How Did Augustus Remodel The City Of Rome

Augustus was emperor of the Roman Empire from 27 BC to 14 AD. Nearing the end of his reign he declared in his autobiographical statements, the Res Gestae Divi Augusti, how he had ‘found Rome a city of brick and left it a city of marble’ . An astonishing feat that was literally accomplished through the widespread use of white (Luna) marble for building virtually all public monuments. Additionally along with commissioning new temples Augustus repaired and rebuilt numerous ones, erected statues city wide of his family, and imported an Egyptian obelisk to Rome. In collaboration with Marcus Agrippa and other noblemen establishments were constructed that were to ease life for Roman citizens such as aqueducts, harbours, theatres etc. All these structural

developments to the face of the city were arguably for a number of reasons; to highlight the new Augustan regime, ‘restore the republic’, express the success of said regime, and to an extent for practical and propagandist purposes. I want to explain how and why Augustus undertook the above mentioned exercises as means of remodelling the city of Rome.
Julius Caesar’s death in 44 BC marked the beginning of a power struggle between his heir Octavian and Marc Antony that ended with Octavian as victor in the Battle of Actium, 31 BC. Shortly afterwards Octavian becomes the sole ruler of the whole Roman world and his ascension into power is shown by his adoption of the title ‘Augustus’. Augustus’ desire was to convey to the Romans that his reign was the dawn of a new era, one that would not be plagued with political instability and civil wars. In order to achieve this he set about embellishing Rome with architecture that emphasised civic security and the wealth of the Empire under the belief that nothing would garner the people’s confidence in him more so. The introduction of white (Luna) marble from the Carrara quarries as building material was one of the ways Augustus remodelled the city of Rome. By way of him an increasing number of edifices were constructed with white marble. Examples include the Forum of Augustus completed in 2BC. Made of white marble and yellow Numidian marble shafted columns, it had elaborate designs of acanthus’ featured on its entablature and caryatids just above. The forum’s Temple was Mars Ultor; lavishly crafted also using marble and gold with iconography of the goddess Victory on its fastigium. According to Claridge (1998) citizens viewed the forum as a ‘charm which shielded against fears of an uncertain future’ . Its magnificence may have bolstered the Romans with faith in their leader especially now that military functions were transferred from the Temple of Jupiter Capitolinus to the Temple of Mars Ultor. Thus sending the message that not only was command of the army now in Augustus’ hands, but that the city was at its strongest and most prosperous.
Although it could be argued that Augustus did not remodel the city of Rome to show a new regime but did so rather out of a desire to fulfil Caesar’s plans.

Julius Caesar was assassinated in 44BC before most of his public works could be executed. Naturally as his heir, Augustus, ‘inherited his campaigns and uncompleted buildings; a factor that moulded the early stages of Augustan architecture’ . Augustus with help from Marcus Agrippa brought to life his predecessor’s projects. Projects such as a stationary voting enclosure (Saepta), the Theatre of Marcellus, the Senate House (Curia), a remodelled Forum Romanum; two basilicas in the forum, the Campus Martius and the Rostra. Additionally the Forum of Caesar started by its namesake was completed by Augustus in 29BC. Ward-Perkins (1982) contends that Augustus ‘understood the importance of his brilliant predecessor’s programme and that it was his sober genius that made him put it into practice’ , however I want to argue that it was rather a desire to establish continuity. Julius Caesar had been an ambitious leader under whom Rome had flourished. Augustus recognising that sought out to align himself with Caesar’s favourable legacy especially during the early precarious years that he (Augustus) was ruler. This could have been so he could win easier the public’s favour. Hence why he completed all of Caesar’s programmes and thereby remodelled the face of the

city.
The civil wars and human atrocities that bedevilled Rome had rendered the citizens, particularly the upper class incredibly pessimistic about the future and new command. They believed that the calamities were due to the ‘total moral bankruptcy’ of the municipal. Augustus’ role as sovereign was to restore the republic, res publica restituta. He would have to morally revive Rome as a means of ushering the city into a new age of peace and prosperity. Augustus believed that to cleanse Roman society a series of religious upgrading would have to be implemented. From 29BC Augustus began building and restoring temples citywide. The first to be built was the Temple of Apollo, a dedication to his victory at the Battles of Naulochus and Actium respectively. White marble from the Carrara quarries and real gold were used to erect this place of worship. The design featured an extravagantly decorated pediment and gargantuan marble columns in the Doric order. Every architectural aspect of the temple was ornately embellished, from the bases, friezes, cornices to the acroteria. The luxurious style of the temple of Apollo was mirrored in all the latter constructed temples and soon even they surpassed in opulence. There was a new type of capital being used for the columns, the Corinthian order. This order composed of an inverted bell set in the midst of an acanthus plant, out of which stalks rise to form volutes at the four corners. The highly elaborate quality of not only this capital but the overall sheer decadence of the marble and gold buildings suggested to the Romans that when it came to the gods and religion in general nothing was to be spared. ‘Until you have rebuilt the temples you will remain sullied with the guilt of your fathers, Roman’ (Horace Carmen 3.6). These ominous words of Horace all but confirm that the desolate conditions of the republic were caused by neglecting the gods. By way of not only rebuilding the temples but doing so richly it could be reasoned that Augustus not only baptised the Romans of their sins but helped forged an illustrious future for them.
Augustus’ colleague in power Marcus Agrippa was largely responsible for the expansion of the city. Agrippa was involved with major building programmes that to an extent eased the lives of his fellow country men. He constructed ‘the baths of Nero, Domitian’s stadium, and Hadrian’s Pantheon, together with the baths, canal and artificial lake’ . The listed structures were either used for entertainment such as Domitian’s stadium where gladiator fights were held or the artificial lake that increased Rome’s water supply. Admittedly they lacked in architectural elegance with Ward-Perkins (1988) even describing them as ‘conservative in character but they were all to some extent essential to bettering lives. Furthermore his contribution to the city shows that Augustus was not the sole sponsor in remodelling Rome. On the other hand considering the closeness of Augustus’ and Agrippa’s relationship it may be maintained that the remodelling of Rome was a collaborated effort

Augustus remodelled the city of Rome purely for propagandist purposes.

He erected monuments and public buildings all over the republic out of the need to convey ideals about himself and his family. These monuments and public buildings would be draped with works of art that portrayed the emperor in the most positive light possible. A particular example would be historical reliefs- sculpture carved or modelled against a background- Stewart (1971) defines them as ‘artistic posters’ that implicitly express imperial ideals. For example the Ara Pacis Augustae is a marble altar intricately bedecked with reliefs that are in accordance with Augustan values. One side of the altar depicts the emperor, his family, the senate and citizens in a sacrificial ritual and around another side are panels linked to war and peace, scenes from historical Roman myths and underneath an exuberant display of scenes of nature. The purpose of this edifice may be to put across a message of unification of the imperial family, the senate and the citizens. Augustus is presenting to his citizens the image of a unified Rome where no one held absolute power, understandable given the Romans distrust of kingships, but that it was a republic nation held together by the will of the

gods.
Notwithstanding whilst some scholars believe that certain structures around the city ‘promote an intensely favourable impression of the ruling power’ I am prepared to dispute that. Undoubtedly it is fact that emperors or anyone in power would want to promote themselves favourably however that was not fully the case with Augustus. Buildings that were erected in praise of him, be it covertly or overtly were done so by his subjects or the senate. Take the Ara Pacis Augustae as an example, it was commissioned by the senate and competed in 9BC. A marble altar depicting the ruler in a positive light that featured richly decorated reliefs and was gifted to Augustus after his three year stay away from Rome. Moreover sometimes such assemblies had no greater purpose than to be aesthetically pleasing. Clarke (2006) says that ‘the artists of the Ara Pacis had orders to embellish the precinct wall with an adroit combination of flora and fauna to give the commoners something to behold’. Especially when taken into consideration that the decorations complemented other edifices that also had the recurring pattern of nature. Therefore Augustus may not have remodelled the city to better promote his image but that the senate did so to show devotion to their leader and for purposes of aesthetic pleasure.
To conclude whilst a greater portion of the development of Rome was done by Augustus and for reasons such as securing his regime, the confidence of his people or for propagandist purposes it must be said that there are instances where colleagues of his (Marcus Agripa) did so to increase the quality of life as seen by his construction of aqueducts city wide and the senate did so too by means of showing devotion to their ruler.