Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
Augustus's impact on art and architecture
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Augustan Art and Propaganda
Julius Caesar's reign was an unfavorable and chaotic period for Rome, and after his death, a large portion of the empire was handed down to his adopted son, Gaius Octavian. From the ashes of his father, Octavian was able to build an Empire unparalleled. Later, the name Augustus was given to him by Senate. Augustus ostensibly maintained the form of the Roman Republic while in actuality creating the Roman Empire. He introduced the administrative reforms that led to the Pax Romana with its flourishing of trade and the arts. Although Augustus's ascension to power could have not been without it bequested by Julius, it was his use of art and propaganda that reinforced the legitimacy his position.
Octavian's rise to power began during Julius Caesar's lifetime. “In 47 B.C. he went to Hispania (modern-day Spain) to fight alongside Caesar. He was shipwrecked along the way, and had to cross enemy territory to reach his great-uncle; an act that impressed Caesar enough to name Octavius his heir and successor in his will.”(Augustus). By the time of Caesar's assassination, Octavian defeated the conspirators who murdered Caesar in a series of battles and divided Rome's lands among them. This lead to the establishment of The Second Triumvirate, in which they shared the power among the divided territories with Mark Antony in charge of Egypt and East, Marcus Aemilius Lepidus with Africa and Octavian the West. Over time, the alliance that formed fell apart. Lepidus was old, and his lands were rapidly annexed by Octavian. Meanwhile, Mark Antony had a scandalous romantic and political affair with Cleopatra in Egypt. Octavian attained Roman support against Mark Antony by claiming that he had gone against Roman values by mar...
... middle of paper ...
...ory.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 28 Feb. 2014.
Hammond, Mason. "The Sincerity of Augustus." Harvard Studies in Classical Philology 69
(1965): 152. JSTOR. Web. 3 Mar. 2014.
Kleiner, Fred S., and Helen Gardner. Gardner's Art Through the Ages: A Global History. 14th
ed. Boston, MA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning, 2013. Print.
Mark, Jashua J. "Augustus." Ancient History Encyclopedia., 22 Aug. 2010. Web. 01 Mar.
2014.
"Museo Dell'Ara Pacis." History -. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Feb. 2014.
Richter, Gisela M. A. "The Origins of Verism." The Journal of Roman Studies 45 (1955): 39-46.
Web. 28 Jan. 2014.
Stockton, David. "The Battle of Actium John M. Carter: The Battle of Actium: The Rise and
Triumph of Augustus Caesar. The Classical Review 23.01 (1973): 56-58.
Zanker, Paul. The Power of Images in the Age of Augustus. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan,
1988.
The Roman Empire experienced many highs and lows from various rulers. In the period from 28BC to 63BC, Augustus was named the first Roman emperor which resulted in growth within the empire especially considering social and political aspects. Augustus has been said to be the Saviour of Rome after the downfall experienced by Caesar's dictatorship. By restoring many old traditions regarding religion and social reforms, Augustus proved himself to be a reliable and adequate ruler in restoring Rome to its zenith for over 200 years. “Augustus was born into an equestrian family.
Augustus was the basis for the time of the Principate period, which is a period where the rulers of the new found monarchy attempted to incorporate aspects of the Roman Republic within the powerful empire. Augustus tried his best to maintain conservative forms of government. Augustus’s sole ambition was to remove the hatred and chaos that had resulted from the civil wars. Thankful for Augustus working to restore power back to the Roman senate in his new reforms, the grateful Senate granted him the name Augustus meaning sacred. January, 27 BC, Octavian humbly resigned his powers within Rome, However Augustus received them back from the Senate shortly after. Augustus’s military genius marked the start of a dynasty which saw an extensive expansion of the Roman
Works Cited Strong, D., Roman Art, (1976) Chaucer Press Tanner, J., Portraits, Power and Patronage in the Late Roman Republic, Journal of Roman Studies 90, pp.18-50. Zanker, P., The power of images in the age of Augustus, (1988) University of Michigan.
Cothren, M. & Marilyn Stokstad. (2011). Art History, Volume 2, 4th Edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Learning Solutions.
Augustus created the office of emperor with the Augustan Principate, which was “to have no institutionalized authoritarian power, no perpetual dictatorship such as Julius Caesar had had himself voted early in 44, or anything like it (Stockton, 124).” Despite his wishes the people of Rome ended up giving Augustus eternal office, and powers to control the Senate with the rights to dictate agendas and veto (Stockton, 128). The people of Rome had created a position of absolute power, the exact thing Augustus was attempting to prevent. At the time, the people of Rome could not have realized what they were creating in the office of emperor, for Augustus was a great man whose leadership created a great shadow over the shoulder of any future emperor. Augustus would be followed by the Julio-Claudian dynasty, which reigned over the beginnings of Imperial Rome.
Octavian was the great nephew of Julius Caesar, and because of this relationship he had strong political connections in Rome. Caesar favored...
In 44 BCE, Gaius Caesar was assassinated, leaving a power vacuüm for the leadership of the Roman Republic. A ruling body known as the second triumvirate was established between the potential rulers of Rome: Gaius Octavian, Mark Antony and Marcus Lepidus. In 36 BC, Octavian convinced the Senate to exile Lepidus. Shortly thereafter, tensions between Mark Antony and Octavian built. These tensions centered on Antony abandoning Octavian’s sister for Cleopatra, the Queen of Egypt and Antony’s lover.
Augustus changed the course of Roman history forever. Augustus Caesar, or Octavian, was the first emperor of Rome. He was a passionate leader, and devoted himself to improving and governing the city. The Roman Empire was the Mediterranean empire that ruled most of western civilization, characterized by a government headed by emperors. The Senate of Rome still existed, but the emperor had complete control over the most important offices. The Pax Romana was a long period of peace in the Roman Empire that lasted from 31 BCE to 180 CE. Before the Pax Romana, there had been civil wars and rebellions throughout the empire. Augustus’ policies on governing Rome, administering the provinces and promoting morality helped Rome flourish as an empire for
Gardner, Helen, and Fred S. Kleiner. Gardner's Art Through the Ages: The Western Perspective. N.p., 2014. Print.
Ward, John. "Chapter VI Religions of Roman Britain." .Roman Era in Britain (2000): pp. 102–103. Pdf.
1)De, Selincourt Aubrey. Livy, the Early History of Rome: Book I - V of the History of Rome from Its Foundation. London: Penguin, 1960. Print.
Kleiner, Fred, Gardner's Art through the Ages: A Global History, Fourteenth Edition The Middle Ages, Book B (Boston: Wadsworth, 2013), 348.
The use of art forms and sculpture as a means of conveying a message to its viewers has been rooted deep into culture throughout human history. Imagery has carved political views and depictions of society’s circumstances into permanent marks of antiquity. From the Ancient Roman architecture and sculpture to the 1900’s emergence of media in politics, we have continued to express our views, hardships, and culture in permanent ways, and use art as an intricate form of manipulation and persuasion. In the ancient times, the Romans used sculpture to portray individuals of power, such as Augustus, to mark a political ideology by making powerful figures look more pristine and perfect on a godly level. They would portray the unattainable perfection
Kleiner, Fred S. Gardner’s Art through the Ages: The Western Perspective. Vol 2.13th ed. Boston: Wadsworth/ Cengage Learning, 2010.
Zanker, Paul. The power of images in the Age of Augustus. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 1988. (P. 158 ~ 159)