Head of Augustus
From Meroë, Sudan, Roman, about 27-25 BC
This head once formed part of a statue of the
emperor Augustus (ruled 27 BC-AD 14).
In 31 BC he defeated Mark Antony and Cleopatra at the battle of
Actium and took possession of Egypt, which became a Roman province.
The writer Strabo tells us that statues of Augustus were erected in
Egyptian towns near the first cataract of the Nile at Aswan and
that an invading Kushite army looted many of them in 24 BC.
Although Roman counter-attackers reclaimed many of the statues,
they did not reach Meroë, where this head was buried beneath the
steps of a native temple dedicated to Victory. It seems likely that
the head, having been cut from its statue, was placed there
deliberately so as to be permanently below the feet of its Meroitic
captors.
The head of Augustus appears larger than life, with perfect
proportions based upon Classical Greek notions of ideal human form.
His calm distant gaze, emphasised with inset eyes of glass and
stone, give him an air of quiet, assured strength.
Coins and statues were the main media for propagating the image
of the Roman emperor. This statue, like many others throughout the
Empire, was made as a continuous reminder of the all-embracing
power of Rome and its emperor.
Augustus Caesar
Octavian, as Augustus was known before becoming emperor, was
adopted by Julius Caesar as his son and heir. After
Caesar's assassination in 44 BC, Augustus fought to avenge his
death.
Ancient Rome
