The statuary in the Forum of Augustus displays busts of Augustus' ancestors. The southeast hemicircle has a sculpture of Romulus, holding the armor and spoils of one of and enemy commander that has been been killed by a Roman. In the northwest hemicycle stood a statue group of Aeneas carrying his father Anchises (who held the sacred Penates of Troy)and holding his son Ascanius by the hand. The hemicircles are followed by long colonnades of important Roman men. The northwest hemicircle was surrounded by busts of Alban kings and the colonnade that followed that side had the Julian lineage of busts. The southeast side's colonnade displays an estimated 108 busts of the summi viri, or important men. The center of the forum holds a statue of Augustus in a victorious chariot, with the inscription Pater Patriae or "father of the fatherland." The statuary is meant to prove that Augustus is descended from the gods and the founders of Rome and it is his destiny to rule Rome.
1 comment:
Nice job on a tricky site. Indeed, Augustus used sculpture widely for propaganda purposes; this is arguably the greatest example.
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