This statue of Augustus, the first of the Roman emperors (r. 27 B.C.E.–14 C.E.), was probably created shortly after his death, though based on a somewhat earlier bronze original. It symbolized a new era of peace and abundance in Roman history, following a century of turmoil and civil war. Here Augustus is “imperator” or military commander, wearing a breastplate and with his right arm extended as if addressing his troops. The statue was clearly intended to commemorate the victory of Augustus over the Parthian Empire, centered in Persia, in 20 B.C.E., a triumph that reversed several earlier Roman defeats. The central relief on the breastplate shows the Parthian ruler (on the right) returning to a Roman military figure the battle standard that the Parthians had seized thirty-three years before. “I compelled the Parthians to return the spoils and standards of three Roman armies,” Augustus declared, “and humbly to beg the friendship of the Roman people.”1

The other figures from Roman mythology on the breastplate represent the ordered, peaceful, stable, and bountiful world that the defeat of the Parthians promised. Cupid or Eros, riding a dolphin next to Augustus’s right leg in the statue, evokes his mother, Venus, often said to be an ancestor of Augustus. Notice that the military figure of Augustus is strangely barefoot, a portrayal usually associated with gods and heroes.

Questions to consider as you examine the source:

Source 3.3A

Augustus Statue

Source 3.3B

Augustus Statue: The Breastplate

Notes