Prima Porta Augustus History Assignment Paper (Term Paper Sample)

Prima Porta Augustus
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Augustus of Prima Porta
Art is a tool of communication through which an individual may express his or her views. In Ancient Roman Empire, there was a very close relationship between arts propaganda and politics. Ancient Romans used art to communicate their political views. The leaders in ancient Roman Empire also used art, sculptures, and coins to spread propaganda. This could explain the reason why there are so many art portraits of ancient Roman leaders. By looking at these portraits, it is possible to decode some of the hidden messages they are trying to spread. This paper is going to explore how the Prima Porta statue of Augustus (20 B.C.E) was used as a tool for propaganda by portraying Augustus as a powerful and blameless leader.[Hardiman, Craig I. "Art, Roman." The Encyclopedia of Ancient History (2013).]
The Prima Porta statue of Augustus is six feet and sixteen inches tall, and it is made of white marble. Some people believe that this statue was a copy of an original one that was made of bronze. The Prima Porta statue of Augustus is believed to have been made as a tool for propaganda aimed at influencing people about the leadership qualities Emperor Augustus.[Mootz, Denis. "The Prima Porta statue of Augustus." Teaching History 44, no. 3 (2010): 8.]
The similarity between the stance of the Prima Porta Statue and Doryphoros make raise questions about to why would Augustus prefer using the Greek artistic design rather than using a unique Roman technique. However, this was deliberately used to express the idea of balance and harmony as perceived in the Greek culture. Augustus is having a body of a warrior. Unlike many Roman emperors, Augustus was much willing to look to Greece for inspiration. It is clear that his idea to seek inspiration from Greece was a success considering how this piece of art has powerful propagandistic features. The use of the Greek creativity in this sculpture also indicated that Emperor Augustus was associated with the Athens classical age. The combined effect of these features portrays Augustus as a supreme leader who was also supposed to be regarded as God. Although the Prima Porta statue of Augustus assumes the stance as that of Greek sculpture, Doryphoros, the statue's right hand is raised up. This was a Roman gesture indicating that the emperor was addressing his troops or subjects. This alone portrays August as a very strong Roman leader. The left hand of the statue is portrayed as if it was carrying an object which could probably be a scepter.[Friedland, Elise A., Melanie Grunow Sobocinski, and Elaine K. Gazda. The Oxford Handbook of Roman Sculpture. (2015). New York: Oxford University Press.]
The Prima Porta statue portrays Emperor Augustus standing as he addresses his troops. He is portrayed to have a youthful face without wrinkles. His body is idealized in this statue since he was in his mid-forties when it was made. The statue was also painted to add realism. He is wearing a breastplate that has a sophisticated design that shows a humbled Parthian king giving eagle standards to Mars. This was a reference to the international diplomatic victory of the Roman Empire. There are also two females, each seated on either side of the central group. It is believed that each of the two females was used as a personification of Gaul, Germania, Hispania and Parthia that have been defeated by the Romans. Above the scene in the middle of the breastplate, there are several gods including Aurora, Luna, Sol, and Cadus. Below is the goddess of the hunt, Diana, and the sun god Apollo both of who sit on the either side of the earth mother, Tellus. The presence of sun god implied that the sun was to shine to the Roman empire and all its citizens and Augustus would be responsible for this prosperity. There is a little Cupid (god of love) near the feet of Augustus. The ancient Roman's god of love was believed to be the son of Venus and was portrayed as a little-naked boy holding a bow and an arrow. The presence of Cupid was purposefully placed there to portray Emperor Augustus as the descendant of goddess Venus. Goddess Venus was believed to be the ancestress of the emperor’s family and ruled by divine authority.[Ibid, 2] [Ibid,2] [Goerke-Shrode, Sabine. "The Augustus Statue of Prima Porta." Calliope 8, no. 4 (December 1997): 15. MasterFILE Premier] [Ibid, 6]
The body of Augustus in the statue is a personification just like the corpora in the breast he is wearing. During the early 1st century, the body could be its self-serve as an image for figuring imperial power. This statue likened the perfection of Emperor Augustus to that of various bodies of the cosmos including gods. The literal meaning of this was that the emperor embodied his empire and the wider world. The presence of goddesses and the winged Cupid near the feet of Augustus in the Prima Porta statue indicates his claim to divinity. The divinity of Augustus was a popular political issue during the 1st century B.C.E. Augustus claimed to have a family relationship with the Venus just as Cupid was her son. Although the explanation of figures in the breastplate remains a point of argument among the scholars, it is clearly shown that Roman gods were on the side of the Emperor and that he was a military conqueror. By placing himself on the lineage of gods, it can be argued that Augustus also regarded himself as a god. The statue’s right leg is upright while the left leg is left behind as if it was moving forward. A propagandistic feature of the statue is the fact that even though Augustus is wearing military attire, he is barefoot which was deliberately done as a way of emphasizing the idea that Augustus was humble, yet he was not a humble person in reality.[Ibid, 2] [Squire, Michael. 2013. "Embodied Ambiguities on the Prima Porta Augustus." Art History 36, no. 2: 242-279. Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost (accessed November 8, 2016).]
The Prima Porta statue of Augustus portrays Augustus standing with a similar stance as Doryphoros. Augustus is portrayed as young and flawless despite the fact that he was middle aged during the time this statue was made. His facial appearance was idealized to make him appear as having a perfect body of the Greek athlete. Being the founder of the Roman Empire, Emperor Augustus could have ordered the artist to portray him as he wished. The propagandistic aspect of the portrayal of Augustus having a youthful face meant that he would always be powerful and perfect. During the Roman reign, political figures were highly praised, and such a statue would have been put in public spaces for all to see and experience the power of the emperor. The statue was also meant to portray Emperor Augustus as a good orator as well as a military conqueror and an army leader. This is indicated by the fact that he is standing before his troops addressing them. The messa...