How did statues and portraits of Augustus convey his power, piety and divine connection?
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.
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What this dot point is asking
Statues were one of Augustus' most powerful tools of image-making. For this option you must know the key sculptural sources, above all the Prima Porta statue and the Via Labicana statue of Augustus as Pontifex Maximus, the idealised youthful portrait type, and how statuary projected military victory, piety and a link to the gods. The paper tests precise knowledge (AO1), analysis and evaluation of the images as sources (AO2 and AO3) and your own argument.
The answer
The Prima Porta statue: the victorious general
The Via Labicana statue: the pious priest
A very different image is the Via Labicana statue, which shows Augustus as Pontifex Maximus, the chief priest of Rome (an office he assumed in 12 BC):
- His head is veiled (capite velato) and he wears the toga, caught in the act of sacrifice.
- The image projects piety and the restoration of traditional religion, not military power.
- It complements the Prima Porta: together they show Augustus as both victorious general and devout restorer, two pillars of his image.
The idealised, ageless portrait type
Statuary as a tool of image-making
Sculpture was ideal for mass communication:
- Standardised portrait types could be copied and set up in fora, temples and provinces across the empire, so a consistent image reached vast audiences.
- Statues let Augustus assign himself roles (general, priest, heroic figure), each carrying a message.
- Because the images were carefully chosen and idealised, they are best read as propaganda, evidence of how Augustus wished to be seen rather than of his real appearance.
Examples in context
A strong essay on the statues would contrast the Prima Porta (general) with the Via Labicana (priest) to show the range of the image and argue that both are propaganda.
Try this
Q1. Look at the image of the Via Labicana statue of Augustus. How does this statue present Augustus as a religious figure? Refer to the image. [10 marks]
- What the marker wants. AO1 plus AO3: describe the features (the veiled head, the toga, the act of sacrifice) and explain how they present Augustus as Pontifex Maximus and restorer of traditional religion.
Q2. 'The most important message of Augustan statues is his connection to the gods.' To what extent do you agree? [marked out of 20; real H408/22 tariff is 30]
- Cue. Argue both sides: the divine links (the Cupid and Venus, the bare feet, the godlike idealisation) are prominent, but military victory and piety are also central messages. Reach a judgement supported by named statues.
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 2020 (stimulus style)10 marksLook at the image of the Prima Porta statue of Augustus. How does this statue convey Augustus' power? 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 image.
AO1 (knowledge). Identify the statue: the Augustus of Prima Porta, an idealised, youthful Augustus in a military cuirass, his hand raised as if addressing troops.
AO3 (analysis). Pick out features: the breastplate showing the return of the Parthian standards (a diplomatic victory presented as military), the bare feet (a heroic, quasi-divine convention), the small Cupid at his leg linking him to Venus and the divine line of the Julii, and the calm, idealised face. Explain how each conveys power, victory and divine favour.
Conclude on how the statue fuses military authority with divine connection.
OCR H408/22 2022 (essay, true tariff 30)20 marks'The statues of Augustus tell us more about propaganda than about the man.' 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 (propaganda). The portraits are idealised and unchanging: Augustus is shown perpetually youthful even into old age, drawing on Classical Greek models to project timeless authority, so they reveal a constructed message rather than a real appearance.
Against (some reality). The portrait type still records a recognisable individual and his self-chosen roles (general, priest), so they tell us how he wished to be seen, which is itself historical evidence.
Judgement. The top band argues a clear line, for instance that the statues are primarily propaganda, but that what they choose to project (youth, victory, piety, divine descent) is exactly what makes them valuable evidence for the image Augustus built. Support with named statues.
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 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.
- 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.
- Greek Theatre: the physical theatre space (theatron, orchestra, skene, parodoi), the conventions of masks, costumes and three actors, the stage machinery (mechane and ekkyklema), and the visual evidence for performance such as the Pronomos Vase.
An OCR A-Level Classical Civilisation (H408/21) study of the Greek theatre and its staging. Covers the theatron, orchestra, skene and parodoi, the conventions of masks, costumes and three actors, the mechane and ekkyklema, and the visual evidence (the Pronomos Vase, the Theatre of Dionysus), with the source and essay skills the paper rewards.
Sources & how we know this
- OCR A Level Classical Civilisation (H408) specification — OCR (2017)