Hi if this is your first time on the channel, welcome to Exploring Art. My name is Alessandro and today we are going to understand why this ancient Roman altar is one of the most important monuments of the city and of Roman History: The Ara Pacis Augustae.
The name should tell you something, well maybe not Ara Pacis since it’s Latin and it means “altar of peace”, but Augustae probably reminds you about Augustus. The first and one of the greatest Roman emperors.
In the elegant white marble are carved some important pages of Roman history, a lot of symbols and many interesting surprises that we are going to discover together.
ARTIST: Unknown
NAME Ara Pacis Augustae
LOCATION Rome
YEAR 13-9 BC
TYPE Sculpture
DIMENSIONS H: 11.6 f (3.55 m) – W: 34.8 f (10.6 m) – D: 38.1 f (11.63 m)
MATERIAL Marble
The Significance of the Ara Pacis Augustae in Roman History
It was commissioned by the Roman Senate on July 4, 13 BC to honor the triumphant return of Augustus to Rome after three years fighting in Hispania and Gaul and dedicated on January 30, 9 BC. The altar is highly symbolic, starting with the name “Altar of Augustan Peace”. The peace is not just what Augustus brought in the conquered territories, but actually the peace he was able to establish in Rome after years of civil war.
We talked about Roman history in one of my previous videos, but let me contextualize the events very fast, so everything makes sense. Rome was ruled by kings for a period of 244 years. From 509 BC Rome became a Republic and under the Senate control until Julius Cesar, you probably know that guy, made a mess. He became a dictator in 49 BC, he got killed and a civil war started until Augustus in 27 BC became Emperor.
By the way, if you struggle with BC and AD, check this video where I explain the meaning and how to use them. You can find this and other useful links in the description.
Augustus’ Political Genius and the Deification of Julius Caesar
Back to Augustus: that guy was incredibly smart. He gave back power to the Senate, but, at the same time, he was taking the most important religious and political roles, so technically he was the only one really in charge. What he also did was to be sure his adoptive father, Julius Caesar, was made a god. And, if the dad was a god, guess what? Augustus was the son of a god. It’s kind of messed up, but you can imagine that gave him some political advantages…
Like, for example, the Senate paying for this beautiful altar covered in decorations and symbols. To be precise, the altar is inside, at the center of the monument, and it’s surrounded by the highly decorated walls.
Roman Altars: Bucrania, Garlands, and Allegories of Abundance
In Rome altars were used for blood sacrifices, of animals, that were slaughtered and offered as part of state religion rituals like we learned in the Altar of Domitius Ahenobarbus post. So back then it was perfectly normal, but of course this altar is unique for the structure and the decorations complexity.
On the inside there are some weird and creepy reliefs carved with bucrania, ox skulls, from which garlands hang. The garlands bear fruits from various types of plants, and they are allegorical representations of abundance.
Nature and Symbolism in the Ara Pacis Lower Register
However, is the external part, visible by anyone that is astonishing. The lower register is characterized by scenes of nature. It shows more than 50 different species of plants that form those beautiful symmetric ornaments forming circles and spirals that give elegance and order to the panels. But there are also animals: birds, frogs, lizards. They represent the abundance of nature. And you have abundance when there is peace of course, so it’s a clear metaphorical reference to what Augustus brought after many years of civil war.
If we look closely, we can notice that the carving is quite deep and it creates a more sense of depth and delightful contrast between the white marble and the shadows.
The pattern of the lower register is repeated also on the pilasters that frame the panels and, at the same time, are the way to connect the lower register with the upper one divided by a geometrical decoration.
Narrative Friezes and Allegorical Scenes on the Ara Pacis
It’s over here that we can admire the narrative friezes. And here we have to be careful since there are many different interpretations about the scenes and characters. The entryways are flanked by panels depicting allegorical or mythological scenes. One of the best preserved is for sure the so-called Tellus panel. Some art historians think the figure represents Venus, some the allegory of Peace, some Tellus or Mother Earth. What we can tell is that she seems to represent fertility and abundance thanks to the presence of the two chubby children and the presence of fruits on her lap. She is perfectly carved, look the realism of the hair, but also of the drapery lighter, almost transparent, on her torso and thicker on the legs. Around her there are animals and plants that help to suggest the idea of fertility, abundance and peace. And then there are 2 ladies who art historians think to be the wind of the earth and the sea.
If on the front and back there are mythological scenes, on the sides we see a procession. All the figures are facing towards the main staircase because they are walking in that direction. We don’t know exactly what this procession represents, it may be the day the altar got inaugurated.
Realism and Key Figures on the Ara Pacis
However, what is more important is that we are pretty sure that most of the figures are real. We shouldn’t be surprised since throughout the Republic stone portraits were really popular and characterized by a strong realism like we learned in the Head of a Roman Patrician post. I know he is not the most handsome, but I would suggest to watch the video if you missed it because it tells a lot about Romans. So even here the sculptors wanted to represent real people during a real event.
And that’s why we can identify Augustus, even if most of this section got lost. And also his best friend and one of the most influent persons in Rome (not by chance his name is on the Pantheon): Agrippa. Some are probably also members of Augustus’s family.
And then look at the sense of realism Romans wanted to represent. The scene depicts an official and important event, but there are also children who are doing what children mostly do: get bored and bother the parents. It’s a nice message. Well not that they bother adults, but this integration of men, women and children in the society.
Fun Facts and Restoration of the Ara Pacis
A couple of last fun facts. The altar was found a few hundred meters from where it is now and it was in many pieces. So it took years to fix it like we can admire it today. Moreover, and this is really hard to believe, the altar was not in white marble, but completely colored.
The Ara Pacis Augustae tells a lot about ancient Romans, Roman history and one of his most prestigious protagonists: Augustus who changed Rome from a city of bricks to a city of marble. Thanks for reading and see you soon.
