Prima Porta Augustus Flashcards
General information
Augustus invoked the power of imagery shown in this statue to communicate his ideology.
Sculpted around 20-17BC
Possibly made for Augustus or his family or for the general public
Concluding statements that are powerful
Ancient Rome teemed with art that was closely intertwined with politics and propaganda. The first emperor of the Roman Empire Augustus, aware of the effects in political art, utilized art to communicate his ideologies.
The use of imagery to convey a persuasive message is not only apparent today, but also in many forms of artistic portraits of powerful leaders. These portraits were created as catalysts for a leader’s beliefs and ideas.
Features showing that he is a military and civic leader
The Emperor Augustus appears in a slightly larger than life statue as a general addressing his troops as imperator (7 feet tall)
Military pose → legs in contrapposto (a relaxed pose where one leg bears weight, natural stance) and right arm raised in ‘adlocutio’ style
- This suggests a commander to the soldiers and politicians to the masses of people. Seen to be addressing his troops, referring to his strong military success and leadership skills
- He claimed to have restored the Republic in 27BC
- It suggests nobility of body and spirit, setting Augustus apart from others
- The impression that the viewer gets from this posture is a domineering one, emphasising the image of Augustus as a powerful ruler of Rome .
- We immediately sense the emperor’s power as the leader of the army and a military conqueror.
- In the Prima Porta, Augustus is a free standing sculpture, standing in a relaxed contrapposto pose. Garbed in regalia, Augustus stretches his hand to address troops and assert his dominance a strategic leader and military conqueror.
- Statue reinforces the fact that Augustus was a great public speaker and military victor (right arm/hand raised high as if to signal the attention of a crowd/military) Hand signal is a Roman way to address people. Signifies authority/dominance.
Dolphin
- The dolphin is a symbol of Augustus’ naval victory over Mark Antony and Cleopatra at the Battle of Actium → a conquest that made Augustus the sole ruler of the Empire and ended decades of civil wars → A battle that Augustus would want to highlight in his propaganda
Military dress → He carries a purple ceremonial general’s cloak
He is thought to be carrying a consular baton in his left hand → links to his other political roles such as consul
Features showing his connection to the gods
Many elements are done to give the idea that he is the closest thing alive to a god
Tunic
- By the time of the construction, the tunic has been an emblem associated with the deified Julius Caesar. The addition of the tunic around Augustus’ waist on top of his cuirass implies his close connection to Caesar and the divine world.
Barefeet
- Gives him a divine connection
- A Roman general going into battle would be wearing military boots instead of bare feet therefore it is believed that his bare feet is a notion of Augustus’ divinity
Idealised form- youthful and athletic
- Gone is the veristic style of the late Republic. A new stylised image ushers in the golden age of Augustus
- Augustus’ features are softened and youthful
- The significance of Augustus’s depiction is that he bears the body type of a young and powerful athlete when in actuality, Augustus was middle-aged man when the sculpture was commissioned.
- He is free of wrinkles, creases and any loose skin
- Associating youth with power- changing what people think in society as well as linking him to all the youthful sculptures of gods.
- Returned idealism to sculpture
- By this time, he was in his mid-40s but he looks as though he is in his 20s
Cupid
- Cupid is a symbol of Augustus’ descent from the gods. Cupid is the son of Venus and Julius Caesar (adoptive father of Augustus) claimed to be descended from Venus. Therefore Augustus also shared this connection to the gods. Augustus never referred to himself as a god but through this he made it clear to Rome that he was a step closer to a god that the average man.
- Imperial relations with the senate were never completely calm, but the senators seem to have given Augustus his many titles and offices as gestures of gratitude rather than out of fear. The Prima Porta Augustus does not give its subject the proportions of a god, now the diadem of a King, but merely idealises his musculature. Augustus is a human figure, an equal of the Senate, and as he is wearing armour, he is acting as the servant of the Senate. The sculptor acknowledges that Augustus relies on his military victories at Actium and the like for his status, as much of the weight of the marble is borne by the small figure of Cupid at Augustus’ feet, as a metaphor for the Emperor’s strong but brittle authority.
Features showing him as the bringer of peace
Breastplate
- The breastplate is like Augustus’ personal resume. Shows how he bought about peace with the returning of the standards → he stopped people from dying/rebellion and no civil wars
- The breastplate of the statue signifies Augustus as the leader of military power.
- The central feature of the breastplate is the return of the standards from Parthia. Commemorates Augustus’ victory over the Parthians in 20 B.C. The figure on the right is identified as a Parthian barbarian because of his tunic and baggy trousers. It is believed that it refers to Phraates IV, the Parthian king. He is holding a Roman standard which was lost by the Roman general Crassus to the Parthians in 53 B.C. The figure is returning the standard to the man on the left. The left figure is wearing a cuirass, a helmet, military boots, and accompanied by an animal which is believed to be either a dog or a she-wolf, representing the Roman army. This is an important event for Augustus as he restored the Romans’ confidence without any blood loss
- Sphinx on each of the shoulders shows wisdom and represents the defeat of Cleopatra by Augustus.
- The breastplate is covered with figures and is a complex of Augustan propaganda.
Augustus has the gods on his side, he is an international military victor → Surrounding this central zone are gods and personifications. At the top are Sol and Caelus, the sun and sky gods respectively. On the sides of the breastplate are female personifications of countries conquered by Augustus. These gods and personifications refer to the Pax Romana. The message is that the sun is going to shine on all regions of the Roman Empire, bringing peace and prosperity to all citizens. And of course, Augustus is the one who is responsible for this abundance throughout the Empire. Beneath the female personifications are Apollo and Diana, two major deities in the Roman pantheon; clearly Augustus is favored by these important deities and their appearance here demonstrates that the emperor supports traditional Roman religion. At the very bottom of the cuirass is Tellus, the earth goddess, who cradles two babies and holds a cornucopia. Tellus is an additional allusion to the Pax Romana as she is a symbol of fertility with her healthy babies and overflowing horn of plenty.
- (Suggested) God of Mars depicted on the breastplate → Suggest strong military success
- His earthly claims to power are displayed through references to his military and diplomatic victories that brought about peace to Rome
- Presence of the gods on the breastplate shows the greatness of the event which has been recognised by the gods
- On the breastplate, the acts that Augustus underwent to put Rome in a place of peace are depicted and showed that all his acts were to bring Rome to a place of stability.
The political and social environment in which Augustus emerged was one of violence and discontent, more of which would be fostered in his efforts to establish a Roman golden age – Pax Romana.
- The statue also foretells the 200 year period of peace that Augustus initiated, called the Pax Romana.
Important sentence/s needed for the introduction
At first glance this statue might appear to simply resemble a portrait of Augustus as an orator and general, but this sculpture also communicates a lot about the emperor’s power and ideology
Overall, this statue is not simply a portrait of the emperor, it expresses Augustus’ connection to the past, his role as a military victor, his connection to the gods, and his role as the bringer of the Roman Peace …OR …The Prima Porta Augustus does not stand as just a portrait of an emperor, but rather, as an announcer of Augustus as a great victor connected to tradition, gods and the bringer of Rome’s Pax Romana.
