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“Augustus of Primaporta“
around 15 C.E.marble
discovered on 20 April 1963 in a rural villa near Primaporta
the fingers of the right hand have been restored
height: 6’ 8”
Rome, Italy: Vatican MuseumsThe imperator and creator of Pax Romana stands in a contrapposto pose that echoes the one of classical Greek athletes, such as the Doryphoros of Polykleitos. The cupid on the dolphin at his feet hints at the origin of the gens Julia, namely Venus or Afrodite, the goddess of love. The dolphin itself refers to the naval victory at Actium. This support strongly suggests that the statue is a copy of a lost bronze original. The exact location for this original has been a question of speculation; the sanctuary of Athena at Pergamum is one of many suggestions. Reconstructions differ on the lost objects once held by the emperor (the right hand was never found). Perhaps he is just making an address, or perhaps he once held a wreath of the imperial laurel, for which the Villa of Livia was famous.
What has attracted most scholars, however, is the elaborate breast plate, whose throng of figures and symbols lend themselves to a rich spectrum of interpretations of Augustan art and propaganda. The central group depicts a Parthian giving back the lost eagle from Carrhae to a Roman general. If historically correct, this latter would be Tiberius, but a symbolic reading permits him to be Romulus (with the wolf at his feet), Aeneas, Mars or some other important figure. Apart from some female seated figures, representing conquered peoples such as the Gauls and the Hispanians, the rest form a cosmic setting: the sky god Caelus, Sol in his chariot, Aurora, Apollo on a winged griffin, Diana on a stag; all flying around above Tellus who is cradling two babies. These identifications may vary according to the aims of different scholars, but taken as a whole, the scene conveys the god-given peace, order and fertility accomplished by the new ruler of the world. The idealized and smooth face of the emperor, together with the comma-shaped locks over his forehead, constitutes the most common type of Augustus-portraits, to date found in some 170 replicas.
(via heynowjohncohen-deactivated2012)
30 Days of Xena | Day 8 - Favorite bit of history that Xena messed with, invented, whatever
“Beware the Ides of March, Brutus.”
(via silverjadedraven)
