Rome began as a kingdom, ruled by kings, until the population became so enraged with the system that they expelled the last king and vowed never to allow another king to rule. This sentiment remained strong throughout the Roman republic. If any politician even hinted at wanting to become king, they would be stabbed. In 44 BCE, Julius Caesar made himself dictator for life and was immediately stabbed to death. In 27 BCE, Augustus was made the new Emperor of Rome, and Rome loved him for it. How was this possible?
Propaganda.
After a century of civil wars, Augustus spent all his time making it seem like he was the only man who could be trusted to return Rome to its former glory. His propaganda was so effective, the Roman people actually offered to make him a king, which he wisely refused in exchange for literally all the powers of a king, just without the title or crown. With his increasingly long list of titles and public responsibilities, Augustus did the one thing the Romans were desperate for: he brought peace. For the first time in a century, citizens could leave their houses without fear of being stabbed by a political opponent. Of course, such a feat required an elaborate structure to remind everybody of just how amazing everything was now because Augustus was in charge. And so, the Ara Pacis, the Altar of Peace was constructed.
The Ara Pacis Augustae was founded on July 4th 13 BCE, after Augustus’ return from pacifying Spain and Gaul on the Via Flaminia in the Campus Martius. Once the construction was complete, it was dedicated on January 30th 9 BC, on Livia, Augustus’ wife's birthday. The Ara Pacis was built in conjunction with the Horologium, a large obelisk whose shadow fell on lines on the ground which represented a solar calendar. Unfortunately, due to the Tiber River’s constant flooding, the ground level rose gradually. This made the Horologium useless and the Ara Pacis was effectively abandoned. Bits and pieces were moved around over the years in various cellars and people’s basements, until the Ara Pacis was forgotten. Ironically, it was not until Mussolini that archaeologists were given the financial backing to find the missing pieces and reassemble the Ara Pacis during the year of Augustus’ 2000th birthday.
When the Ara Pacis was reassembled it was placed near the Mausoleum of Augustus, next to the Tiber River.
The Ara Pacis was unique in its design and structure with two relief panels on the east and west, and a long relief of a procession on the north and south. All of the reliefs were meant to remind you how amazing Augustus and his best buddy Agrippa were (who was a military genius and successfully won Augustus’ wars for him).
South Relief
The south and north relief show a procession of Augustus and his family leading several prominent Roman citizens. Some of the people can be named, but we will focus on the children because that was Augustus’ brilliant propaganda showing off.
The children on the south relief are depicted tugging on their parents’ togas and talking to each other. They are shown as children actually are, they are not depicted as miniature adults who are always well behaved. This was also part of Augustus’ marriage and children reforms. He wanted the Romans to have more children since the death rate was very high, and as a result, many upper-class families were left with no heirs. The adults also look relaxed because there is finally peace, so they do not need to be afraid anymore.
Some of the children were foreign royalty who were brought to Rome to be educated. Once they were thoroughly Romanized, they would be returned to their native lands to take over from their fathers and rule as clients of Rome. One of the boys wears a diadem, has eastern hair and clothes. He is likely Antipater, the son of Herod the Great who was brought over by Agrippa (the man whose toga the boy is holding) in 13 BCE. The woman standing directly behind him has her hand on the boy’s head while she looks at him. She wears a diadem bound at the top of her forehead, and is likely Dynamis, granddaughter of Mithridates. She later came to rule her grandfather’s kingdom which had been at war with Rome for a long time, but was now here as a peaceful ally.
North Relief
Agrippa had been establishing peace in the east, and Augustus was doing the same in the west. The north relief depicts a Celtic child with a torque, long curly locks, no shoes, and his buttocks exposed. It’s harder to give this child a name, as several Celtic chieftains had given their sons to Augustus to bring back to Rome. The other two boys on the fragmentary portion of the north frieze are Augustus’ own children Gaius and Lucius Caesar.
West Relief
The panels of the West relief depict the mythological origins of both Rome as well as the implied divine heritage of Augustus. One panel depicts Aeneas who had escaped a burning Troy and eventually settled in the Latin region of Italy. In the panel, Aeneas can be seen making an offering in a manner that emulates Rome’s own Pontifex Maximus (one of Augustus’ many responsibilities). The other panel depicts his descendants, Romulus and Remus being suckled by the she-wolf as their father, the god Mars, is present. Augustus claimed descendance both from Aeneas and Romulus, and by extension from their divine parentage Venus and Mars respectively.
East Relief
The Goddess depicted on the first panel has been subject to debate for as long as she has been discovered. She was originally thought to be Italia or Tellus, then Venus, Ceres, Pax, or a mixture of these goddesses. No one seems to be able to agree as to which goddess it actually is, but it is possible that it was intentionally left uncertain.
The second panel is the most incomplete though it likely portrayed the personification of Rome, the goddess Roma. This panel likely mirrored the other goddess/es panel in theme and composition. It is assumed that the goddess Roma was resting on a pile of weapons and armor, signifying a job well done where all the enemies were defeated and Rome had no other asses to kick.
Thus we have a great example of Augustan propaganda. The south and north reliefs show Augustus and his family leading a procession of Rome’s elite, foreign allies in this newly made peace, and several children (Augustus’ child and family reforms). The West wall is used to depict the legendary founders of Rome, and Augustus’ divine ancestry. The East Wall depicts the attainment of peace in the empire, through awesome military success. In summary, the Ara Pacis is nothing more than a publicity monument for Augustus’ glorious lineage and his greatest achievement, peace.
Text: Cindy G Levesque. MENAM Archaeology. Copyright 2022.
Further reading:
Anderson, W., 2003. The Ara Pacis of Augustus and Mussolini: An Archaeological Mystery. Geneva and Boston: Editions Fabriat.
Heslin, P., 2007. Augustus, Domitian and the So-called Horologium Augusti. Journal of Roman Studies, Volume 97, pp. 1-20.
Kleiner, F. S., 2007. A History of Roman Art. s.l.:Cengage Learning.
Lewis, N. & Reinhold, M., 1990. Roman Civilization Selected Readings: The Republic and the Augustan Age. 3rd Edition ed. s.l.:Columbia University Press.
Rehak, P., 2001. Aeneas or Numa? Rethinking the Meaning of the Ara Pacis Augustae. The Art Bulletin, June, 83(2), pp. 190-208.
Robertson, M., 1956. Review of The Ara Pacis Reconsidered and Historical Art in Roman Italy by J.M.C. Toynbee. The Journal of Roman Studies, Volume 46, pp. 182-183.
Rose, C. B., 1990. "Princes" and Barbarians on the Ara Pacis. American Journal of Archaeology, July, 94(3), pp. 453-467.
Rossini, O., 2007. Ara Pacis. s.l.:Electa.
Syme, R., 1984. Neglected Children on the Ara Pacis. American Journal of Archaeology, Oct., 88(4), pp. 583-589.
Thomson de Grummond, N., 1990. Pax Augusta and the Horae on the Ara Pacis Augustae. American Journal of Archaeology, Oct., 94(4), pp. 663-677.
Toynbee, J. M. C., 1961. The 'Ara Pacis Augustae'. The Journal of Roman Studies, Volume 51, pp. 153-156.
Images: Wiki Commons
Comments