07_09_09_Ara Pacis

The Ara Pacis Augustae

The Ara Pacis Augustae, meaning altar of peace, was built over a period of four years starting in 13bc in the ancient Roman Empire. The monument was commissioned by the roman senate for Emperor Augustus. It was commissioned by a vote for construction in 13 be. Built for the purpose of honoring Emperor Augustus after his long on-going reign, during which there was many years of fighting leading to the fall of the Roman Republic and eventually brought peace. The people called this time the Pax Augusta. Although the original builder is unknown due to its level of craftsmanship archaeologists believe the Greeks may have been the creators. Much of the original building was lost or destroyed over time; however, reinforcement white marble pieces have been added. During the Roman Empire I assume the Ara Pacis (for short) was placed outside. We now know its current location is only a short distance from its original location along Tiber River. The monument measures out to be a 35 x 39 foot rectangle. The monument itself is not very tall, and is small in comparison to other monuments of it time resembling the humbleness of Augustus. There are eight steps up to the opening of the altar, leading to what to me looks like an over-sized yet simple throne. Both the inside and out are lined with pictures that tell stories of religion, history, fidelity, and prosperity. On the outside various images of these stories are paneled along the top half of the Ara Pacis on all four sides, while the bottom half is like an ongoing wallpaper of branches, leaves, lush plants, and animal life. The bottom portion specifically is for fertility. There is an opening in the Ara Pacis both on the front and back. The reconstructed Ara Pacis is now protected from sun, pollution, and other damages in an indoor enclosure like a museum. It is still located along the Tiber River only a short ways from where it originally sat. I think it is very neat that the Roman senate voted for an honorary monument to be built. However, if I didn’t know that story behind what, and how each of the pictures on the sides had a meaning or were of specific people I don’t think it would have been that interesting. The monument itself is not large or complicated; its structure does not do anything unique. Yet, there are more stories with in the small confines of its space than it appears in some larger structures. I think the fact Augustus what so flattered and excited about his monument that he wrote very detailed descriptions that archaeologists were able to use to figure out how to reconstruct the Ara Pacis when they found it in shambles and also fill in the missing pictures is extraordinary.
Shannon Carter Norris, Survey of Art and Architecture in Italy, St. John’s University