How did the Ara Pacis and Augustus' building programme project his image of peace, piety and dynasty?
The Imperial Image: the Ara Pacis Augustae and its sculptural programme, the Forum of Augustus and the Temple of Mars Ultor, and how monumental architecture and reliefs conveyed peace, piety, dynastic continuity and a link to Rome's heroic past.
An OCR A-Level Classical Civilisation (H408/22) study of the Ara Pacis and Augustus' building programme. Covers the reliefs of the Altar of Peace (the imperial procession, Tellus/Pax, Roma, Aeneas), the Forum of Augustus and the Temple of Mars Ultor, and how architecture projected peace, piety and dynasty, with the source and essay skills the paper rewards.
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What this dot point is asking
Augustus rebuilt Rome as a stage for his image. For this option you must know the key monuments, above all the Ara Pacis Augustae and its sculptural programme, and the Forum of Augustus with the Temple of Mars Ultor, and how monumental architecture and reliefs conveyed peace, piety, dynastic continuity and a link to Rome's heroic past. The paper tests precise knowledge (AO1), analysis and evaluation of the monuments as sources (AO2 and AO3) and your own argument.
The answer
The Ara Pacis: the procession of the imperial family
The Ara Pacis: allegory and myth
The end panels of the altar reinforce the message through allegory and myth:
- A serene female figure, surrounded by children, animals and produce, signals fertility and prosperity; she is variously identified as Tellus (Mother Earth) or Pax (Peace), embodying the abundance of the Augustan peace.
- A panel of Aeneas performing a sacrifice links Augustus to the pious founder of the Roman line.
- A panel of Roma (and other figures) connects the altar to Rome's martial and divine identity.
Together these scenes frame Augustus' peace as divinely sanctioned, fertile and rooted in Rome's origins.
The Forum of Augustus and the Temple of Mars Ultor
Serving Rome and glorifying Augustus
Augustus famously boasted that he found Rome a city of brick and left it one of marble. His programme worked on two levels at once:
- It served Rome, providing temples, public space and a religious renewal the regime presented as a return to traditional piety.
- It glorified Augustus, making his name and image inseparable from the renewal of the city.
The two purposes were fused: Augustus served Rome in ways that simultaneously advertised his own greatness.
Examples in context
A strong essay on the buildings would argue that monuments such as the Ara Pacis and the Forum of Augustus served Rome while glorifying Augustus, fusing the two purposes.
Try this
Q1. Look at the image of the Tellus (or Pax) panel of the Ara Pacis. How does this panel convey the idea of a golden age? Refer to the image. [10 marks]
- What the marker wants. AO1 plus AO3: describe the features (the serene figure, the children, the animals and produce) and explain how they signal fertility, prosperity and the abundance of the Augustan peace.
Q2. 'The Forum of Augustus was more about legitimacy than about religion.' To what extent do you agree? [marked out of 20; real H408/22 tariff is 30]
- Cue. Argue both sides: the forum and Temple of Mars Ultor legitimised Augustus through vengeance, ancestry and Rome's heroes, but they were also genuine religious monuments. Reach a judgement supported by named features.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of OCR exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
OCR H408/22 2019 (stimulus style)10 marksLook at the image of the procession relief on the Ara Pacis. How does this relief convey Augustan values? Refer to the image. [10]Show worked answer →
A 10-mark stimulus question (AO1 5, AO3 5). The marker rewards close engagement with the prescribed source.
AO1 (knowledge). Identify the relief: the south and north friezes of the Ara Pacis show a religious procession of the imperial family, priests and magistrates.
AO3 (analysis). Pick out features: the presence of the whole imperial family, including children (signalling dynasty and fertility), the priestly and sacrificial context (piety), the orderly, dignified Classical style, and the inclusion of identifiable family members. Explain how each projects peace, piety and dynastic continuity.
Conclude on how the relief turns the imperial family into a model of Roman religion and renewal.
OCR H408/22 2021 (essay, true tariff 30)20 marks'Augustus' buildings were designed to glorify himself rather than to serve Rome.' To what extent do you agree? [marked here out of 20; the real H408/22 essay tariff is 30]Show worked answer →
The extended-essay type (30 marks live, capped at 20 here). Tests AO1, AO2 and AO3.
For (self-glorification). The Ara Pacis celebrates the Augustan peace and dynasty, and the Forum of Augustus with the Temple of Mars Ultor placed Augustus among Rome's heroes and avenged Caesar, projecting his own glory.
Against (service to Rome). The same buildings provided temples, public space and religious renewal, and Augustus claimed to have found Rome brick and left it marble, serving the city and its gods.
Judgement. The top band argues a clear line, for instance that the two purposes were fused: Augustus served Rome in ways that simultaneously glorified himself, so his building programme made his image inseparable from the renewal of the city. Support with named monuments.
Related dot points
- The Imperial Image: the transformation of the young Octavian into Augustus, the settlement of 27 BC, the public image of the restored Republic and the modest princeps, and the contrast between that image and the reality of his accumulated power.
An OCR A-Level Classical Civilisation (H408/22) study of the transformation of Octavian into Augustus. Covers the violent rise of Octavian, the settlement of 27 BC, the public image of the restored Republic and the modest princeps, and the gap between that image and the reality of his power, with the source and essay skills the paper rewards.
- The Imperial Image: the sculptural portrayal of Augustus, including the Prima Porta statue and the Via Labicana (Pontifex Maximus) statue, the idealised and youthful portrait type, and how statuary projected military victory, piety and a link to the gods.
An OCR A-Level Classical Civilisation (H408/22) study of the statues and portraits of Augustus. Covers the Prima Porta statue, the Via Labicana statue of Augustus as Pontifex Maximus, the idealised youthful portrait type, and how sculpture projected military success, piety and divine connection, with the source and essay skills the paper rewards.
- The Imperial Image: the use of coinage to disseminate Augustus' image and titles, the messages carried by coin types (military success, peace, divine connection and dynasty), and the strengths and limits of coins as evidence.
An OCR A-Level Classical Civilisation (H408/22) study of Augustan coinage. Covers how coins carried Augustus' portrait, titles and messages (military victory, peace, divine connection and dynasty) across the empire, and the strengths and limits of coins as evidence, with the source and essay skills the paper rewards.
- The Imperial Image: the role of the Augustan poets (Virgil, Horace, Propertius and Ovid) in shaping Augustus' image, the literary celebration of peace, piety and the golden age, and the question of how far the poets were propagandists or independent voices.
An OCR A-Level Classical Civilisation (H408/22) study of the Augustan poets and the image of Augustus. Covers the literary celebration of peace, piety and a golden age in Virgil and Horace, the more ambivalent voices of Propertius and Ovid, and the debate over whether the poets were propagandists or independent, with the source and essay skills the paper rewards.
- Virgil's Aeneid: the descent to the underworld in Book 6, the meeting with Anchises, the parade of future Roman heroes, the prophecy of Rome's mission, and how the episode promotes Augustan ideology.
An OCR A-Level Classical Civilisation (H408/11) study of Aeneid Book 6 and Augustan ideology. Covers the descent with the Sibyl, the meeting with Dido and Anchises, the parade of Roman heroes culminating in Augustus, the prophecy of Rome's mission to rule, and the gates of sleep, with the source and essay skills the paper rewards.
Sources & how we know this
- OCR A Level Classical Civilisation (H408) specification — OCR (2017)