Augustus of Prima Porta

I will be doing about one of Roman sculpture which is Augustus of Prima Porta. This marble statue adopts feature from Greek athletic statue from 5th century B.C., the Doryphoros of Polykeitos; from its head, leg and posture. It was found in villa of Livia in Prima Porta and was built to commemorate Roman victory over Parthians in 20 B.C. It portraits Augustus as a handsome and young ruler.

The Head

The face shows a young emperor even at the time it was constructed, Augustus was about forty years old. It shows a broad skull, a narrow chin, sharp eyebrows, a hooked nose and a rounded mouth. The eyebrow is trademark of Augustan style. The style of the hair is what called as Primaporta hairstyle. The hair  is locked in comma-shape locked across the forehead and the neck is broad and short. Kleiner writes that even though the statue is recognisable, it is still an artificial rendition of Augustus' image.

The Hand

The right hand of the statue is a big difference between Augustus and Doryphoros. Rising the right hand is a Roman gesture in making address. The posture gives viewer a domineering impressions showing Augustus as a powerful ruler of Rome. It is also important to note that the real right hand of Augustus was lost and have never been recovered. The left hand may have carried an object.

The Breastplate

The cuirass signifies Augustus as the leader of military power. It shows the victory of Augustus over the Parthians in 20 B.C. The breastplate have a cosmic setting as you can see. Most people say that it was Caelus at the top, which was the sky god. Sol, the sun god is below him in a four horse chariot and Aurora riding a female figure. On the left is Hispania and the right is a captive female barbarian. Below is Tellus the Mother of Earth recline and cradles two babies and a cornucopia full of fruits. All of the gods on the breastplate show that Augustus' victory has a cosmic favour. The most important thing is he figures on the middle. On the right is identified as Parthian barbarian by the way he dress and it refers to Phraates IV, the Phartian king. He is holding a Roman standard which was lost by Crassus, the Roman General in the battle of Carrhae in 53 B.C. The Parthian king is returning the standard to the man on left, who was wearing a cuirass, helmet, military boots, and accompanied by an animal maybe a dog or a she-wolf that represents the Roman army. But, this figure suggest a military protagonist and it believed that it is Tiberius, who was Augustus' intermediary in the victory over Parthians.

The Stance and Cupid riding a dolphin 

The pose is similar to Doryphoros. Right leg is taut while left leg is relaxed like it is moving forward. Even Augustus is wearing military suits, his feet are bare. A general would be wearing a military boot instead of bare feet and this suggest Augustus divinity. While Cupid or Eros, Venus' son is riding a dolphin on the lower right side shows Augustus' have divine lineage of the Julian family to Aenas, the founder of Italy and Venus. Scholar suggests that the face of Cupid is sculpted to similar to the face of Augustus' son, Gauis, born in 20 B.C. The hairstyle is similar to Augustus' Primaporta hairstyle, the boyish face is mean to introduce Gauis to the Roman public life. The dolphin probably refer to the birth of Venus who appear from the sea. And maybe refer to Augustus' naval victory at Actium in a political view.