HISTORY OF ART ASSIGNMENT 2: LEA FARES
A historical example that is considered a political propaganda is the relief
work that is found on the Ara Pacis in 13 BC. So this “altar of piece” was
commissioned by the Roman Senate as a form of celebration of the return of
Augustus to Rome after his military conquests.It was originally location in the
Campus Martius, and it was made entirely out of glass marble and was
painted(the paint has faded off). This altar was dedicated to the goddess Pax,
the Roman goddess of peace.
If we take the altar and study its outer walls we can understand that the
reliefs found on these wall symbolize the reign of Augustus and how he is the
savior and peace bringer of Rome. And the reason why all these reliefs are
included on its outer walls because these were the areas that the normal
citizens would have been able to see because only the elite were able to
enter the alter. On the front side, it is believed to depict the King Numa
sacrificing a pig, and this king is legendary in Ancient Rome for bringing
peace to the city during his ruling. So Augustus was basically relating himself
to this king of peace.
The sides of this altar depicts real people that are wearing Roman togas, and
there are priests leading the procession, and Augustus and his family. This
scene is believed to depict the dedication procession of this altar.
The back of this monument includes 2 reliefs where the one on the left is a
seated female deity surrounded by symbols that represent fertility and
wealth such as babies and fruit, and sacrificed animals. The relief on the
right is believed to be Roma sitting of the weapons taken from the enemy.
And all around the bottom of the monument there are a reliefs that depicts
acanthus leaves and grapes. In Ancient Rome, acanthus leaves represented
long life and immortality, and grapes represented fertility and prosperity. It
was like Augustus was trying to represent how his ruling brought peace
prosperity and wealth to Rome.
On the inside of this monuments there are carved garlands that symbolized
wealth, and there are cows that symbolized the animal sacrifices that the
Romans made as a way to appease their gods.
Looking back at the history of Rome we can see that Rome was a republic
until Julius Caesar (Augustus’s uncle) dictated it. He was later assassinated
and the Civil war began. So this alter was basically the representation and
the praising of how Augustus was able to bring back peace and representing
how he was bringing back the golden age, and embracing traditional Roman
values.
The Ara Pacis was actually reconstruct by the fascist leader Mussolini in the
years leading up to and during the Second World War because Mussolini
identified himself with augustus. So funny enough, even after all those years
this monument was also used as a form of political propaganda.
REFERENCES:
https://youtu.be/KIwK5XclvsA
https://ieo.ucla.edu/rome-ara-pacis/#:~:text=It's%20a%20cunning%20piece
%20of,the%20imperial%20imagery%20and%20symbols.
