The Augustus of Prima Porta: An Icon of Stability and Military Power
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Under Augustus's reign, imperial sculptures, such as public monuments, served as more than mere decorations; they were instruments of visual communication. The statue of Augustus of Prima Porta from the early first century CE exemplifies this.
The Augustus of Prima Porta, as Michael Squire notes, “does not ‘communicate’ a single vision of its subject, but instead plays with a spectrum of different interpretative strategies.” For ancient viewers, it likely depicted Augustan leadership as both a stabilizing force and a model of disciplined command.
The martial imagery on the statue symbolized stability and political unity under Augustus. The detailed cuirass depicted Augustus’ recovery of military standards lost to the Parthians, surrounded by cosmic images representing the sky and Earth, along with depictions of captives symbolizing Rome’s conquered territories such as Hispania and Gaul. To the average Roman, this imagery emphasized the peace and prosperity resulting from Augustus’ restoration of order.
References to the divine, like Cupid riding a dolphin, emphasized Augustus's status as a ruler with divine endorsement, portraying his political triumphs and the resulting peace as divinely sanctioned.
The statue additionally depicts Augustus as an exemplar of military discipline. His raised arm, in the adlocutio gesture, links him to a commander speaking to his soldiers, highlighting his military skill and underscoring values of duty, obedience, and loyalty.
The divine symbols on the cuirass not only positioned Augustus as a favored emperor but also rationalized the empire’s expansion, suggesting that soldiers under his leadership were fulfilling divine will.
The statue of Augustus of Prima Porta was crafted to evoke multiple interpretations, effectively conveying themes of stability and disciplined military leadership under Augustus.
Works Cited:
Squire, Michael. “Embodied Ambiguities on the Prima Porta Augustus.” Art History 36, no. 2 (February 13, 2013): 242–79.
Vatican Museums. 100 Masterpieces. 2023, p. 21.
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