The Ara Pacis Augustae--page 1 (of 4 pages)

9 BCE

In 13 BCE, the Roman Senate decreed that the Ara Pacis be built to celebrate Augustus' triumphant return from the wars in Spain and Gaul, although the dedication or official inauguration took place about three and a half years later, in January 9 BCE. This altar to Peace was located in the Campus Martius (the Field of War), a place ironically where the military did exercises. In the succeeding centuries, however, the altar was eventually covered up as the level of the area was raised until finally it was buried and forgotten, only to be uncovered in part in the Renaissance, with slabs of the altar dispersed to various locations. Eventually the area was excavated and slabs were recovered from a number of owners; the altar was restored and installed in its own pavilion in 1938. Today, the Ara Pacis is installed in a new museum, which opened in 2006 (not entirely finished by the time I photographed it). See photographs of this museum by American architect Richard Meier.The western facade of the Ara Pacis, towards the Campus Martius

The Ara Pacis is essentially a small building enclosing an actual altar where sacrifices would have been performed. The enclosure is almost square--about 11 and a half meters on the open west and east sides and about 10 and a half meters on the north and south sides.

The exterior is divided into two registers--the lower with acanthus scrolls (or reliefs associated with nature) and the upper with reliefs depicting humans or divinities. The two areas are divided by a band with a meander (or swastika motif)--a design often associated with Trojan and middle eastern cultures.

 

The western facade has reliefs depicting events from Rome's legendary history--Aeneas, the mythical founder of Rome performing a sacrifice on the right and the discovery of Romulus and Remus on the left, with the only discernable part of the latter being the head and part of the cuirass of Mars.

Relief of Aeneas sacrificing to the Penates

In this relief a fatherly Aeneas makes an offering at a rustic altar. Behind, the

incomplete figure is probably his son Ascanius while before him are two attendants to the ritual, one with a bowl and jug, the other leading a sacrificial sow. The temple in the upper left represents the Penates, the household gods of the Trojans, saved from the fires of Troy. However, Stokstad asserts that the figure, usually identified as Aeneas, might more convincingly be identified as Numa Pompilius, the second king of Rome associated with peace, in contrast to the first king of Rome, Romulus, depicted on the left side panel, associated with belligerence. Augustus, as Pontifex Maximus, would have had access to the Temple of Vesta where the Penates were kept. Thus a symbolic association is made between Augustus and Aeneas, the legendary founder of Rome. 

Relief from the eastern facade: the panel of Tellus

The central figure is usually identified as Tellus, or Mother Earth, although earlier she was defined as a personification of Italy and recently as Venus genitrix (Aeneas' divine mother) or as a personification for Peace, bestowing prosperity, or as Ceres, goddess of harvests. The two children on her lap have been interpreted as the nephews and heirs to Augustus, Gaius and Lucius Caesar.

 

According to Rossini, the figure to the right of the central goddess is a representation of the beneficial earth. An "aura velificans" from the Hellenistic tradition, she holds the hem of her billowing gown and rides on the back of a swan. Stokstad identifies the figure as a personification for the land wind with the jug of fresh water and the vegetation at

her feet representing the fertility of Roman farms. 

The central goddess

Wearing a chiton that emphasizes her breasts and abdomen, the figure also is veiled with a headband of flowers and fruit. Her lap contains fruit as well, all to emphasize the fecundity associated with the goddess. A sheep and cow rest at her feet. Poppies, ears of wheat and lilies (?) appear in the background. The two chubby children which she nourishes represent the Roman people symbolically.

 

According to Rossini, the figure to the left of the central goddess is a representation of the sea winds. An "aura velificans" from the Hellenistic tradition, she holds the hem of her billowing gown and rides on the back of a sea serpent.

 

Vegetal friezes

These friezes, representing more than fifty identified species, may operate symbolically as well, suggesting rebirth and fruitfulness associated with Augustus' reign. The friezes run along the lower sides of the enclosure. Scholars believe it would have been enhanced with color. Scrolls unfold from the acanthus at the bottom. (Acanthus was often a symbol for regeneration.)

The stem originating at the bottom center divides the relief pattern into two halves. Ivy, grapes leaves and even small insects and animals (like lizards, scorpions, and snails) inhabit the reliefs and more than twenty swans are spaced along the frieze. See page 3.

Continue to page 2.

Works Consulted:Orietta Rossini. Ara Pacis. Rome: Electa, 2006.Marilyn Stokstad. Art History. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson Edu., 2005.

The south processionSorry about these pictures: one notable problem of the site and architecture of the new museum is that the space is very narrow between the enclosure wall of the Ara Pacis and the wall of the museum. Therefore, it is impossible to get an appropriate distance from the enclosure wall. Furthermore, dramatic shadows often fall on the sides, especially noticeable on the north side (page 3).

On both the north and south sides of the enclosure, priests, cult attendants, magistrates, and historical men, women and children are crowded into rows of figures. In some cases, there is controversy over which personages are represented, and at least two purposes for the procession have been described: it could be the reception ceremony offered Augustus on his triumphant return home from Gaul and Spain or it could be the "inauguratio" of the Ara Pacis itself, depicting part of the ceremony consecrating the space where it would be located. The procession is located on both sides of the exterior of the enclosure, that is, it is one single procession with the figures walking from east to west on both sides toward the western (main) entrance of the Ara Pacis. The realism of these processions contrasts with the interior of the enclosure war and the altar itself where symbolic associations predominate. See page 4.

The lead figure, missing most of his body, in the left image below, is Augustus. An undisputed attribution, he wears a laurel wreath and a veil since he is portrayed as a priest. Since most of

his body has been lost, it is not clear what action he is engaged in, although it seems as if the procession has stopped around him. Agrippa is the figure with the toga covering his head. See below. The viewer must imagine the procession as preceding in double file since the figures on the far side are in lower relief with their heads in the spaces between the frontal figures.

Behind Augustus are four flamines maiores who wear the characteristic leather hat with a metal point. These are priestly officials who attend various Roman cults. The last flamen is followed by an assistant who has a ritual axe on his shoulder.

Another undisputed identification is Agrippa, who is portrayed with part of his toga covering his head and who carries a scroll. He was the most important official after Augustus, the princeps. Before him are officers of the state (or state religion) and behind flow members of the imperial family. Agrippa was Augustus' son-in-law, having married Augustus' daughter Julia and fathered the heirs to the empire, Gaius and Lucius Caesar. The child holding his robe is probably Gaius; he wears a short tunic (the "Trojan" style) and looks up at the woman behind him, generally identified as Livia, Augustus' wife, and the most prominent of the women in the procession. (She has also been identified as Augustus' daughter, Agrippa's wife, and mother of the heirs to the throne.

Agrippa and family group

Family groups

Other family groups have been identified as Antonia Minor, Augustus' niece, her husband Drusus with their young child between them. His toga is fastened with a bulla. The next family group includes Antonia Maior, her husband, and their daughter and son (the latter who would become Nero's father).

The woman in the background has her finger to her lips, as if to suggest respectful silence. It has been speculated that this is a reference to Drusus' death in 9 BCE, the year the altar was completed (Rossini 71 referring to an article by La Rocca). Drusus here is depicted in a military cloak.

Continue to page 3.

Works Consulted:Orietta Rossini. Ara Pacis. Rome: Electa, 2006.Marilyn Stokstad. Art History. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson Edu., 2005.

The north processionSorry about these pictures: one notable problem of the site and architecture of the new museum is that the space is very narrow between the enclosure wall of the Ara Pacis and the wall of the museum. Therefore, it is impossible to get an appropriate distance from the enclosure wall. Furthermore, dramatic shadows often fall on the sides, especially noticeable on the north side.

Like the south side, the procession here walks west to the main entrance and is led by state priests. See below the assistants who carry the ritual objects--the casket and jug, for example.

Just as the procession depicted on the south side has state priests, the flamines, other state priests are depicted here, identified especially because of their assistants who carry ritual objects. One here holds a jug in his right hand and a casket in his left.

Lucius Caesar?

The youngest of the boys is probably Lucius Caesar, adopted by Augustus along with his brother Gaius, and thus heirs to the empire.

Detail of the vegetal relief showing how replacement casts are added

Continue to page 4.

Works Consulted:Orietta Rossini. Ara Pacis. Rome: Electa, 2006.Marilyn Stokstad. Art History. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson Edu., 2005.

The InteriorThe altar proper is inside the enclosure with a narrow aisle around it and steps to it. The floor inside was sloped outwards so that the water used for cleaning the altar could be drained. (Gutters open up along the exterior walls.) The top of the short sides of the altar had these slabs with winged lions and foliate volutes.

The top of the actual altar--the short sides

Friezes decorate the lower parts of the slabs, one, probably picturing a sacrifice, and the other (see above) representing veiled Vestal Virgins.

The internal wall of the enclosure

The lower part of the internal wall imitates the wooden fence that would have enclosed a sacrificial altar. The fence would have been decorated with garlands. Here in stone, the swags or loops imitate the simpler natural ornament; this upper register has a sequence of festoons hanging from ox skulls (bucrania), with spaced ritual shallow bowls in the intervals. The hanging festoons include ears of wheat, berries, and a variety of fruit and nuts, all underscoring the symbolic value of peace. The ox skulls symbolize the sacrificial offerings. Between the "fence" boards and the festoons is a palmette border.

Detail of the interior of the enclosure wall

Details of the podium on which the altar sits

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Works Consulted:Orietta Rossini. Ara Pacis. Rome: Electa, 2006.Marilyn Stokstad. Art History. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson Edu., 2005.