Prima Porta Augustus
Title
Prima Porta Augustus
Date
AD 15
Artist or Workshop
Unknown
Materials
Marble
Height of the work
203 cm tall
Provenience
Italy, Rome, Prima Porta, Via Flaminia, Ruins of the Villa of Livia
Current Location
Vatican Museums, Italy
Sitter Biography
Augustus was the title held by Gaius Octavius Thurinus. He was the first Emperor of Rome, and ruled from 27 BC - AD 14. He formed the Second Triumvirate with Mark Antony and Marcus Lepidus before becoming Emperor. His most notable victories include the defeat of Mark Antony at Actium and the return of the Golden Eagle military standard from the Parthians. After his death, he was deified.
Description and Significance
Description:
The statue is of Augustus himself with a youthful, idealized body and in the adlocutio pose. He stands contrappasto with most of his weight on his right leg and his left leg trailing behind him. His hair is in the Primaporta hair type, but has the addition of comma locks. He is dressed in military attire, wearing a cuirass and a draped paludamentum hanging on his left arm and wrapping around his hips and the hilt of the sword showing through the cloak. The cuirass has an intricate scene decoration featuring gods and goddesses and the return of the lost standard of the Golden Eagle. His legs are visible from just above the knee and below and he is depicted without shoes on, instead of wearing the typical military caligi. At his right leg, a baby cupid with wings is riding a dolphin and reaches the height of Augustus’ knee.
Significance:
The youthful depiction of Augustus shows longevity and potential for his rule over Rome. It also shows him as a semi-divine figure as gods were depicted as youthful and strong. This calls back to the Greek ideal of youthfulness and athleticism, which Augustus is adopting despite the fact that he was middle-aged during the making of this portrait. The primaporta hair type is classified as a cap of hair with a part above the inner left eye followed by an immediate crab claw. The hair is flatter and not as much volume, but this depiction of the primaporta hair type includes comma locks. The inclusion of comma locks connects Augustus to his adoptive father, Caesar, and brings Caesar’s victories and accomplishments to the viewer’s mind when looking at Augustus’ portrait.
The adlocutio pose shows Augustus in the role of an orator, actively speaking and addressing his troops, possibly inspiring them to go into battle. The cuirass, paludamentum, and sword hilt show Augustus in the role of a military commander.
The main decoration of the cuirass is the return of the military standard of the Golden Eagle. This is significant because Augustus was able to conquer a foreign territory and obtain the Golden Eagle from the Parthians by negotiation, not by warfare. This communicates the image of Augustus as the bringer of Pax Romana to Rome. There are female personifications of territories surrounding the central scene that provide a visual reference to the other territories Augustus had conquered. The presence of gods and goddesses on the cuirass show that Augustus has the support of the divine.
More symbolism of the divine are the cupid and dolphin at his right leg. The dolphin is an attribute to Venus, but also an allusion to his naval victory of Actium over Cleopatra and Mark Antony. Baby cupid is the son of Venus and another nod to his divine lineage. His adopted father, Caesar claimed to be descended from Venus, therefore so was Augustus. His bare feet are a nod to nudity, which is a feature of depictions of divine figures. It is also a feature of Greek athletes, again showing his youthfulness, strength, and divine lineage. In this portrait, Augustus is in the role of orator, military commander, and a young Apollo. These images were used as propaganda to rally the support of Roman citizens and show his strength as a ruler.
The statue is of Augustus himself with a youthful, idealized body and in the adlocutio pose. He stands contrappasto with most of his weight on his right leg and his left leg trailing behind him. His hair is in the Primaporta hair type, but has the addition of comma locks. He is dressed in military attire, wearing a cuirass and a draped paludamentum hanging on his left arm and wrapping around his hips and the hilt of the sword showing through the cloak. The cuirass has an intricate scene decoration featuring gods and goddesses and the return of the lost standard of the Golden Eagle. His legs are visible from just above the knee and below and he is depicted without shoes on, instead of wearing the typical military caligi. At his right leg, a baby cupid with wings is riding a dolphin and reaches the height of Augustus’ knee.
Significance:
The youthful depiction of Augustus shows longevity and potential for his rule over Rome. It also shows him as a semi-divine figure as gods were depicted as youthful and strong. This calls back to the Greek ideal of youthfulness and athleticism, which Augustus is adopting despite the fact that he was middle-aged during the making of this portrait. The primaporta hair type is classified as a cap of hair with a part above the inner left eye followed by an immediate crab claw. The hair is flatter and not as much volume, but this depiction of the primaporta hair type includes comma locks. The inclusion of comma locks connects Augustus to his adoptive father, Caesar, and brings Caesar’s victories and accomplishments to the viewer’s mind when looking at Augustus’ portrait.
The adlocutio pose shows Augustus in the role of an orator, actively speaking and addressing his troops, possibly inspiring them to go into battle. The cuirass, paludamentum, and sword hilt show Augustus in the role of a military commander.
The main decoration of the cuirass is the return of the military standard of the Golden Eagle. This is significant because Augustus was able to conquer a foreign territory and obtain the Golden Eagle from the Parthians by negotiation, not by warfare. This communicates the image of Augustus as the bringer of Pax Romana to Rome. There are female personifications of territories surrounding the central scene that provide a visual reference to the other territories Augustus had conquered. The presence of gods and goddesses on the cuirass show that Augustus has the support of the divine.
More symbolism of the divine are the cupid and dolphin at his right leg. The dolphin is an attribute to Venus, but also an allusion to his naval victory of Actium over Cleopatra and Mark Antony. Baby cupid is the son of Venus and another nod to his divine lineage. His adopted father, Caesar claimed to be descended from Venus, therefore so was Augustus. His bare feet are a nod to nudity, which is a feature of depictions of divine figures. It is also a feature of Greek athletes, again showing his youthfulness, strength, and divine lineage. In this portrait, Augustus is in the role of orator, military commander, and a young Apollo. These images were used as propaganda to rally the support of Roman citizens and show his strength as a ruler.
References
Chisholm, Kitty and John Ferguson. (1981). Rome: The Augustan Age; A Source Book. Oxford: Oxford University Press, in association with the Open University Press.
http://www.museivaticani.va/content/museivaticani/en/collezioni/musei/braccio-nuovo/Augusto-di-Prima-Porta.html
Scott, Kenneth. "The Political Propaganda of 44–30 B.C." Memoirs of the American Academy in Rome, Vol. 11, (1933), pp. 7–49.
Zanker, P. (1988) The power of images in the age of Augustus. Translated by Alan Shapiro. Ann Arbor: The University of Michigan Press, p. 188.
http://www.museivaticani.va/content/museivaticani/en/collezioni/musei/braccio-nuovo/Augusto-di-Prima-Porta.html
Scott, Kenneth. "The Political Propaganda of 44–30 B.C." Memoirs of the American Academy in Rome, Vol. 11, (1933), pp. 7–49.
Zanker, P. (1988) The power of images in the age of Augustus. Translated by Alan Shapiro. Ann Arbor: The University of Michigan Press, p. 188.
Contributor
Isabella Laurel
Citation
Unknown, “Prima Porta Augustus,” Digital Portrait "Basket" - ARTH488A - "Ancient Mediterranean Portraiture", accessed December 23, 2024, https://classicalchopped2.artinterp.org/omeka/items/show/40.
Item Relations
This item has no relations.