What was "peace" to an ancient Roman?

Wednesday, 7/21/10

Susan and I at the Castel Sant'Angelo with St. Peter's in the background

  Still no internet. Henry Bender spent another morning with us. After a detailed lecture, he took us to the Ara Pacis, Augustus' famous Altar of Peace, which is across from his Mausoleum. This is not its original location, since it was originally part of Augustus' horologium or giant sundial. The archaeological recovery of the altar and its placement came about under Mussolini.

 

Tellus Relief from the Ara Pacis

 According to the brochure from the Museo dell'Ara Pacis:

The Ara Pacis is one of the finest examples of classical art. The Roman Senate voted for its construction in 13 B.C. in honour (sic) of Augustus' return from the provinces of Spain and Gaul, where, in the course of three years, the emperor had consolidated both his own personal power and that of Rome, created new roads and founded colonies. The Altar was built on the Via Flaminia, at the northern limit of the Campus Martius (Field of War)...

 One thing that has been reinforced on this trip is that the Romans did not think of “peace” the way most of us do. To a Roman, true peace came as a result of conquest. Augustus' breastplate on the “Primaporta Augustus” even reinforces this concept and the idea is reflected in the iconography of the altar. I hope to get to see the famous marble original of the Primaporta when I get to the Vatican Museum on Friday.

Castel Sant'Angelo

 We saw and had a lecture about Augustus' Mausoleum, but it is undergoing renovations and was unavailable to visit. We did see Hadrian's Mausoleum, now called Castel Sant'Angelo, which was inspired by Augustus' Mausoleum in its cylindrical shape. I learned that not just the emperors and their immediate families were buried in these tombs but a long line of their successors. Hadrian's Tomb looks quite different today due not only to the loss of external marble decorations but also to construction added during later times. The museum had a nice exhibit of ancient artifacts and Renaissance frescoes and paintings. The view from the top, especially in the direction of St. Peter's, was wonderful. For more pictures, visit this set on Flickr. Susan and I are starting to learn the public transportation system a little better and took the #46 bus from near Hadrian's Tomb almost all the way back to the Casa la Salle where we are staying. It was an adventure yet much more restful than walking.

View of the Tiber from the Castel Sant'Angelo

 Tonight Sophia gave the group a nice lecture on ancient Roman libraries, which were often either privately owned or part of temples or bath complexes if public.

I would like to thank the National Endowment for the Humanities for making this portion of our adventures possible.