ARA PACIS AUGUSTAEARA PACIS AUGUSTAE

Historical Relief and Roman Mythmaking

Facts about the ARA Facts about the ARA PACISPACIS

• Altar of Augustan Peace

• Located in the Campus Martius, Rome

• Decreed by the Senate to celebrate Augustus’ return from Spain and Gaul

• Foundation stone laid on 4th July 13 BCE

• Dedicated by the Senate in honor of Augustus’ creation of the Pax Romana in 30 January 9 BCE (Livia’s birthday)

• Part of a complete architectural program with the Mausoleum of Augustus, his ustrinum, an obelisk that acted as the central arm of a sundial

• One of the great Roman historical reliefs; others include Trajan’s column, arch of Septimius Severus in Leptis Magna.

Res Gestae Divi AugustiRes Gestae Divi AugustiThe Accomplishments and Achievements of the The Accomplishments and Achievements of the

Divine AugustusDivine Augustus • Res Gestae 12• “On my return from Spain and

Gaul, after successfully restoring law and order to these provinces, the Senate decided under the consulship of Tiberius Nero and Publius Quintilius to consecrate the Ara Pacis Augustae on the Campus Marius in honor of my return, at which officials, priests, and Vestal Virgins should offer an

annual sacrifice.”

Plan of Ara Pacis Plan of Ara Pacis AugustaeAugustae

• The building is a marble precinct wall that surrounds a grand and elaborate altar, on a high podium.

• Doors face east and west - symbolic of the extent of empire

• Shadow of sundial on Augustus’ birthday

Decorative Scheme IDecorative Scheme I

• Mythology

• East side– Pax (Venus or Tellus)

– Roma

– Sun rises on new Roman Empire

• West side– Aeneas

– Romulus and Remus

– Sun sets on legendary hero-founders

• History

• North side

– senators

– priests

– piety

• South side

– imperial family

– Augustus, Agrippa

– family

Decorative Scheme IIDecorative Scheme II

• Exterior lower half• exuberant floral motif• combination of

extraordinary flowers and fruits

• vegetation climbing the walls

• Apollo symbolism

• Interior relief– garlands of an abundance

of fruits, leaves, and flowers

– bucrania of sacrificed cows– imitation of rustic shrine

• Altar– Sacrifice– Vestal virgins

West Side: AeneasWest Side: Aeneas

• Sacrificing as in Aeneid III.389

• White sow, 30 piglets

• Temple to Penates in background

• Iulus (aka Ascanius) - gens Julius

• Camilli, attendants at the sacrifice

Aeneas SacrificingAeneas Sacrificing

West Side: Romulus and West Side: Romulus and RemusRemus

• Very fragmentary• Faustulus• Mars - fig tree,

woodpecker• Suckling of twins at

wolf

East Side:Venus, Tellus, East Side:Venus, Tellus, PaxPax

• Controversial identification of female figure

• Her crown of corn and pomegranate

• Cupidesque babies in lap

• Reclining cow, sheep

• Aurae

– swan

– sea monster

PAX ROMANA

• Images of abundance, fertility, fecundity, pastoralism, golden age

North Side: Religious Personnel• Camilli

• acerra, pitcher

• others might be priests

• Four priestly colleges: pontifices, augures, XV viri sacris faciundis, VII viri epulones.

• Leading in Julia and Lucius Caesar (b. 12

BCE)

SenatorsSenators

• Heavily restored; IDs invalid• Mixture of piety and politics

South Side: Julio-Claudian Family

• Moving from East to West

• More fragmentary on west side

• Recognizable portraits

Augustus and the Augustus and the FlaminesFlamines

• Augustus. Partially destroyed.

• Not marked out. Primus inter pares. Princeps.

• 4 Flamines: galena, laena.

Julio-Claudians I: Marcus Julio-Claudians I: Marcus AgrippaAgrippa

• Gaius Caesar (b. 20 BCE)

• Ludus Troiae (Vergil, Aen. V.556 - 559)

• Livia, Tiberius, Antonia Minor, Drusus.

Agrippa, Gaius Caesar, Livia, Tiberius, Antonia Minor, Germanicus, Drusus, Antonia Maior, Gnaeus Lucius

Ahenobarbus

Julio-Claudians II: The Julio-Claudians II: The ChildrenChildren• Germanicus

• Antonia Maior – Domitia

– Gnaeus

Exterior FriezeExterior Frieze• Vine tendrils develop into

volutes

• Mix of acanthus flower, ivy, vine leaves and grapes

• Hidden frogs, birds, lizards, snakes in the grass

• Allusion to the saeclum aureum, Golden Age. (Vergil, Eclogue IV)

• Deliberate branching and balancing to reflect Julio-Claudian family.

SwanSwan

• Swan is Apollo’s bird• Symbolism validates Augustus’ reign

Hidden AnimalsHidden Animals• Bird and lizard

• Lizard and snake attacking nest of birds.

• Anguis in herbis Snake in the grass

Interior SwagsInterior Swags• Imitation of rustic

shrine

• Bucrania - skulls of sacrificed cattle

• Swags

– each one is different

– grapes, figs, apples, pears, olives, plums, pine cones, and pomegranates - and vegetation - oak, ivy, laurel, and poppies

AltarAltar• Ends of the altar

are scrolls supported by griffins (winged lions)

• Sacrifice• Vestal Virgins• Enactment in stone

of yearly sacrifice to Pax Romana

ConclusionsConclusions• Symbolic themes:

family, piety, peace, fertility and abundance

• First relief with presence of children

• Setting up of a dynasty• Placing it and

justifying it with mythological precedents