The History According to Augustus – Propagandistic Literature and Art
Augustus, the first Roman Emperor made every effort possible to won the trust of the Roman people; he provided them with dreams, prophecies and divinations, mythical genealogy and with divine patronage; thus was his biography restored, and the public convinced of his divine origin, successes and indisputable right to rule. The visual language and literary patterns Augustus offered were abound with symbolism, allegories, metaphors and analogies. He honored his wife Livia and his adopted sons with titles, ceremonies and statues. The public (Ara Pacis Augustae and the temples of Mars Ultor and the Actian Apollo) and private (Augustus and Livia residence on the Palatine) monuments he erected were richly decorated with scenes and symbols associated with myths written especially for him (Vergilius), and with historical evidence written by him (the autobiography and the Res Gestae Augustae). Augustus and his family were honored all over the empire. The decrees ordering to perform ceremonies and to erect statues and monuments in their honor are silent evidence to the impact of Augustus long lasting rule. With all the above and more we will deal along the semester.