Augustus and the Ara Pacis: Altar of Augustan Peace

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the Ara Pacis Augustae, the Altar of Augustan Peace, commissioned by the Roman Senate in 13 BCE to honor Augustus's return from Spain and Gaul. They walk through the altar's intricate reliefs, decoding the imperial family's procession, the mythological scenes of Aeneas and Romulus, and the lush fertility imagery that proclaimed a new golden age. Learn how the Ara Pacis served as a visual manifesto of Augustan ideology—linking peace to dynastic succession, Roman piety, and the prosperity of the empire. Discover the controversies: who is the veiled figure in the procession? Was the altar originally painted? How did it survive centuries of neglect and flooding? And why did Mussolini reconstruct it in the 20th century? This episode offers a close reading of a monument that still stands as a symbol of the Pax Romana. #AraPacis #Augustus #PaxRomana #RomanArt #AltarOfPeace #AugustanIdeology #RomanSculpture #Aeneas #Romulus #Tellus #Livia #Agrippa #JuliaTheElder #CampusMartius #Mussolini #AncientRome #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo