Augustus Of Primaporta Analysis

There has been evidence to prove the link between the temple of Vespian and the Fortuna Augustus were a tool of displaying political loyalty to the emperor this has been decided after an examination of artefacts such as a marble alter which stands in the Vespian temple depicts a scene of a bull being sacrificed. On the back of the alter shows a wreath of oak leaves and two Laurel trees, which is a symbol of the senates award (which is given to a man who has saved another’s life) which suggests it dates back so the ruling or Augustus, as well as another three statues.

When Augustus, defeated Antony, he became the first Ruler of the Roman Empire and he established an Imperial cult in Alexandria .These Imperial cults were established by the Roman Senate and included the worship of the Emperor and the Roman goddess Roma. This is representative of Egypt’s position in the Empire. The Senate had no control here, so the goddess that represented the Senate, Roma, was also

The image of the statue, Augustus of Prima Porta, portrays Augustus as a strong military leader. His elaborate military uniform, including a very ornate breastplate, conveys both power and strength. His manly stance shows a decisive self-confidence. The painting titled Octavius Caesar (Later the Emperor Augustus), and Cleopatra portrays Augustus in a position of dominance, standing over Cleopatra. He wears a laurel wreath on his head, signifying victory. Cleopatra, a strong ruler in her own right, is kneeling submissively.

The Torso of an Emperor in the Guise of Jupiter was made during the first century with marble. Standing at 56 ½ x 29 ½ x 15 ½ inches. The statue depicts a torso of an emperor’s body with the torso completely exposed and a sheet that could be assumed as a toga (typical clothing during the time period) covering the lower part of the body. People worshipped the gods and many stories, still told today marvel of the complete and utter perfection that the gods were graced with. The artist shows detail directly in the toga to make precise cuts from the marble to show value and create a life like atmosphere. With the chest and torso area you can clearly see that the man was fit with no fat in sight, only muscle. The form of the work uses diagonal lines throughout the toga to imply movement upward towards the chest. The lines point upward causing your eyes to look toward the emperor’s torso. Since the gods were known mainly for

Gaius Octavius Thurinus is a adopted son of Julius Caesar, He is the first true emperor of the Roman Empire, he was believed to be one of the most important emperor of Roma. In 43 EBC, Octavian gathered his army to kill the senate who planned the assassinate targeting Julius Caesar, his adoptive father. Then, he defeat Mark Antony and Cleopatra who was his allies but later betrayed him. Thus , he ended the war continued for decades and brought the great peace to Rome, In 29 EBC Octavian declared the pax romana, also know as the Roman peace. In 27 BCE, he was bestowed the title of Augustus by the Roman senate which was actually reestablished by Augustus himself. In order to remind the Romans the emperor’s power, Augustus ordered sculptor to sculpt the idealized form of him and send those sculptures to every provinces (Module 5 Session 6). The Augustus of Prima Porta is a great example of them.

Augustus was the first emperor, and founder, of the Roman Empire. He was a generous leader, and had a sense of caution in mind with every decision. His document, Res Gestae Divi Augusti, notes all of his accomplishments during his reign. He established an especially impressive army during his time. In the first paragraph, he introduces the beginning of his kingship, “In my nineteenth year… I raised an army with which I set free the state, which was oppressed by the domination of a faction” (Res Gestae Divi Augusti, 1). In the second to fourteenth paragraphs he touches on the politics of his career and the events that transpired. In paragraphs fifteen through twenty-four, he notes his donations of money, land, public works, ect. Paragraphs twenty-five through thirty-three take his military and alliances into account. In the final two paragraphs, thirty-four and thirty-five, he discusses Roman people’s assessment of his reign. Augustus was a very powerful leader with his well planned strategies, and made the people of Rome very proud.

The Roman tradition of art, particularly architecture and sculpture is rooted in adopting styles of the past to convey a particular message. The combination of Greek and Etruscan styles, such as in the Temple of Portunus in Rome, ultimately culminate to reference a new meaning and style that is independently roman. Similarly to architecture, the first Roman Emperor, Augustus, chose to liken both is architecture, by using stone and the orders, and his portraiture back to the Greeks. Romans emperors ultimately tend to use style association to portray propaganda for their particular platform, as a form of associative mass media. Two emperors that exemplify this

On the Ides of March one of the most famous assassinations took place; the assassination of the leader of the Roman republic, Julius Caesar. The death of Julius Caesar allowed Gaius Julius Octavius who would later be given the title Augustus by the senate, to enter the political realm of Rome by accepting his inherited power. But before Augustus could gain any control in Rome he had to defeat his opposition, Mark Antony who also sought to gain control of Rome at the time. Augustus managed to defeat Antony during the Final War of the Roman Republic. As the wars between potential leaders continued the people of Rome grew tired of the bloodshed and political uncertainty, so they began to yearn for some stability in Rome. The lust for political steadiness from the citizens and senate of Rome allowed Augustus to eventually force himself into power and become known as the first Emperor of Rome. Augustus was aware that the residents of Rome had just experienced the fall of many political figures and were skeptical and wary of his rule so he needed to legitimize his position and to do so he used portraiture. He employed art as a way portray his power and to push political messages such as the message of peace and old Roman traditions in order to appease the people, while solidifying his position as ruler.

14 As Stamper argues, this is a significant aspect of portraying authority when one an emperor uses precedent of Rome’s founding 15 and this is shown by Augustus in commemorating the temple to Julius Caesar as a sign of celebrating his own triumph. The Temple of Julius Caesar sat on an elevated podium with rostra in front of the colonnade where prows of the ships captured from the Battle at Actium were hung.16 Similarly, the public rostra erected at the opposite site of the Forum also consist of captures obtained from the Battle of Actium and these rostra that faced each other act as a reminder of the glories of the old Republic and the achievements of the restored Rome under its new leader, Augustus.17 To reflect more of the idea of power, Augustus uses different architectural elements to deliver them. Similar to the nearby Temple of Castor and Pollux erected during the Republic, the Temple of Julius Caesar had a pycnostyle composition that consisted of six closely arranged columns with

The first, and the most significant actor in the book The Matter of the Gods: Religion and the Roman Empire, is the Greeks. Clifford Ando emphasizes the importance of the Greek religion, being similar in nature as it was a great influence on Roman religion. Ando refers to Greek religion as the group who made the appreciation of religious art and differentiated it from other forms of artistic productions and put them in their temples, and that the Romans followed with also positioning this religious artwork in their temples, but in patterns. He also explains another aspect of the Greek-Roman relationship by stating, “Graeco-Roman religion was properly the religion of the polis, and the structures and concerns of any particular religion…were homologous with the social and political structures of its city-state” (97). Ando refers to the thoughts and works of Plato, a Greek philosopher, on his views on whether the statues of the gods should actually be represented as the gods themselves.

In the lower scene, there are two civilian looking people, a woman carrying two spears, and a man with a petasus, a hat with broad brim. These two are dragging captives by their hair, and it is suggested that this is Diana and Mercury helping the Romans in their conquest. The above scene depicts Augustus, as a Jupiter like figure, surrounded by Roma, Hera, Time, and other godlike figures. These scenes depict a roman mindset that the Gods were on their side, that they had divine favor and rule over others. Another example of this manifest destiny comes from the Aeneid. Virgil is commissioned by Augustus to write this piece of literature, which is a huge propaganda story which regards Aeneas’s journey from Troy to founding what will

The Arch of Constantine is similar to the statue of Augustus of Prima Porta, because both pieces use imagery from the past to create a better likeness for themselves as rulers, connected themselves with individuals thought to be greater than

The Augustus of Primaporta is a statue that portrays Emperor Augustus in having immense power and purpose. When I strike the pose I truly feel the way Augustus must have felt. I am sticking my beautiful chest plate out and my left leg is swinging forward as if I’m moving into battle. I am not satisfied with what land I have now, no, I want more. I am not simply attacking, I am conquering. I am leading my people into battle and no one can stop me or tell me otherwise. The position feels like I am speaking to motivate my men before going into battle. Every word out of my mouth would receive nothing but the utmost attention from my men as they stare at me with all my glory. With my hand raised my staff in my arm, I would charge and attack wherever

Located in the Vatican Museums of Rome is Augustus of Prima Porta. This statue is approximately 2 meters tall, made of marble, and depicts Augustus Caesar of Ancient Rome. The statue is estimated to have been made in the first century AD, and is possibly a replica of an original bronze version of the statue. The artwork was lost for centuries, and the original artist is unknown and may never be determined. It is theorized that the artwork was commissioned by Roman emperor Tiberius (42 BCE-37 AD) to give to his mother as a gift. The statue is currently located in the New Wing of the Vatican Museum in Rome. This branch of the museum was created in the early 20th century following the return of artwork taken by Napoleon. Depending on the time of its creation, ranging from 27 BCE to 37 AD the political system in Rome was an empire ruled by Augustus Caesar or Tiberius Caesar. A work of this significance would not have been created for an ordinary citizen. Historically, sculptures in ancient Rome built upon previous Classical Greek sculptures. Roman sculpting however, strived to make their sculptures more realistic and lifelike. Augustus of Prima Porta embodies this desire for realism in the sculpture. The social climate at the time was strict and traditional. Ancestry, property, and wealth were important aspects in the social structure. The technology at the time of the art’s creation had advanced in the Roman empire from previous western civilizations. Portraits in specific

The Portrait of Augustus is a very good example of propaganda from a ruling emperor. It is from Primaporta, Italy, the year 20 BCE. The original was made from bronze but copied in marble because bronze statues were melted down for weapons. The statue stands at 6 foot 8 inches. The figure is interpreted as Augustus by the two curls in his bangs that make up the S and C of the Augustinian household. He is wearing a bronze chest plate with stories of him interacting with gods. Augustus has the gods on his side, he is an international military victor, and he is the bringer of the Pax Romana, a peace that encompasses all the lands of the Roman Empire. In the central zone of the armor are two figures, a Roman and a Parthian. On the left, the enemy Parthian returns military standards. This is a direct reference to an international diplomatic victory of Augustus in 20 BCE when these standards were finally returned to Rome. The plate would have been made of bronze which is heavier so it would have been just for decorative uses. Augustus is said to have been a deity, being related to a god or goddess. Down by his proper right foot is a cupid riding a dolphin. Venus, who is represented by a dolphin, is the mother of both Cupids. The purpose of depicting both Cupid and Venus is to highlight Augustus’ godly lineage.  He is outreached in the typical speech pose that many Romans used in their sculptures to show that they are in a position of power and authority.