Today, political propaganda is used throughout the world. In democracies such as The United States, propaganda is an essential component of any campaign. It allows candidates to represent themselves and share goals for the future—helping them gain voters and improving their chances of winning an election. In China and other countries with dictatorships, propaganda is utilized to both justify and illustrate the power of the leader. However, while propaganda is rampant throughout our modern world, the idea is no new concept. Political propaganda has been consistently used in various forms throughout history. One example is The Augustus of Primaporta, a cast bronze statue from 25 B.C.E, during the Early Roman Empire, which perfectly depicts Roman
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Augustus’s original name was Gaius Octavius and he was the nephew of Julius Caesar. As a boy, Octavius was brought up under Caesar’s dictatorship, and when Caesar was murdered in 44 B.C.E, he rose to power besides Lepidus and Antony. Soon after, disagreement arose, and Octavius eventually triumphed over both through battle. When returning to Rome, he did not claim the title of dictator as Caesar had done. Instead, he maintained the Senate and other institutions of the Republican Government. Thusly, in 27 B.C.E, the Senate gave Octavius the name of Augustus which he soon became known for. Augustus ruled as emperor for 41 years, and during that time he brought peace and prosperity to the greco-roman world through building communications and instituting a flourishing trade. The Augustus of Primaporta is not just an artistic representation of the emperor—it was a form of political propaganda that both justified and legitimized his power as well as illustrated his political agenda for all Romans who saw …show more content…
The Greek believed that beauty manifested itself in mathematics, and therefore, many of the bodies represented in their sculptural work has both ideal features and proportions. An exemplary piece of the era that depicts their strive for perfection is Polykleitos’s Doryphoros. This stylistic influence is especially apparent in The Augustus of Primaporta, which bares a strong resemblance to the Classical Greek sculpture. Just like the Doryphoros, Augustus has an idealized body and is portrayed as a youthful and flawless individual. Through imitating Greek idealism, the Romans portrayed Augustus like they would a god; associated with strength, perfection, and youth—key elements in his image as ruler. However, the statute has traditional Roman elements as well. The Romans valued portraiture and lineage, within this, they wanted their figures to be identifiable. Although Augustus was older and physically more mature at the time of the sculptures creation, the rationale behind the head of the Augustus of Primaporta was to create and iconic face that could be used throughout Roman art, but always identifiable as Augustus. This consistent image of the emperor allowed for both clarity and consistency in not just the Augustus of Primaporta, but in all of his political
Augustus’s original name was Gaius Octavius and he was the nephew of Julius Caesar. As a boy, Octavius was brought up under Caesar’s dictatorship, and when Caesar was murdered in 44 B.C.E, he rose to power besides Lepidus and Antony. Soon after, disagreement arose, and Octavius eventually triumphed over both through battle. When returning to Rome, he did not claim the title of dictator as Caesar had done. Instead, he maintained the Senate and other institutions of the Republican Government. Thusly, in 27 B.C.E, the Senate gave Octavius the name of Augustus which he soon became known for. Augustus ruled as emperor for 41 years, and during that time he brought peace and prosperity to the greco-roman world through building communications and instituting a flourishing trade. The Augustus of Primaporta is not just an artistic representation of the emperor—it was a form of political propaganda that both justified and legitimized his power as well as illustrated his political agenda for all Romans who saw …show more content…
The Greek believed that beauty manifested itself in mathematics, and therefore, many of the bodies represented in their sculptural work has both ideal features and proportions. An exemplary piece of the era that depicts their strive for perfection is Polykleitos’s Doryphoros. This stylistic influence is especially apparent in The Augustus of Primaporta, which bares a strong resemblance to the Classical Greek sculpture. Just like the Doryphoros, Augustus has an idealized body and is portrayed as a youthful and flawless individual. Through imitating Greek idealism, the Romans portrayed Augustus like they would a god; associated with strength, perfection, and youth—key elements in his image as ruler. However, the statute has traditional Roman elements as well. The Romans valued portraiture and lineage, within this, they wanted their figures to be identifiable. Although Augustus was older and physically more mature at the time of the sculptures creation, the rationale behind the head of the Augustus of Primaporta was to create and iconic face that could be used throughout Roman art, but always identifiable as Augustus. This consistent image of the emperor allowed for both clarity and consistency in not just the Augustus of Primaporta, but in all of his political