ara pacis augustae historical relief and roman mythmaking
TRANSCRIPT
ARA PACIS AUGUSTAEARA PACIS AUGUSTAE
Historical Relief and Roman Mythmaking
Facts about the ARA Facts about the ARA PACISPACIS
• Altar of Augustan Peace
• Located in the Campus Martius, Rome
• Decreed by the Senate to celebrate Augustus’ return from Spain and Gaul
• Foundation stone laid on 4th July 13 BCE
• Dedicated by the Senate in honor of Augustus’ creation of the Pax Romana in 30 January 9 BCE (Livia’s birthday)
• Part of a complete architectural program with the Mausoleum of Augustus, his ustrinum, an obelisk that acted as the central arm of a sundial
• One of the great Roman historical reliefs; others include Trajan’s column, arch of Septimius Severus in Leptis Magna.
Res Gestae Divi AugustiRes Gestae Divi AugustiThe Accomplishments and Achievements of the The Accomplishments and Achievements of the
Divine AugustusDivine Augustus • Res Gestae 12• “On my return from Spain and
Gaul, after successfully restoring law and order to these provinces, the Senate decided under the consulship of Tiberius Nero and Publius Quintilius to consecrate the Ara Pacis Augustae on the Campus Marius in honor of my return, at which officials, priests, and Vestal Virgins should offer an
annual sacrifice.”
Plan of Ara Pacis Plan of Ara Pacis AugustaeAugustae
• The building is a marble precinct wall that surrounds a grand and elaborate altar, on a high podium.
• Doors face east and west - symbolic of the extent of empire
• Shadow of sundial on Augustus’ birthday
Decorative Scheme IDecorative Scheme I
• Mythology
• East side– Pax (Venus or Tellus)
– Roma
– Sun rises on new Roman Empire
• West side– Aeneas
– Romulus and Remus
– Sun sets on legendary hero-founders
• History
• North side
– senators
– priests
– piety
• South side
– imperial family
– Augustus, Agrippa
– family
Decorative Scheme IIDecorative Scheme II
• Exterior lower half• exuberant floral motif• combination of
extraordinary flowers and fruits
• vegetation climbing the walls
• Apollo symbolism
• Interior relief– garlands of an abundance
of fruits, leaves, and flowers
– bucrania of sacrificed cows– imitation of rustic shrine
• Altar– Sacrifice– Vestal virgins
West Side: AeneasWest Side: Aeneas
• Sacrificing as in Aeneid III.389
• White sow, 30 piglets
• Temple to Penates in background
• Iulus (aka Ascanius) - gens Julius
• Camilli, attendants at the sacrifice
Aeneas SacrificingAeneas Sacrificing
West Side: Romulus and West Side: Romulus and RemusRemus
• Very fragmentary• Faustulus• Mars - fig tree,
woodpecker• Suckling of twins at
wolf
East Side:Venus, Tellus, East Side:Venus, Tellus, PaxPax
• Controversial identification of female figure
• Her crown of corn and pomegranate
• Cupidesque babies in lap
• Reclining cow, sheep
• Aurae
– swan
– sea monster
PAX ROMANA
• Images of abundance, fertility, fecundity, pastoralism, golden age
North Side: Religious Personnel• Camilli
• acerra, pitcher
• others might be priests
• Four priestly colleges: pontifices, augures, XV viri sacris faciundis, VII viri epulones.
• Leading in Julia and Lucius Caesar (b. 12
BCE)
SenatorsSenators
• Heavily restored; IDs invalid• Mixture of piety and politics
South Side: Julio-Claudian Family
• Moving from East to West
• More fragmentary on west side
• Recognizable portraits
Augustus and the Augustus and the FlaminesFlamines
• Augustus. Partially destroyed.
• Not marked out. Primus inter pares. Princeps.
• 4 Flamines: galena, laena.
Julio-Claudians I: Marcus Julio-Claudians I: Marcus AgrippaAgrippa
• Gaius Caesar (b. 20 BCE)
• Ludus Troiae (Vergil, Aen. V.556 - 559)
• Livia, Tiberius, Antonia Minor, Drusus.
Agrippa, Gaius Caesar, Livia, Tiberius, Antonia Minor, Germanicus, Drusus, Antonia Maior, Gnaeus Lucius
Ahenobarbus
Julio-Claudians II: The Julio-Claudians II: The ChildrenChildren• Germanicus
• Antonia Maior – Domitia
– Gnaeus
Exterior FriezeExterior Frieze• Vine tendrils develop into
volutes
• Mix of acanthus flower, ivy, vine leaves and grapes
• Hidden frogs, birds, lizards, snakes in the grass
• Allusion to the saeclum aureum, Golden Age. (Vergil, Eclogue IV)
• Deliberate branching and balancing to reflect Julio-Claudian family.
SwanSwan
• Swan is Apollo’s bird• Symbolism validates Augustus’ reign
Hidden AnimalsHidden Animals• Bird and lizard
• Lizard and snake attacking nest of birds.
• Anguis in herbis Snake in the grass
Interior SwagsInterior Swags• Imitation of rustic
shrine
• Bucrania - skulls of sacrificed cattle
• Swags
– each one is different
– grapes, figs, apples, pears, olives, plums, pine cones, and pomegranates - and vegetation - oak, ivy, laurel, and poppies
AltarAltar• Ends of the altar
are scrolls supported by griffins (winged lions)
• Sacrifice• Vestal Virgins• Enactment in stone
of yearly sacrifice to Pax Romana
ConclusionsConclusions• Symbolic themes:
family, piety, peace, fertility and abundance
• First relief with presence of children
• Setting up of a dynasty• Placing it and
justifying it with mythological precedents