Ritualistic Sacrifice in the Ara Pacis The Ara Pacis is an altar that was built to honor Caesar Augustus. Being an open-air altar, it is also meant for blood sacrifice associated with the Roman state religion. On this altar there are many reliefs and symbols that emphasize this blood sacrifice and its association with the gods. In my essay, I plan to analyze the Ara Pacis in terms of animal sacrifice, including individual animals and symbols that are shown throughout various reliefs. With this knowledge I ask why is animal sacrifice important in Roman culture and how does the Ara Pacis emphasize this? What imagery is shown to support these ideas? And finally, what Gods are these sacrifices being made to? These topics are all connected in their …show more content…
In Billows’ reading, he attempts to disprove the depiction of sacrifice by “misinterpreting some iconographical features and ignoring others” (Billows, 80). He explained that no sacrifices were depicted. However, there is imagery shown in the Ara Pacis that makes sense in terms of sacrifice. There is no imagery of an animal being directly slaughtered, but that does not diminish its implications. In Elsner’s reading, he explains how “one general weakness of scholarly discussions of the Ara Pacis is that they fail to sufficiently emphasize this sacrificial function of the altar” (Elsner, 50). In naturalistic nature, many images in art history are narrowly identified. Rather than be open to the multitude of meanings and interpretations, it limits them to single meanings. Art exists to be interpreted in a hundred different ways by a hundred different people. The Ara Pacis depicts Augustus’ success and is a symbol of eternity and rebirth. But it also depicts components of sacrificial rituals that are extremely meaningful to Roman state religion. In ancient Rome, these sacrificial rituals defined Roman God relationships, also establishing a hierarchy of social …show more content…
And while the altar was created to celebrate Augustus’ return from the northern wars, the surviving iconography has little to do with it, let alone a clear depiction of the goddess Pax herself (Flower, 322). The entrance to the altar, however, does show two important scenes. The scene on the left shows a she-wolf with twins Remis and Romulus, while the scene on the right shows a man preparing to sacrifice a pig. There are many identifications of this sacrificial scene on the right. The man can be identified as Aneas or Numa, both Roman founders. “It is true that a pig was the victim most commonly offered to the household gods” (Ryberg, 80). Tellus, known as Mother Earth, would have been a common recipient of this sacrifice. These observations introduce two gods and emphasize ritualistic sacrifice through specific visual imagery. “Paintings and sculptures of animal subjects also constituted an important part of Augustan display and each functioned as an integral unit of meaning in a programmatic design” (Kellum, 30). There are many animals displayed in the Ara Pacis. One prominent one is
has pondered and reinforced the values of their times. In the articles, "Parthenon and Parthenoi: A Mythological Interpretation of the Parthenon Frieze" by Joan B. Connelly and "The Muted Other" by Natalie Boyment Kampen, the Parthenon frieze, the Ara Pacis: Imperial Family frieze, and Cornelia: Mother of the Gracchi, are pieces depicted to characterize women in their implemented roles. Taking a look at the Parthenon, 442-438 B.C. Athens, there are many scenes, which display women in an active purpose
The Ara Pacis (“Altar of Augustan Peace” in Latin) is one of the most representative works of Augustan art. The monument was dedicated on 4 July 13 B.C to honor the return of Augustus after three years in Spain and Gaul, which were his last military operations, and commemorate military victories. The altar was an impressive example of the culture of Rome in general and illustration of prosperous Rome. The monument is a visual medium to represent that peace is the result of military victories and
Roman Government. The reason for the reforms was to revive the traditional Roman religions. To succeed in this Augustus restored public monuments such as temples to the Gods and constructed many more. An example would be his construction of the Ara Pacis Augustine, which contained symbols and scenes of religious rites and ceremonies, as well as Augustus and his “ideal” Roman family, this was all meant to inspire Roman pride. After Augustus’s movement in religion, he sought to renew the practice
The Ara Pacis Augustae or the “Altar of Augustan Peace” is a monument that served as a reminder to the populace of Rome of the peace that Augustus (previously known as Octavian), the first emperor of Rome, had brought to the empire that was once stricken with turmoil. How peaceful was it really in the Roman Empire during Augustus’s reign? Octavian’s rise to power was a long arduous one, which could have ultimately led to his death just like his great-uncle, Julius Caesar. After the assassination
Upon first glance, the Trojan War may not appear relevant to the world today, but with further thought, the epic starts connecting to the present. One of the epic’s elements, the gods as an abiding feature in the lives of humans, can be studied providing education about historical and current societies. Music, literature, and art allow people to study what individuals and societies believe or once believed about the existence of gods or a god, and people can determine if certain societies or civilizations
In Rome the buildings were constructed under Roman Empire. The Roman Colosseum was constructed between 69 to 79 CE by the Vespasian emperor, The Circus Maximum was built in the 2nd century B.C by the high emperor, in 31 B.C the fire destroyed it that led Emperor Augustus to rebuild the Circus in 82 AD, Ludus Magnus was a gladiatorial training school in Rome and it was originally built between 81-96AD by Emperor Domitian. The emperor’s theme was large public stone buildings that would bring the people
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as a main message. Mythological stories are also used to enhance his views of peace and prosperity. On one panel, Mother Earth or peace is depicted with a sheep and cow with personifications of water, air, and sea. Another relief on the Ara Pacis is the sacrifice of a sow by Aeneas. In Virgil’s Aeneid, Aeneas was given the prophecy that he would find Rome. The settlement of Rome was when Aeneas finds a sow. Augustus again shows his relationship with the founding of Rome in a different story but he
wall paintings of Ariadne, this weapon was used to show women’s dependence on men and their vulnerability and maudlinism. The Greek theme of women suffering at the hands of men continues with the myth of Iphigenia. In the most famous incident of sacrifice of a young person, a prophet tells Agamemnon that in order to cease the wrath of Artemis so that he may sail to Troy, he must appease her by sacrificing one of his daughters, Iphigenia. This story is told by the playwright Aeschylus in his drama