Augustus of Prima Porta & Doryphoros: Roman Power & Greek Ideal
Augustus of Prima Porta
Factsheet: Augustus of Prima Porta. Work author unknown, from 19 BC, although the copy dates from the 14th century AD. Roman art, High Imperial period (Julio-Claudian dynasty). Currently in the Vatican Museums.
Analysis: This marble sculpture is a copy made after the death of Augustus, from an original bronze portrait. It was found in Livia’s villa at Prima Porta, outside Rome. Augustus is depicted in a tunic, wearing a muscled cuirass and paludamentum (military cloak) around his hip. He holds a consular stick in his left hand and raises his right arm in a gesture of address. The sculpture is inspired by Polyclitus’s Doryphoros, evident in the proportions and the contrapposto pose (weight on the right leg, left leg relaxed).
Significance: The cuirass relief depicts political propaganda: Tiberius (Livia’s son and Augustus’s successor) receiving Roman eagles from provinces. Allegories of Hispania and Gaul flank the scene. Below, Mother Earth with Romulus, Remus, and the Horn of Plenty are escorted by Apollo and Diana. At Augustus’s feet, Cupid rides a dolphin (an allusion to Venus). The sculpture served as imperial propaganda, emphasizing Augustus’s divine lineage (Julio-Claudian family’s connection to Venus through Aeneas) and his deification (indicated by his bare feet, a feature added after his death). The front is intricately carved, while the back is unfinished, meant to be placed against a wall.
Meaning: This work initiates imperial portraiture, disseminating the emperor’s image and legitimizing imperial power.
Technical Specifications: Doryphoros
Title: Doryphoros; Author: Polyclitus.
Style and Period: Classical Greek art (5th-4th centuries BC), characterized by socio-political tensions and a move towards naturalism. This copy is from the Hellenistic period.
Chronology: Original work: mid-5th century BC (440-430 BC).
Analysis: A marble copy of a bronze original, depicting a young, nude man moving forward, left arm flexed (originally holding a spear). Interpretations vary: athlete (javelin thrower) or mythological hero (Achilles). The subject is a vehicle for showcasing Polyclitus’s “Canon” of ideal male beauty.
Commentary: The Doryphoros embodies the perfect male form: austere elegance, quiet confidence. It innovates in depicting a standing figure at rest: one leg bears weight, the other is relaxed (contrapposto). This imbalance is subtly countered by tilted pelvis and shoulders. While retaining archaic elements (rough carving, flat pectorals), it introduces weight shift. The pose conveys a momentary pause, blending stability with movement. The left shoulder is strained, the right relaxed. The torso expands on one side, contracts on the other, creating dynamic balance. This contrapposto technique became influential throughout art history.
The head’s slight tilt breaks from the single viewpoint of archaic sculpture. Each side of the statue is harmonious yet distinct. The right side suggests rest, the left is angular. Proportions seem to follow a canon: the head is one-seventh of the body, the face divided into three equal parts. Polyclitus equates beauty with proportion.