2. Introduction
• It is an altar situated in Rome in honour to Pax, the
Roman goddess of Peace. The monument was
commissioned buy the Roman Senate on July 4, 13BC
to honour the return of Augustus to Rome after three
years in Spain.
"Hispania roads" by Redtony is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
3. Why was Ara Pacis built?
Ara Pacis,
the "Altar of Peace" was designed and built by the Se
nate
to celebrate their freedom after many years of contin
ues
wars between the Roman Empire, Spain and France
(Gaul). However, Ara Pacis was not only built to sym
bolise the end of war but also to enhance the image
of the Emperor Augustus to the general public.
"Ara Pacis (SW)" by Rabax63 is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
4. The structure of Ara Pacis
"Ara Pacis Augustae – North Frieze: Augustus' Family" by Egisto Sani is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.
• Ara Pacis is built inside a closed
structure made from Carrara marble.
The monument is decorated with a
variety of sculptures that present the
family of the Emperor in
procession but also allegories, talking
about the foundation of Rome.
• The structure consists of a long glass
lodge on a single raised floor on a
shallow podium that provides
a transparent barrier between the
Tiber embankment and the existing
circular perimeter of the
Augustus mausoleum.
"ARA PACIS" by mari27454 (Marialba Italia) is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
5. Main objective of Ara Pacis
Although the main objective
of this construction is
the protection of the old altar,
the building offers space
for temporary exhibitions and
installations dedicated
to archaeological subjects as
well as a digital library of
the avant-garde of the
Augustinian culture.
6. Significance of Ara Pacis
The altar reflects Augustus' vision of Roman
civil religion. The lower part of the relief
depicts agricultural work to communicate
the riches and prosperity of the Roman
peace. The entire monument has a
propaganda and dual citizenship function
for Augustus and his regime, alleviating
ideas of autocracy and dynastic succession
that might otherwise be unacceptable to
traditional Roman culture.
"The Ara Pacis (II)" by isawnyu is licensed under CC BY 2.0.