Explore Augustan architecture and to compare/contrast it with the image of Augustus and Augustan Rome presented in the Aeneid. In other words, the Assignment examines what we might well call “Augustan propaganda” in architecture and literature, and considers whether Augustus was successful in promoting a favourable public image of himself.
• Explore the architectural world of Augustan Rome, always keeping in mind the matter of Augustan propaganda. (a) Use the map function in http://digitalaugustanrome.org. Pay special attention to Areas VIII, X, and IV–especially the sites around the Temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus (Area VIII) and the House of Augustus (Domus Augusti, Area X), and the sites in the (Roman) Forum (Area IV). (b) Read about the Forum Julium, the Forum Augustum, and the Temple of Mars Ultor at http://penelope.uchicago.edu/~grout/encyclopaedia_romana/imperialfora/imperialfora.html.
• Review Virgil’s Aeneid 2, 6, and 8; these “books” (they are much like chapters) of the Aeneid were assigned to be read as a part of Unit 6. As you read, you should again be watching for episodes and speeches which bear on the public image of Augustus.
• Write an essay (400-500 words) addressing ONE of the following topics. Whichever topic you choose, your essay should answer the following question: How did Augustus promote himself as a powerful and benevolent ruler?
a. Compare/contrast the use of Roman history and myth in the Forum Augustum and in Virgil’s Aeneid (pay special attention to the procession of Romans in Book 6). In what ways do the Forum and the epic represent Rome’s past, and what do those representations imply about Augustus and his reign?
b. Read about Domus Augusti (Augustus’ House) — no. 204 on the Digital Augustan Rome map — and its surrounding buildings on the Palatine Hill in the map of Rome. Why might Augustus have chosen to live at this site? On this question, consult also the imaginary view of prehistoric Rome which Virgil includes in Book 8 of the Aeneid. In both cases, what might Romans infer from his House about Augustus himself?
c. Discuss the importance of family to Augustus’ message, as evidenced in his building program (including the Ara Pacis – no. 56 on the map [Pax Augusta, Ara]) and in the Aeneid (considere.g. Aeneas’ interactions with his family members in Aeneid 2). What messages about Augustus are being conveyed to the Roman public?