CLAS242 - The Augustan Period

Identify and Analyze

Augustus as Pontifex Maximus, from the Via Labicana, Rome

The Age of Augustus

31 BCE - 14 CE

• one of Augustus’ favourites

• Augustus as Pontifex Maximus

  • Chief Priest of Rome

  • Him realizing how much power the position held

    • Julian Calendar + dedicating which days to celebrate which holidays/Gods

    • Controlling Time - Controlling People/Religion

      • knowing where people would be gathered at certain times throughout the year

  • Propaganda

    • “look how pious/traditional I am because of how I worship the Gods”

• Capite Velato

  • head covering evoking a religious context in a sculpture/painting

    • possibly making a sacrifice/participating in a ritual

• Broken Hand

  • possibly holding paterra

  • giving a sacrifice

• Role Portrait - Pious Man

  • “oh look at this family man. hey this new empire thing might be alright”

• Greek Additions:

  • Greek Idealism

    • hard switch from verism to this

    • no showing of his true age ~49 years old

    • start of Augustan Classicism

      • a style to portray the new agenda/regime

    • still recognizable by large forehead, long nose, thin lips, and narrow chin + lobster claw curl

  • Marble

    • Head, neck, and veiled portion Greek marble

    • Bottom is Italian

  • Proportions

    • 7 and a half heads tall

      • something advocated for by scultor Polykleitos

    • Variation of Greek contrapposto

Identify and Analyze

Prima Porta Augustus, from the villa of Livia at Prima Porta north of Rome

The Age of Augustus

31 BCE - 14 CE

• Famous Statue

  • copy of original made ~20 BCE

  • possibly Livia wanting to commemorate her husband in her home

• Painted Terracotta

  • red hair

    • no idea if he was actually a red hair

  • access to primary colours simply to highlight certain things on the statue

• Prima Porta

  • villa owned by his wife, Livia

• Augustan Classicism

  • Greek style with his own touches for new messages

  • not one for one with Greek idealism

  • New Politics = New Messages

• Adlocutio

  • the raising of your hand by a speaker to let the crowd you are about to speak to know that you are going to begin

  • “hey, look at me”

• Projections/Messages

  • Adlocutio - projecting himself as important

  • Staff of Office - power as a ruler

  • Cherub/Little Cupid - son of Venus, Venus Genetrix

    • Julio-Claudians as descendants of Aeneas, son of Venus

    • hints of Augustus portraying he is related to a God/he is divine

  • Bare Feet - tends to portray a deity

    • deified after his death - scholarly theory as to why they are bare

    • would not have been done in any of his statues before his death

• The Spear Bearer

  • Greek Statue by Polykleitos, possibly what made him write his book on mathematics on making sculptures based on this exact statue

  • later became embodiment of Greek classicism

    • many copies made, but the original was bronze

  • Similarity in contrapposto legs with Prima Porta statue

    • exact measurements of distance between feet, raising of heels, scale, etc.

    • determined with laser measurements too

    • “I am the Roman Spear Bearer”

• Armour

  • Greek idealized form

    • abs visible through the armour, like Apollo of Veii

  • Decorative

    • not for battle but for triumph/victory parades

  • Visual Elements/Iconography

    • Mythical + Historical Aspects

      • Sphinxes

        • representing him subduing Egypt

      • Caelus, sky + Tellus, earth

        • Augustus rules over all

        • Events of armour imagery happening below the sky and above the Earth

        • knowing it’s Tellus, personification of the physical land of Rome because she’s holding two babies - Romulus and Remus

      • Chariot of Sun - Sol/Apollo + Goddess Nyx/Artemis

        • Augustus rules for all time

        • seasons + him adding July and August to the calendar

  • Middle Section - debated to be myth/hisorical

    • Myth

      • representation of Roman’s might

        • dog with Mars(?), one of his sacred animals

    • Historical

      • Barbarian (Parthian) on right, holding Roman military standard

        • debate - if Mars, why would he be holding it?

      • History of Germans stealing the standard after massacring the Roman army in Tutenberg Forest

        • Representation of Germans giving it back after Augustus sent many troops to get it back

Identify and Analyze

Augustan building program in Rome

The Age of Augustus

31 BCE - 14 CE

• Augustus’ Building Program

  • spending tons of money “for the people”

  • destructing/reconstructing old buildings

  • “I found Rome a city of brick and left it a city of marble” - Augustus

    • incorporating marble to copy Eastern Greek fashion

• Grey on Plan

  • everything Augustus built

  • lots on Palatine Hill

    • including his own personal residence for him and his immediate family

      • where the word “palace” comes from - so intricate/expansive

• Campus Martius - Field of Mars

  • swampy area used for Roman army practice

• Marcus Agrippa

  • architect who drained it with a series of built drain works

  • then built:

  • Baths of Agrippa

    • model for later imperial baths

  • new voting enclosures

  • Original Pantheon of Agrippa

    • front porch of round temple faced Horologium and Ara Pacis

Identify and Analyze

Mausoleum of Augustus, exterior view

The Age of Augustus

31 BCE - 14 CE

• in Campus Martius

• after becoming emperor, created his own family crypt right away - planning for dynasty

  • meant for his own burial and for members of his family

  • first ashes inside - Marcellus, his nephew, his original heir

  • last emperor inside was Nerva

• south entrance aligned with Pantheon of Agrippa

  • connection between divine and members of Augustus’ family

• Tumulus resemblance

  • soil and plants on top

  • meant to resemble mound Tomb of Aeneas at Lavinium

    • evoking his ancestor/ the hero of Rome - never truly confirmed if it was his tomb (don’t even know if Aeneas was real)

• Huge dimensions to ensure it stayed the major landmark along the Tiber

• Mausoleum at Halicarnassus

  • named after Mausolus - Asian king who built a massive tomb called the Mausoleum

  • one of 7 wonders of the ancient world

  • Augustus’ mausoleum named that to evoke that majorly impressive building

• Decor

  • sheer amount copying Mausoleum at Halicarnassus

  • Public Park - for citizens to picnic

  • Aspects of Greek temple - implying he’s a god

  • Augustus Chariot Staute - copying of Mausolus’ own statue on his Mausoleum

  • Egyptian Obelisks - triumph over Egypt

  • Res Gestae Divi Augusti

    • “Things done by divine Augustus”

    • obituary written by himself put up all over the empire after his death

Identify and Analyze

Mausoleum of Augustus, reconstruction

The Age of Augustus

• in Campus Martius

• after becoming emperor, created his own family crypt right away - planning for dynasty

  • meant for his own burial and for members of his family

  • first ashes inside - Marcellus, his nephew, his original heir

  • last emperor inside was Nerva

• south entrance aligned with Pantheon of Agrippa

  • connection between divine and members of Augustus’ family

• Tumulus resemblance

  • soil and plants on top

  • meant to resemble mound Tomb of Aeneas at Lavinium

    • evoking his ancestor/ the hero of Rome - never truly confirmed if it was his tomb (don’t even know if Aeneas was real)

• Huge dimensions to ensure it stayed the major landmark along the Tiber

• Mausoleum at Halicarnassus

  • named after Mausolus - Asian king who built a massive tomb called the Mausoleum

  • one of 7 wonders of the ancient world

  • Augustus’ mausoleum named that to evoke that majorly impressive building

• Decor

  • sheer amount copying Mausoleum at Halicarnassus

  • Public Park - for citizens to picnic

  • Aspects of Greek temple - implying he’s a god

  • Augustus Chariot Staute - copying of Mausolus’ own statue on his Mausoleum

  • Egyptian Obelisks - triumph over Egypt

  • Res Gestae Divi Augusti

    • “Things done by divine Augustus”

    • obituary written by himself put up all over the empire after his death

Identify and Analyze

Plan, Ara Pacis Augustae, Rome

The Age of Augustus

31 BCE - 14 CE

• “Altar of Augustan Peace”

  • dedicated to the peace that Augustus brought to Italy

  • stopped all civil wars

  • Temples of Janus

    • when Rome was at war, the doors of the temple would be open

    • during Augustus’ reign, the doors were closed two times, meaning there was no war anywhere in Rome

• Heavily restored

  • buried 36 feet underground, under an renaissance building

  • slowly excavated in pieces and brought elsewhere

• Two Doorways

  • East/West

• Pi-Shaped Altar

  • Greek letter Pi

  • Augustus mimicking Greek culture

• Outside Shell

  • 2 Registers/Zones

  • Bottom

    • vegetation and animals

    • meant to evoke the idea of abundance that Augustus had brought

  • Middle

    • Greek meander patterns

    • Corinthian pillasters

    • further Greek copying

  • Top

    • Figural patterns both mythological and historical

    • Western Face

      • Romulus + Remus

      • Prophecy of Aeneas

    • Eastern Face

      • Roma

        • personification of Rome

      • Tellus

        • physical land of Rome

Identify and Analyze

Aeneas sacrificing panel, Ara Pacis Augustae, Rome

The Age of Augustus

31 BCE - 14 CE

• Aeneid by Virgil, book 8 of the poem

  • Prophecy for Aeneas

    • told in a dream that he would find a white sow (mature female pig) and after killing her and her litter, he would ensure the founding of Rome

• Capitae Velato

  • religious head covering

  • reason we know he’s sacrificing the pig

Identify and Analyze

Tellus/Italia panel, Ara Pacis Augustae, Rome

The Age of Augustus

31 BCE - 14 CE

• Tellus/Italia

  • personnification of the land of Rome

• Romulus + Remus

  • in the lap of Tellus

• 2 Goddesses

  • one on a swan, the other on a season monster

  • could possibly be specific representations of two different goddesses

    • more so representing all of the sky + all of the land/sea

    • like Prima Porta armour

  • Ox + Sheep for classic sacrifice * find name from last slide deck

    • Pig on other side with Aeneas to tie both panels together even more

• Beside Aeneas Panel

  • places the viewer between the two founders of Rome

Identify and Analyze

South procession relief, Ara Pacis Augustae, Rome

The Age of Augustus

31 BCE - 14 CE

• Greek Classicism

  • idealism of faces + bodies

  • though children look like mini adults

  • Isocapitalism

    • all heads at the same height

• Depth

  • Front Figures - High detail

  • Back figures - lower detail

• Augustus’ Family in Procession

  • Propaganda

    • “I’m a good man. I honour my family at my core. Here is all of my family.”

    • “Also, hey guess what I’m starting a dynasty. Here’s some art for you to get used to it. Don’t elect another Emperor. It will all be in my family.”

• Child

  • Barbarian representation by Romans

    • long curly hair, no Roman tunic, and a torque - a type of necklace

    • later becomes Roman standard of representing non-Romans

• Agrippa + child

  • when conquering new places with established monarchies/reigning figures, the Romans would let them stay in “power”, but they would take one of their princes

  • the princes would be raised as princes, but were there to be killed with those rulers ever stepped out of line

  • Agrippa would take care of these foreign princes

    • taught to read/write in Latin and their home language if it was known to the Romans

    • taught Roman culture/societal standards as well as homeland’s if known to Romans

• Projections

  • at night, modern projections show what the panels would’ve looked like when they were originally painted in antiquity.

Identify and Analyze

Children on south procession panel detail, Ara Pacis Augustae, Rome

The Age of Augustus

31 BCE - 14 CE

• Child

  • Barbarian representation by Romans

    • long curly hair, no Roman tunic, and a torque - a type of necklace

    • later becomes Roman standard of representing non-Romans

• Agrippa + child

  • when conquering new places with established monarchies/reigning figures, the Romans would let them stay in “power”, but they would take one of their princes

  • the princes would be raised as princes, but were there to be killed with those rulers ever stepped out of line

  • Agrippa would take care of these foreign princes

    • taught to read/write in Latin and their home language if it was known to the Romans

    • taught Roman culture/societal standards as well as homeland’s if known to Romans

Identify and Analyze

Plan of Forum Augustum

The Age of Augustus

31 BCE - 14 CE

• Addition to the Forum Romanum

  • not as large as those constructed in the Campus Martius

  • use of richly coloured marbles from the edges of Roman territory

    • symbol of Roman control over the expanse of the world

• Like Forum Julian

  • based on its form

• Temple to Mars Ultor

  • “Mars the Avenger”

    • avenged the death of Julius Caesar

    • reinforcing Augustus' personal virtues of piety and him being the heir of Caesar

• Not just a hall of fame but also a museum to Roman military might/ Roman standards recovered from the Parthians

Identify and Analyze

Forum Augustum, Temple of Mars Ultor

The Age of Augustus

31 BCE - 14 CE

• “Mars the Avenger”

  • avenged the death of Julius Caesar

  • reinforcing Augustus' personal virtues of piety and him being the heir of Caesar

• Reliefs

  • reinforcing relation to Caesar +the Gods

• Statues

  • Mars, deified Julius Caesar, Venus Genetrix

  • Augustus’ double divine descent from Venus + deified Julius

• Hall of Fame

  • Exedrae

    • semi-circular niches roofed with a half dome

  • Summi viri

    • “highest men” or “best men”

    • statues of them were in the exedrae on display

    • many famous Roman generals presented

      • Marcus Claudis Marcellus

      • Aemilius Paullus

  • no statues survive but the plaques with their names and accomplishments do

• Romulus + Aeneas Statues

  • founders of Rome

  • Julio-Claudian descendants flanking Aeneas

  • mythical kings of Alba Longa flanking Romulus

• entire set up visual propaganda

Identify and Analyze

Algiers relief of Mars Ultor, Venus Genetrix, and Caesar

The Age of Augustus

31 BCE - 14 CE

• Venus Genetrix

  • little cupid at her side

  • Founder of the Julio-Claudian line

• Mars Ultor

  • avenger of Julius Caesar’s death

• Julius Caesar

  • deified

    • How do we know? A little star in his hair

      • the comet that passed overhead during his funeral - his soul ascending to be with the gods

      • also bare feet

• Augustus reminding people that now that Julius Caesar was deified, he is descended from two gods - Venus Genetrix + Julius Caesar

  • hinting very strongly at his own divinity

Identify and Analyze

Archaistic relief of Apollo, Diana, and Leto, Temple of Apollo Palatinus, Rome

The Age of Augustus

31 BCE - 14 CE

• First temple in Rome constructed completely out of marble

• Apollo, Diana, and Leto accepting a sacrifice

  • Apollo: Lyre

  • Diana: Bow

  • Leto: Staff

• Archaistic Style - 6 cent BCE

  • meant to look like an Archaic Greek style, but with some “modern” touches

  • Roman Art Movement that adopted this style

    • massive industry to copy old Greek art and sell it to Rome

      • sense of tradition/dignity to the sanctuary

    • once a style exists, it never ceases to exist

  • Stiff, no contrapposto

  • Drapery Folds

• Winged Figure

  • Victory/Messenger

  • Sacrificing Oil

    • pouring into a patera

Identify and Analyze

Terracotta plaque of Apollo and Hercules, Temple of Apollo Palatinus, Rome

The Age of Augustus

31 BCE - 14 CE

• Interior of Temple

  • lined with a number of "old-fashioned” terracotta plaques

    • protected the wooden components of old archaic temples from the weather

• Augustus’ Victory over Marc Antony

  • presented in the plaques

  • shown through allegory by mythological means

    • victory of a Roman over another Roman never shown

      • would’ve been promoting civil conflicts/wars

• Apollo + Hercules Fight Over the Tripod

  • Augustus = Apollo

    • associated himself with the God/ his patron deity

  • Marc Antony = Hercules

    • associated himself with the God/ his deity

  • Myth of Hercules + Oracle of Delphi

    • Hercules wanted an Oracle, so he went to Delphi to try and steal the Tripod (which belonged to Apollo’s Oracle)

    • Zeus came down and broke it up

• Somewhat-Archaistic Style

  • more fluid in motion

Identify and Analyze

Wall painting, “House of Augustus,” Palatine Hill, Rome

The Age of Augustus

31 BCE - 14 CE

• "House of Augustus” - misnomer

  • such fine wall painting in a house on Palatine Hill led archaeologists who discovered it to believe it was Augustus’

  • Augustus’ original house probably destroyed mid-century

• Third Wall Painting Style

  • Panel Paintings

    • inspired by Greek paintings/decorative ornament

      • though no Greek paintings survive because they were done on wood

      • but thought to be similar, just not able to directly compare

    • emphasis on various landscape scenes

      • with/without figures

      • villas, porticos

      • gardens,woods, groves, hills, fishponds, canals, rivers and seashores

    • Often mythological

    • Some architectural elements of Second Stylel

      • pillars, acroterion, whatever

      • but only added as framing elements to the main panel

Identify and Analyze

Wall painting from Villa Farnesina, Rome

The Age of Augustus

31 BCE - 14 CE

• Third Wall Painting Style

  • Panel Paintings

    • inspired by Greek paintings/decorative ornament

      • though no Greek paintings survive because they were done on wood

      • but thought to be similar, just not able to directly compare

    • emphasis on various landscape scenes

      • with/without figures

      • villas, porticos

      • gardens,woods, groves, hills, fishponds, canals, rivers and seashores

    • Often mythological

    • Some architectural elements of Second Stylel

      • pillars, acroterion, whatever

      • but only added as framing elements to the main panel

• Thought to be no relation between these paintings here

  • sometimes in these things there is cohesiveness

Identify and Analyze

Third Style painting, Villa at Oplontis

The Age of Augustus

31 BCE - 14 CE

• Spread of 3rd Style Wall Painting beyond Rome + Augustus’ family

• Caladrium

  • hot room in a Roman bath complex

  • usually had heated pool + radiant heat from walls/floor

• Upper Zone/Attic

  • fine architecture, peacocks, horizontal panel paintings of sacred landscapes, figure - maybe poet? playing a lyre

  • relations between images unknown

    • figure - statue, deity, or person? are the panel paintings + peacocks related?

• Centre Panel

  • Aedicular Niche

    • a structural framing device in architecture

    • creates a space designed like a shrine - usually with a frame to surround and roof structure above

  • Hellenistic Style

  • Atmospheric Perspective

    • artistic device to create a sense of depth

    • shifting background colours to the blue side of the spectrum and painting distant object paler

  • Hercules in the Garden of Hesperides

    • one of his final labours - retrieving the golden apple

    • full of conflict and struggle - none of which is seen here

    • no action, but evokes the garden scene + narrative without overwhelming the landscape

  • Large vertical Tree

    • standard in 3rd Style landscapes

Identify and Analyze

Marble frieze of Tarpeia from the Basilica Aemilia, Forum Romanum, Rome

The Age of Augustus

31 BCE - 14 CE

• Classical Style with Italic Representations

  • Classical - 5th cent Greece

    • high relief, dramatic poses, and landscape elements

  • Italic Representations:

• Tarpeia

  • story published by historian Livy in “Since the City’s Founding”

  • Etiological Story

    • an origin story

  • a myth to show dangers of being a traitor

  • Princess of an Etruscan/Roman King

  • Sabines vs Etruscans to gain control of area around Rome

  • Sabines told Tarpeia “if you open the gates for us then we’ll give you everything on our left arms” meaning their jewelry and bracelets, making her think she’ll be rich

  • Tarpeia lets them in in the middle of the night and they bash her to death with their shields - which were on their left arms

    • to Romans, she deserved it, because she was a traitor

• Tarpeia’s Rock

  • said that she was buried on this rock where eventually the Forum was built

  • public executions of criminals would take place here

  • Etiological - “Why do we do executions here?” “oh cause it goes back to Tarpeia”

• Augustus + Glorification of Rome

  • he was also all about mythology/time

Identify and Analyze

Roman history painting, Tomb of Statilius Taurus, Rome

The Age of Augustus

31 BCE - 14 BCE

• Statilius Taurus

  • one of the most prominent Roman politicians of the age

  • served as consul multiple times under Augustus

  • celebrated a triumph

  • held the city during Augustus’ absences

  • built first stone Amphitheatre in Rome

• Frieze

  • Hellenistic technique

  • Rome’s early history + mythological founders

    • Romulus + Remus being put in a basket and sent down the Tiber

• Augustus’ art that he’s trying to promote present even in private settings

  • used/copied by elites for way of expression Roman patriotism

Identify and Analyze

Tomb of Eurysaces, Rome

The Augustan Period

31 BCE - 14 CE

• belonged to Marcus Vergilius Eurysaces

• Right outside old Rome city walls 

• Local Italic style

  • Bodies not a classical style 

    • More italic style, more squat 

      • Like Etruscan, proportions/depth doesn't really matter 

    • Not following the capital Hellenistic art trend of the time

• From wealthy elites but not necessarily nobles 

  • one of largest sub-elite tombs

• Tomb about Eurysaces and his family

  • wealthy bakers who supplied bread to Roman army

• Pillars and Holes

  • thought to be representation of dough-making machines

• Upper Frieze

  • Bakers

    • Kneading, into the oven, etc. 

    • represents all the different stages of the bread making process

  • Hierarchy of Scale

    • show which breadmakers are the important ones

  • Tunics instead of Togas

    • representation of slave workers

  • idea that Eurysaces was so succesful as a baker he could buy slaves for the work 

Identify and Analyze

Detail of baking frieze, Tomb of Eurysaces, Rome

The Augustan Period

31 BCE - 14 CE

• Upper Frieze

  • Bakers

    • Kneading, into the oven, etc. 

    • represents all the different stages of the bread making process

  • Hierarchy of Scale

    • show which breadmakers are the important ones

  • Tunics instead of Togas

    • representation of slave workers

  • idea that Eurysaces was so successful as a baker he could buy slaves for the work 

• Local Italic style

  • Bodies not a classical style 

    • More italic style, more squat 

      • Like Etruscan, proportions/depth doesn't really matter 

Identify and Analyze

Tomb of funeral procession, Amiternum

The Augustan Period

31 BCE - 14 CE

• Augustan Period yet not Augustan Classicism at all

• Traditional Italic Style

  • Bodies more squat/square, no contrapposto, scale doesn't matter 

  • figures made in the same way a historical piece would be made

• All the bearers for the deceased 

  • Shorter just means he's in the background, behind the other polebearers 

• Ground Lines

  • You can't fit them in, but there's space above them? Just a way of letting viewer know what's going on 

 

Identify and Analyze

Tomb of Publius Licinius Philonicus and Publius Licinius Demetrius, Amiternum

The Augustan Period

31 BCE - 14 CE

• Two Men  

  • Freed slaves

  • Similarity in names: Would have taken the same name from their owner after being freed 

• Objects around them 

  • Sticks with axe 

    • Presenting roman power 

    • Would've been present during ceremony of freeing the slaves 

      • reason as to why we know they’re freed

  • Carpenter Tools 

    • Skilled carpenters who later bought their freedom 

• Idealism on left 

  • Some details of verism to show personality and who he was

    • forehead wrinkles, square head, nasal labial lines

  • Hair – like augustus lobster claw 

• Verism on the other 

  • Sagging cheeks, wrinkles, etc 

• Art styles change, but doesn't mean that verism goes away 

  • Just not major fashion 

  • But still seen in certain instances 

Identify and Analyze (two images)

Portland Vase, from Rome

The Augustan Period

31 BCE - 14 CE

• Glasswork 

• Canio glass – check spelled 

• What's going on here? 

  • Fairly certain its augustan and date 

  • Heavily mythological/very classical in style 

  • Many people arguing who figures are and what myth is being represented. 

• Piece that started major neoclassicism movement in Britain 

  • A lot of british pottery and glasswork looks exactly like this because when it was brought to the museum it was all the rage 

  • Wedgewood – early pieces look a lot like this 

    • Big british pottery people/company 

• Carved glass 

• Essay in context 

  • We have none for this 

  • From rome but don't know where 

  • Educated guesswork 

Identify and Analyze

Blue glass mold‐blown handled cup by Ennion

The Augustan Period

31 BCE - 14 CE

• Guy signed his name on back 

• Probably a mark of where glasswork is as a medium 

  • Signed by artist for the first time 

  • Glasswork being as good as scultpture 

• Blue means original sand hand a lot of cobalt in it 

• Mould work and etching 

• Hitting it's stride and becoming major material production when it wasn't at this artistic style before 

  • Originally more functions