The Augustus of Prima Porta: Ancient Rome’s Best PR

Did you ever wonder why this Roman emperor has a baby riding a dolphin next to his leg? My friends, welcome to the Augustus of Primaporta: ancient Rome's premier exercise in marble-based PR. In this episode of Art History Fun with Dr. Bryan, we look at ancient Roman propaganda, which is basically what happens when you give a politician an unlimited marketing budget and a chisel. We set the scene with Julius Caesar's assassination and the civil wars, then meet Octavian, Caesar's great-nephew and adopted son, who rebranded himself as Augustus and launched the Pax Romana, about two centuries of relative peace. Then we read the statue: a pose borrowed from the Doryphoros of Polykleitos, the classical weight shift called contrapposto, and a breastplate so packed with symbolism it practically comes with a bibliography, starring the Parthian return of Rome's lost military standards around 20 BCE. Finally, the best part: Cupid on a dolphin, a not-so-subtle reminder that Augustus's family claimed descent from the goddess Venus, the same story Virgil tells in the Aeneid. Plus: how the statue was rediscovered in 1863 at the villa of Livia, Augustus's wife, and what it looked like in its original color. CHAPTERS 0:00 Why is there a baby on a dolphin? 0:49 Ancient Roman propaganda 1:19 From Julius Caesar to Augustus 2:44 Borrowing the Doryphoros: contrapposto 3:30 The breastplate: a wearable TED Talk 4:23 Cupid, the dolphin, and Venus 5:57 Virgil's Aeneid 6:20 The emperor is always watching 7:18 Found at the villa of Livia 8:02 The Augustus of Prima Porta in color WATCH NEXT Why does one of Rome's greatest buildings have a giant hole in the roof? → [   • Why Does the Pantheon Have a Hole in the R...  ] MORE ART HISTORY MYSTERIES Every masterpiece has a great question. Here are the answers → [   • Art History Mysteries  ] New art history videos every weekday. Subscribe so you don't miss the next masterpiece, and let's enjoy some art together. FIND US ON FACEBOOK Art History Fun with Dr. Bryan → [https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?...] I'm Dr. Bryan Zygmont, professor of art history at Mount St. Mary's University. Thanks for sticking around for some quality time with the Augustus of Prima Porta! #Augustus #AncientRome #ArtHistory