Portrait of Augustus as general
Marble copy of bronze original
c. 20 BC
6' 8" tall
Augustus, adopted son and heir to Julius
Caesar, was a master of propaganda. This statue is but one of many that were erected
throughout the Empire during his reign. Augustus recognized that the vast majority of his
subjects would never see him in life but could view him in the carefully controlled
context of officially sanctioned, produced, and distributed statuary. This statue thus
shows the official Augustus with an entire catalogue of the symbolism that confirms his
divine authority and talents. This symbolism is clearly evident when we look at the statue
from head to toe to see what each component says abut the emperor.
