman people

40. Augustus of Prima Porta
Early 1stc BCE
Copy of bronze original, 6’ 8”
Vatican Museum
So the message is clear: Augustus is no ordinary man

41. Augustus of Prima Porta
Early 1stc BCE
Copy of bronze original, 6’ 8”
Vatican Museum
Like the rulers of the ancient world, whose power came directly from the gods,
Augustus is portrayed as an ideal ruler who has been sent by the gods to bring
peace and prosperity to Rome

42. Augustus, Roman Imperial
Period, 1st or 2nd century A.D.
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Augustus, Roman Imperial 27-
14 CE
Walters Art Gallery
There were many statues of Augustus made for display in cities throughout the
Roman Empire — and in all of them, the emperor appears youthful and godlike,
long after he became an old man

43. Marble Portrait of Augustus, 14-
37 CE
Metropolitan Museum
rait of Augustus
vre Museum
Like the Egyptian Pharaohs, he was ageless and flawless

44. Augustus of Prima Porta
Early 1stc BCE
Copy of bronze original, 6’ 8”
Vatican Museum
But was he actually worshipped as a god?

45. It depends upon which part of the Empire we are talking about; in regions where
the practice of divine kingship was customary, the image of the emperor was
adjusted accordingly

46. The Temple of Dendur, for example (which is in the collection of the Metropolitan
Museum in New York) was built under the reign of Augusuts (he had gained control
of Egypt after defeating his rival marc Antony and Cleopatra)

47. The reliefs carved onto the side of the temple (and here enhanced by projected
lights that restore their original coloring) depict a Pharaoh making offerings to the
Egyptian gods Horus and Hathor

48. The Pharaoh at this time was Augustus, so here we see the Emperor being
portrayed in a way that would have been familiar to the Egyptians

49. But back in Rome, Augustus was not formally deified until after his death
The Gemma Augustea, c. 12-7 BCE
Vienna Museum of History

50. In this cameo, which was made after the death of Augustus, we see the Emperor
seated next to a personification of Rome, as he is crowned with a laurel wreath
The Gemma Augustea, c. 12-7 BCE
Vienna Museum of History

51. The Gemma Augustea, c. 12-7 BCE
Vienna Museum of History
Below his seat is an eagle, symbol of the Roman god Jupiter, indicating that
Augustus has now joined the ranks of the gods

52. Augustus’ successors continued the tradition of idealized portraiture, as a way of
signaling the continuity of his legacy
Emperor Gaius Julius Caesar
Germanicus, known as Caligula,
37–41CE Metropolitan Museum

53. Portrait of Vespasian, Museo
Nazionale Romano
But many later emperors returned to the Republican tradition of veristic portraiture
to signal their political return to the older values of the Republic

54. Over the centuries, Roman emperors would adopt different portrait styles to adapt
to changing political circumstances, understanding that the political portrait could
play a powerful role in molding public opinion

55. Thanks for listening!

56. The Ara Pacis Augustae

57. Ara Pacis Augustae, 13-9 BCE
The Ara Pacis was an altar to peace that was erected by the Roman Senate to
honor the peace and prosperity that had been brought by the reign of Augustus

58. Image source: http://cloacamaxima1.wordpress.com/bouwwerken/tempels-en-altaars/ara-pacis-rome/
It was a small open-air altar, decorated with exquisite reliefs on the interior and
exterior

59. The interior is decorated with garlands laden with flowers and fruits, symbolizing
the abundance and prosperity of the Augustan pax romana

60. The west entrance to the altar is decorated with carved reliefs that refer to Rome’s
mythical origins – the story of Romulus and Remus on one side, and on the other a
subject that remains a matter of debate
Romulus &
Remus

61. Here we see how it would have appeared with its original polychrome

62. If the West entrance dealt with Rome’s past, the East entrance deals with Rome’s
presence, with an image of a female figure seated in an idyllic setting

63. She has variously been interpreted as Tellus (mother earth), a personification of
Italy or of Peace, or she could possibly represent the goddess Venus

64. Whatever her identity, she is seated amidst symbols of abundance and fertility

65. Two chubby babies are seated on her lap, and they are surrounded by the bounty
of the land – plants and domestic animals

66. Flanking this charming family group are personifications of land and sea breezes

67. Taken together, the image personifies the peace and prosperity brought about by
the reign of Augustus

68. On the side walls of the temple – and connecting Rome’s past to it present – is a
relief depicting the Imperial family and senators in a religious procession

69. The figures are graceful and dignified, and dressed in a manner befitting a solemn
religious ritual

70. The format and style of the relief is based directly on the stately procession of the
Parthenon frieze, which would have been known to Roman viewers as an “ideal”
representation of citizens partaking of a religious ceremony

71. But the Greek source has been Romanized by the inclusion of recognizable
portraits: each of the figures in the scene can be identified by name

72. In this scene we see Augustus’ son-in-law Agrippa, accompanied by his wife Julia
and their son
Agrippa Julia
Son

73. In fact, all of the figures can be identified!

74. The reliefs were originally painted, which would have made it easier to pick out the
members of the Imperial family by the purple colors of their togas

75. The figures of the Parthenon frieze were not individualized: they were all the same
ideal age and height, and were meant to represent a generalized ideal of the
Athenian populace

76. Imperial Procession, south frieze of the Ara Pacis, 13-9 CE
But the figures on the Ara pacis are individualized: some are old, some are young,
some are tall, and some are short

77. Imperial Procession, south frieze of the Ara Pacis, 13-9 CE
The inclusion of children is also an interesting detail

78. Imperial Procession, south frieze of the Ara Pacis, 13-9 CE
Augustus promoted marriage and childbirth as a means to sustaining Roman
political power and prosperity, so the inclusion of family groups functioned as a
form of Imperial propaganda, designed to promote marriage and childbirth as a
core value within the empire

79. The relief also demonstrates some very sophisticated skills

80. The sculptor achieve a convincing illusion of depth by using the Greek technique of
carving foreground figures in higher relief, and background figures in lower relief

81. Like a sculpted version of atmospheric perspective, this helps to create a
convincing illusion of depth

82. Imperial Procession, south frieze of the Ara Pacis, 13-9 CE
Note how the feet project beyond the edge of the ground plane, creating an even
more convincing sense of 3D space

83. So the Imperial procession on the Ara Pacis has much in common with the
Augustus of Prima porta

84. Both exemplify a fusion of Greek idealism with Roman realism, to promote a
political message of ideal imperial rule

85. Augustus and his family had been sent by the gods to lead Rome to a new era of
peace and prosperity

86. Thanks for listening!

87. Promotes the idea of Rome as the “new Athens”

88. The Romans also specialized in reliefs depicting actual historical events

89. Greek Classical artists depicted mythical events

90. The Romans are closer to the Assyrians in their taste for detailed historical
accounts of military battles

91. Arch of Titus, c. 81 BCE
The Arch of Titus was erected by the Emperor Domitian to commemorate Titus’
capture of Jerusalem in 70 AD

92. Triumphal arches were military monuments

93. Conquering armies would march through them carrying booty and captives

94. Arch of Titus, c. 81 BCE

100. Triumphal Columns were also popular as military monuments

101. Column of Trajan, Forum of Trajan, Rome,
c. 112 BCE
Trajan’s Forum, 112 CE
Trajan’s Column commemorated the Emperor’s campaigns in Dacia, and was
placed in the forum he built in Rome

102. 625’ long spiral frieze

103. Detailed account of Trajan’s Dacian campaigns

106. The Emperor appears throughout the relief as a recognizable portrait

109. In other scenes we see him addressing his troops, distributing the dole (an
allowance of grain), and sacrificing to the gods

110. Trajan’s armies march across a pontoon bridge over the Danube River (symbolized by a
river god). Above, Roman soldiers build fortifications

111. To manage the complexity of the scene, the sculptor reduced the size of the architecture
(the buildings look like a stage set), and compressed the perspective.

112. Trajan is easy to pick out because of his attire and contraposto pose

113. Dressed as a priest, and sacrificing to the gods

114. Receiving prisoners

115. Showing clemency

116. Addressing the troops

117. Giving comfort to his men

119. Much emphasis on the building of fortifications, and the highly organized Roman military
machine

120. Brutal scenes of warfare, where Roman supremacy is if a foregone conclusion

122. This scene shows the Roman military strategy known as a “turtle formation” where
soldiers use their shields to form an impregnable shell

123. The enemies appear disorganized, while Trajan’s army is clearly superior in its
organization.