Object Anotation 3: Ancient Rome

Object Anotation 3: Ancient Rome

Context + Function

Subject Matter

Relationship

Style/Techniques

Readings

Context and Function

Where and When : The statue was found at the villa of Livia, Augustus' wife, at Prima Porta, near Rome. It dates to the early first century CE, probably around 20 CE, probably around 20 BCE, and is believed to be a marble copy of a losy bronze original crafted during Augustus's reign.

• Purpose and Society : The statue functioned both as official state propoganda and personal commemoration. Augustus used such portraiture to legitimize his rule, project military success, divine favor, and golden age for the Roman Empire. It targeted a broad audience, reinforcing imperial ideology for both elite and popular viewers.
• Function and Use : It was displayed in a public or semi-public space, serving to remind observers of Augustus's military prowess, oratory skill, and divine ancestry, while also marking the transition from Republix to Empire.

Subject Matter

• Figures Represented : The main figure is Augustus, shown as imperator (military commander), dressed in a cuirass and cloak, with a raised arm in an oratorical gesture. At his right leg stands a small figure Cupid riding a dolphin.
• Motifs and Imagery : The breastplate (cuirass) is intricately carved, feauturing allegorical and political scenes: Roman dieties (such as Mars), personifications of conquered territories, and imagery, particularly the return of standards from Parthia. The Sun's chariot tops the composition, symbolizing divine illumination of Augustus' deeds.
• Narrative : The statue encapsulates Augustus' role as military victor, divine descendant (through Venus via Cupid), bringer of peace, and embodiment of Roman virtues. The dolphin and Cupid directly reference Augustus' naval victory at Actium and his lineage.
• Popularity : Augustus of Prima Porta became a prototype for imperial statuary, influencing later portraiture and setting the standard for how emperors were visually represented in public art.

Relationship of Subject to Context

The subject, Augustus portrayed as a youthful, heroic, and divinely sanctioned ruler, directly relates to the political needs of the new Roman Empires. By combining Roman verism (realism) with Classical Greek idealism, the statue aligns Augustus with both Republican traditions and the mythic Greek past, asserting his legitimate and exceptional role as Emperor, military leader, and semi-divine figure.

Style and Techniques

• Classical Style : The statue is executed in the classical style, emulating Greek models like Polykleitos' Doryphoros, especially in its contrapposto pose, anatomical proportion, and symmetrical arrangement. Augustus is idealized, depicted with a perfect, youthful body, despite his actual age
• Order, Proportion, Symmetry : The sculpture demostrates careful proportion, harmonious symmetry, and an orderly composition, all echoing classical Greek principles and signaling the Emperor's connection to a golden age of civilization.

Connection to Readings

The Augustus of Primaporta statue shows Augustus as a victorious military leader with a perfect, youthful body modeled after Greek ideals. The cupid at his leg symbolizes his divine descent from Venus, and the dolphin represents his naval victory at Actium. His armor features gods and conquered peoples, highlighting his military successes and role as the bringer of peace (Pax Romana). This statue, like Suetonius' Life of Augustus and Eusebius' Life of Constantine, portrays the emperor as divinely favored and destined to rule, blending political and divine imagery to legitimize his authority.