Augustus In The Aeneid

During its height, the Roman Empire spanned across the entire Mediterranean, encompassed many peoples and cultures, and contained roughly twenty percent of the world’s population (Bairoch). It follows from this fact that the portrayals of Rome from the perspective of early writers were certainly very diverse. Indeed, early writers had much to say about Rome’s history and then-present condition. These portrayals include Rome as a glorious city, Rome as a morally depraved city, contrasts between urban and rural life, and Rome as an oppressive force on the world Many writers in Ancient Rome held a positive view of their city. Virgil portrays Rome positively extensively in the Aeneid. In fact, Virgil was considered to be the “court poet” of Rome in the Augustan era, as his portrayal of Rome fit in well with Augustan values. Two primary literary techniques in the Aeneid present Rome as a glorious city. The first is Rome’s association with an epic hero, Aeneas. Aeneas is not much more than a normal man. However, he undergoes a great journey in his quest to get to Italy and establish Rome. Virgil tells of the hardships of Aeneas, stating, “and a great pounding he took by land and sea at the hands of the heavenly gods because of the fierce and unforgetting anger of Juno” (Virgil, 1.3-5). By associating Rome’s origins with such an epic journey, Virgil presents a glorious historiography of Rome. Secondly, Aeneas’ founding of Rome is fated by the gods. Jupiter and Venus both work to help Aeneas in his journey, and it his ultimate destiny, even driving him away from Dido, who is seen as a distraction to his fate. This gives the impression that Rome is preferred by the gods over other cities, seeing as it was the god’s intentions for it to be founded. The Aeneid alludes to Rome’s future after Aeneas on multiple occasions, including in book eight when Virgil writes, “There the God of Fire, with his knowledge of the prophets and of time that was to be, had laid out the story of Italy and the triumphs of the Romans, and there in order were all the generations that would spring from Ascanius and all the wars they would fight” (Virgil, 8.625-629). …show more content…
This works to further connect the story of Aeneas to Rome in the days of Augustus. In fact, the shield of Aeneas even contains some Augustan imagery, amplifying the connection between Augustus and Aeneas. As Aeneas is viewed as an epic hero in this regard as well as a founding father of Rome, Rome itself can be thought of as having been descended from greatness. Roman monuments also present Rome as glorious. The emperor Augustus is quoted as saying, “I found Rome of clay; I leave it to you of marble” (Zoch). The beautification of Rome during the reign of Augustus was significant indeed, as the Altar of Augustan Peace and Forum of Augustus, among many other significant monuments, were constructed (Lugli). The monuments worked to enhance the aesthetic quality of the city as well as serve as pieces of propaganda. The Altar of Augustan Peace glorifies Rome, including images of Aeneas and Romulus, two of Rome’s founding figures. In addition, it includes images of a mother with babies and animals around her, symbolizing fertility and prosperity. In this way, the Altar itself portrays Rome positively (Saltzman). Aside from glorifying Rome itself, the monuments glorify Augustus as well, as he is often their namesake. In addition, the Temple of Mars the Avenger references Augustus’ military victories during the Civil War. The Arch of Titus, built later around 81 CE, references the triumphs of the Roman general Titus over Israel and details the spoils taken from Jerusalem. The Arch of Titus telling of the military triumphs of the Roman army gives a very positive view of Rome’s military during that time period. Overall, Rome’s monuments represent the strength of Rome and glorify its past and then-present figures. Thus, Rome is presented as great and glorious by the epic of Virgil and the monuments constructed in the Augustan era and later. The portrayal of Rome is not always positive, however. Rome is sometimes portrayed as a morally depraved and wayward city. The Book of Revelation alludes to Rome being like a harlot, specifically criticizing the worship of emperors as divine beings, stating,