Ara Pacis: Symbolism and History of the Roman Altar of Peace
Ara Pacis: Symbolism and History
General Documentation
Year: 13 BCE
Name: Altar of Peace (Ara Pacis)
Material: Marble
Technique: Cut, Embossed
Location: Rome
Formal Analysis
Brief Description of Work: The Ara Pacis is a square building on a raised podium, with two doors, one on the east and one on the west side. The enclosure was approximately square. The small temple, now enclosed in a portico with columns, was an area dedicated to the *Numen* of peace. Numen is the representation of a deity or divinity. The enclosure had a simple altar inside. The interior was decorated with reliefs of wreaths. The exterior had two areas of relief: a lower area with *acanthus* leaves and an upper area with human figures. The top and bottom are separated by a *meander* pattern.
Composition: The composition follows a linear pattern. The characters are structured around vertical axes that are parallel lines between them. Figures are proportionate and have a strongly Hellenic character, but here attention focuses on faces. These portraits are typically Roman. The costumes do not hide the body shape, nor is there any way to the Greek character *nu*. The characters of the imperial family are depicted; they are not abstract figures, there is no intention of an archetype of beauty. However, these are represented with elegance and innate dignity, following the classical ideal of balance and serenity. There is a certain perspective when shaping the group, with some characters in the foreground and others in the background, and they are not complete figures. The figures are represented in various positions: front, profile, foreshortened, and there are some contrasts of light.
Rhythm: The characters represent a balance between movement and rest, following the “classical” model like the Panathenaic procession. Movement is suggested but without action.
Time and Expression: To appear more natural, characters of the imperial family are depicted in a natural attitude in procession, holding up the toga, or looking at each other. There is a sense of eternity. These represent the power of the imperial family and all that it means. The figures take the expression of nobility and serenity of classical statues; it is a way to assert their power. It, therefore, has a narrative nature, but there is a will to transcend the ceremony.
Style: Classical Roman, with a strong Hellenistic influence. It is an exquisite work of high artistic quality. The upper frieze of the Ara Pacis is the most important monument of Roman sculpture. Like the procession of the Parthenon Panathenaic Frieze, but there are significant differences both in significance and form. Here, specific characters are represented, although very idealized. These characters are not an abstraction, but they represent real people. They are the portraits of Augustus and his family. The procession represented refers to a specific ceremony, the 30th of January of the year 9 BCE. Therefore, it has a different spirit than the procession of Panathenaic Frieze; here, it is telling a true story, although made following a strong idealization of the characters.
Interpretation
Content and Significance: In the walls are depicted the procession of characters who participated in the ceremony of peace and the procession of deities. These deities or *Numen*: Earth, Sky, and Sea, represent the new deities of the three philosophical elements that replace the Olympian gods. Fertile Earth in fruits and livestock, air, and sea are part of the serene peace of Augustus. The glorification of the Earth is represented by a female figure between Air and Water. The air is represented as a swan with the *Aura*, and Water, *Nereida* as a newt.
The group of *Numen* was on one side of the door. On the other, there is a symbolic figure representing the people or the Roman *Senatus* (even an old fort, crowned with laurel and with the cloak over your head like a priest), who sacrificed three victims in rituals. In the relief of sacrifice are Romulus and Remus who contemplate a scene from above.
The most original are the side and rear facades, which host the civic procession led by Augustus and accompanied by his family (Livia, Julia, Agrippa, Tiberius, and Germanicus with *Antonia*). Augustus was accompanied by judges and the last characters of his family: Empress Livia with her son Tiberius and Agrippa, Drusus the younger, Antonia with Germanicus as a small child, that is, the second-generation leaders of the empire, and finally the procession of senators and patricians who appear heavily dressed in their togas.
Function: This altar has a memorial function. It was erected to commemorate the victories of Augustus in Hispania and Gaul. He erected an altar to the Goddess of Peace in the field of Mars, where each year officers, priests, and vestals had to celebrate a sacrifice. It also aimed to perpetuate the prestige of the emperor, who is represented with total elegance and dignity.
Historical Context
- 8th Century BCE: Rome was founded by the Etruscans.
- 6th Century BCE: Independence of Rome (509 BCE) Republic.
- 6th-5th Century BCE: Roman rule over mainland Italy.
- 3rd Century BCE: Domain over lands of the Western Mediterranean (Punic Wars).
- 2nd-1st Century BCE: Domain of the eastern Mediterranean. Fight with the Hellenistic kingdoms. In 148 BCE, Rome annexed Greece.
- 1st Century CE: Creation of the Empire of Rome by Augustus. New political system.
Conclusions
The Ara Pacis is a summary of the history of Rome and serves to glorify the memory of the emperor. It is a clear antecedent of triumphal arches, so characteristic of Rome, that perpetuates the “eternal Rome” and its superiority. These monuments had a clear character of political propaganda and reinforced the idea of imperial power and the family that was at its head.
In this monument, there is this specifically Roman character. Despite the influence of Greek art, the spirit of the work is different: realism and representation of political power to strengthen the imperial power.