Head of Augustus

Augustus was Julius Caesar's great nephew, and the first Roman emperor. He was thrust into the role of power at the ripe age of nineteen, after the assassination of Caesar in 44BC, and soon became a popular figure among those under the dominion of the Roman Empire. Augustus created a legacy for himself as a controversial leader, but many figureheads subsequent to him have tried to mimic the success, because "...he established a long lasting peace during his forty years of steady rule, initiating a golden period of stability and prosperity." (A History of the World in 100 Objects, 2010)

The most important asset for Augustus was his image and how to manage it. Therefore, many statues were erected around the empire in order to showcase who was in charge, and continue to keep the concept of emperor as effective and honourable as possible. Therefore, "He built new roads and developed a highly efficient courier system, so that the empire could be effectively ruled from the centre, and so that he could be visible to his subjects everywhere." (A History of the World in 100 Objects, 2010). This also kept order, as it became easier to travel and communicate between cities.

This bronze head was made at the peak of Augustus' time as emperor, and has a dark past. Even the dramatic and piercing eyes of the leader, showcased in this figure, could not avoid conflict. "This head was once part of a complete statue that stood on Rome's most southerly frontier, on the border between modern Egypt and Sudan, probably in the town of Syene near Aswan. It's a region that has always been a geo-political fault line, where the Mediterranean world clashes with Africa. In 25 BC... an invading army from the Sudanese kingdom of Meroe, led by the fierce one-eyed queen Candace, captured a series of Roman forts and towns in southern Egypt. Candace and her army took our statue back to the city of Meroe and buried the severed head of the glorious Augustus beneath the steps of a temple dedicated to victory. It was a superbly calculated insult. From now on, everybody walking up the steps and into the temple would literally be crushing the Roman Emperor under their feet. And if you look closely again at the head, you can see tiny grains of sand from the African desert still embedded in the surface of the bronze - a badge of shame still visible on the glory of Rome." (A History of the World in 100 Objects, 2010).

Aside from the fissure on the neck, this statue is in excellent condition, and gives us an idea of how critical it was to portray yourself in a distinguished manner during this time. Portraits and sculptures were all they had to impress back then, and I find that the artisanship in this piece certainly has an impact on the viewers, even if it's "...looking past you, beyond you, to something much more important: his future." (The History of the World in 100 Objects, 2010).

The History of the World in 100 Objects

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