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Augusto e il potere delle immagini
Intrecciando storia, archeologia, filologia e analisi delle opere d’arte e letterarie, Zanker ricostruisce qui il progetto dell’imperatore Augusto con un geniale uso propagandistico di immagini e simboli, di restituire un’identità politica e morale ai romani, dopo la crisi dell’età tardo repubblicana.
Egli mostra "come un mutamento del sistema politico possa condurre allo sviluppo di un nuovo linguaggio visivo, che riflette e nello stesso tempo condiziona in modo essenziale l’evoluzione della mentalità"; e come il successo di questo programma di rinnovamento augusteo e il frutto di perfetto sistema di propaganda: "Le immagini dei poeti e degli artisti parlano di un mondo felice, in cui un grande sovrano governa in pace un impero universale. E come dimostra non da ultimo la pubblicità, che continua a utilizzarle, alcune di queste immagini conservano ancora intatto il proprio potere di suggestione".
Egli mostra "come un mutamento del sistema politico possa condurre allo sviluppo di un nuovo linguaggio visivo, che riflette e nello stesso tempo condiziona in modo essenziale l’evoluzione della mentalità"; e come il successo di questo programma di rinnovamento augusteo e il frutto di perfetto sistema di propaganda: "Le immagini dei poeti e degli artisti parlano di un mondo felice, in cui un grande sovrano governa in pace un impero universale. E come dimostra non da ultimo la pubblicità, che continua a utilizzarle, alcune di queste immagini conservano ancora intatto il proprio potere di suggestione".
398 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1987
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517 people want to read
About the author
Paul Zanker
37 books10 followersPaul Zanker is the professor of Storia dell’Arte Antica at the Scuola Normale Superiore in Pisa. Previously Zanker was professor of classical archaeology at the University of Munich (1976–2002) and the University of Göttingen (1972–1976). He is a noted expert on Roman art and archaeology and a member of the Bavarian Academy of Sciences, corresponding Fellow of the British Academy, of the Academia Europaea, of the Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters, the Pontifical Academy of Archaeology and of the German Archaeological Institute. From 1990 to 1991 he was the Sather professor of the University of California at Berkeley. Zanker is head of the German Commission for the Corpus Vasorum Antiquorum.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
June 25, 2016
Zanker's book has become a classic for scholars working on the visuality of Augustan Rome and deservedly so. Here he explores the use of images to create a vocabulary for the articulation of Augustan political, moral and religious 'regeneration'.
While the use of images in a political context was not new, Zanker shows how no-one before Augustus had quite harnessed visual imagery in the same concerted and integrated way.
Much of this book is excellent but Zanker's readings of the Augustan poets is very unsubtle taking no account of irony and opposition to Augustan ideology, for example, in Propertius and Ovid.
But, that aside, this is an indispensable work, and gives us a flavour of what it might have been like to actually walk around Rome under Augustus.
While the use of images in a political context was not new, Zanker shows how no-one before Augustus had quite harnessed visual imagery in the same concerted and integrated way.
Much of this book is excellent but Zanker's readings of the Augustan poets is very unsubtle taking no account of irony and opposition to Augustan ideology, for example, in Propertius and Ovid.
But, that aside, this is an indispensable work, and gives us a flavour of what it might have been like to actually walk around Rome under Augustus.
March 17, 2024
Augustus really was a clever little man huh.
This book changed the face of Augustan reception and to enjoy Augustan Rome, I now believe it is essential to read this book. It gave me a much more nuanced view of Augustus and the world in which he had created. Every paragraph offered something new and intriguing to read. Also the fact this blew Augustan scholarship right out of the water when it was first published and changed the way anyone involved in Classics writes is amazing. Very interesting read indeed and has helped me massively with my dissertation and Augustus module.
This book changed the face of Augustan reception and to enjoy Augustan Rome, I now believe it is essential to read this book. It gave me a much more nuanced view of Augustus and the world in which he had created. Every paragraph offered something new and intriguing to read. Also the fact this blew Augustan scholarship right out of the water when it was first published and changed the way anyone involved in Classics writes is amazing. Very interesting read indeed and has helped me massively with my dissertation and Augustus module.
November 25, 2012
I'm such a geek, I actually snapped this up as an undergrad from the graduate course list. A friend said, "you know they only order so many of those for grad students"....I apologize to the grad student who was slower than me and may have missed out.
I am addicted to Augustus art...he was such a propaganda master that we still think of Cleopatra as rather "whorish" today....it's all because of Augustus.
I am addicted to Augustus art...he was such a propaganda master that we still think of Cleopatra as rather "whorish" today....it's all because of Augustus.
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May 15, 2025had to read like 200 pages of this for a uni assignment so i am adding it towards my reading goal idgaf
January 8, 2025
This is very dense book focused on the use of images during the reign of Augustus as political symbols or propoganda. The author looks at how the art changes over the time of his reign, both in state and private art. My only complaint with that while there are a lot of images in the book (all black and white), some are rather grainy and difficult to actually see the points the author discusses. I'm not certain if this is because I have a paperback copy, or if all versions of the book are like this.
January 10, 2021
Ay, el Marketing. Ese ente abstracto sobre el que miles de gurús afirman tener todas las respuestas... tan abstractas como sus discursos, todo sea dicho. Pero el marketing, amiguit@s, es más antiguo que el abuelo de Nabucodonosor. El poder de las imágenes, en un mundo que fundamentalmente ha sido siempre analfabeto, fue el mejor y más efectivo medio para promocionarse más allá de la simple realidad, para trascender el presente y convertirse en Historia. Y si no, acordaos del propio Nabucodonosor, de Ramses y los faraones egipcios, de Alejandro y, como este libro nos muestra, de Augusto.
Pero este no es un libro sobre Augusto, sino sobre su época y sobre las transformaciones que en ella se vivieron. Sobre cómo se pasó de la Roma republicana, caótica y sangrienta, a la Roma Imperial, brillante, próspera y pacífica. Y ese cambio, esa transformación milagrosa que se dio en apenas 40 años, quedó reflejada para la posteridad en todo tipo de superficies gracias a un extenso plan de promoción tanto del emperador como del nuevo Estado que había nacido con él.
Estatuas, relieves, arquitectura, monedas, inscripciones... Sobre estas y otras variadas superficies se desarrolló toda un nuevo programa iconográfico destinado a asentar los valores romanos y la magnificencia del nuevo Estado con su mayor representante a la cabeza, el Princeps Augusto, y cuyo objetivo no solo fue lanzar una imagen determinda del nuevo orden que perdurase en el tiempo, sino hacerla reconocible y comprensible para la inmensa mayoría de ciudadanos.
Como dice el autor en la introducción: "Este libro trata de las complejas relaciones entre la erección de la monarquía, la reestructuración de la sociedad y la transformación del mundo de las imágenes y de todo el sistema de comunicación visual".
Pero este no es un libro sobre Augusto, sino sobre su época y sobre las transformaciones que en ella se vivieron. Sobre cómo se pasó de la Roma republicana, caótica y sangrienta, a la Roma Imperial, brillante, próspera y pacífica. Y ese cambio, esa transformación milagrosa que se dio en apenas 40 años, quedó reflejada para la posteridad en todo tipo de superficies gracias a un extenso plan de promoción tanto del emperador como del nuevo Estado que había nacido con él.
Estatuas, relieves, arquitectura, monedas, inscripciones... Sobre estas y otras variadas superficies se desarrolló toda un nuevo programa iconográfico destinado a asentar los valores romanos y la magnificencia del nuevo Estado con su mayor representante a la cabeza, el Princeps Augusto, y cuyo objetivo no solo fue lanzar una imagen determinda del nuevo orden que perdurase en el tiempo, sino hacerla reconocible y comprensible para la inmensa mayoría de ciudadanos.
Como dice el autor en la introducción: "Este libro trata de las complejas relaciones entre la erección de la monarquía, la reestructuración de la sociedad y la transformación del mundo de las imágenes y de todo el sistema de comunicación visual".
September 21, 2014
Zanker pulls together so many different Roman media and makes sense of them in the light of the monumental shift that Augustus brought to the Mediterranean world. Images, symbols, and designs that may seem random or meaningless suddenly have significance, communicating a message of peace, stability, and prosperity ushered in by the princeps. Zanker starts with the competition for self-aggrandizement in the Old Republic, shows how Octavian participated in this himself in his rivalry against Marc Antony, and then traces the gradual change toward an attitude of pietas (devotion) and virtus (courage).
I loved the images chosen. Many were very familiar--the Ara Pacis reliefs, the Prima Porta statue, the veiled Augustus; but many were not, and some were obscure, which was fun for me. I especially enjoyed the comments on wall paintings. The only complaint I had was that none of the images are in color, which is understandable due to publishing costs, and the absence of any dimensions for the individual works.
Incredible book, though. I hope to you read Zanker's other books on Pompeii and Roman Art.
I loved the images chosen. Many were very familiar--the Ara Pacis reliefs, the Prima Porta statue, the veiled Augustus; but many were not, and some were obscure, which was fun for me. I especially enjoyed the comments on wall paintings. The only complaint I had was that none of the images are in color, which is understandable due to publishing costs, and the absence of any dimensions for the individual works.
Incredible book, though. I hope to you read Zanker's other books on Pompeii and Roman Art.
October 16, 2020
Paul Zanker explores the power of visual imagery and imagery of language used during the Age of Augustan, such as conflicts and contradictions with imagery, rival images and the struggle for power, a turning point—the use of a new style, Augustus’ cultural program and renewal of Rome, and mythical foundations. The goal of his book is to examine images and their power and how they were used as a visual communication during the age of Augustan. He uses archaeological materials, such as monuments, coins, statues, architecture and buildings, as well as literary sources, both historical and poetic to accompany his research. He has an inductive approach to his research. Meaning, he first observes all the data (images), and then sees a pattern, which is the use of the mythological ancestry, and then proposes a hypothesize, which is: How does Augustus use visual imagery to solidify his rule? What was Augustus’ intention with visual imagery and how did he use visual language as part of his cultural restoration program of Rome?
I found his theory a little contradictory itself; his theory is that Augustus had a plan for his entire reign and that his plan was to use images to evoke power to restore the Roman Empire, and yet at the same time he argues that the visual language changed throughout his reign and created a new method of communication. Before Actium, Augustus’ images were focused on the mythological past and after Actium, they were focused on the restoration of the Republic’s morals and virtues.
Since Zanker’s work is very in depth, in order to answer his main research question, he first gives his readers insight into conflict and contradiction of images—that is, how the Roman elites viewed Hellenistic artwork and how they used artwork themselves. The Roman elites found Hellenistic artwork to be foreign because the Hellenistic statues were naked (an “immoral affrontery” ), while Roman statues were robed in togas. Senators restricted the erection of monuments amongst generals and figureheads. However, those that had money in Rome, privately constructed statues and monuments for themselves and their family, just as in the example of a tomb monument to a freedman M. Vergilius Eurysaces, and the tomb of Caecilia Metella. These viewpoints shared by the elites helps the audience to understand the gradual shift of the usage of Hellenistic style art to the outright adoption of their usage by Mark Antony and Augustus.
In his chapter on rival images, Zanker does a convincing job at showing how both Mark Antony and Augustus used the mythical past to connect themselves to Alexander the Great: Antony used Dionysus and Augustus used Apollo. Zanker mentions that this self-gratification and aggrandizement was most influential during the civil war between the two men, but that after Actium, the power of images changed yet again. The images shifted focus to virtues and morals.
Zanker explains this shift as Augustus’ ‘cultural program’. The cultural program focused on a restoration of morals and attempted to achieve a change in public thinking—to think on higher things, such as pietas and reverence for the gods. His argument is focused on a few key buildings: the Mausoleum, the Temple of Apollo, and the Forum Augustus. These were important to the cultural program because they were buildings in the public sphere. The Mausoleum is next to the Temple of Apollo, which was also part of the cultural program—to build new temples for the gods. The Mausoleum was also grand in size.
Nevertheless, even the architecture on the monuments themselves were important. The ‘Vines of Paradise’ drawn on many monuments and buildings became a leading symbol. Vines showed growth, Zanker writes, “new shoots in all directions” —which perhaps referenced the power of imperialism and conquering the east. The vines were also “signs of fertility and abundance” and "law and order.” Zanker persuasively shows that images had power and were extremely important in the Age of Augustan, not only at solidifying Augustus’ rule by a connection to a mythical past, but also how visual language was used to morally restore Rome, which leads me to my final point.
I think that Zanker’s work improves our understanding of Roman emperorship. It is a view point I have not read before regarding the Roman emperorship of Augustus. I liked his approach of using the images—monuments, coins, statues, and buildings—accompanied with the literary sources to argue his point. I think it is persuasive in some regards. On the other hand, his argument is not convincing, when he states that Augustus had a plan his entire reign on how to evoke power through images. However, Zanker gives a literary example to support his argument. When Augustus was a young boy, others would feed him information about his divinity and lineage from prophetic things they saw in the stars and sky. I can see how he used this as a way to show his audience that Augustus may have had these thoughts engrained in him since he was a young child, and this allowed him to use such images for his own reign and purposes. However, I don’t agree that this was Augustus’ master plan of using images to evoke power and pietas from the beginning to end of his reign. The power of the images shifted overtime and thus, it shows a shift in planning. (Even to Zanker, the shift was after the Battle of Actium.)
One final remark is how Zanker relates or compares to other scholars, such as Jean-Louis Ferrary, Fergus Millar, John Rich, and Ronald Syme, who also wrote about Augustus, his power, and the Principate. I feel that Ferrary and Syme’s arguments on how Augustus’ powers came from his various titles, could connect with Zanker’s point of how Augustus’s power came through images. Titles and images are usually found together (although not all the time) in instances of coinage, inscriptions, and building or monument dedications. As Syme explains the changing of nomenclature over different parts of Augustus’ reign, so too does Zanker explain the change of images over different parts of Augustus’ reign.
I found his theory a little contradictory itself; his theory is that Augustus had a plan for his entire reign and that his plan was to use images to evoke power to restore the Roman Empire, and yet at the same time he argues that the visual language changed throughout his reign and created a new method of communication. Before Actium, Augustus’ images were focused on the mythological past and after Actium, they were focused on the restoration of the Republic’s morals and virtues.
Since Zanker’s work is very in depth, in order to answer his main research question, he first gives his readers insight into conflict and contradiction of images—that is, how the Roman elites viewed Hellenistic artwork and how they used artwork themselves. The Roman elites found Hellenistic artwork to be foreign because the Hellenistic statues were naked (an “immoral affrontery” ), while Roman statues were robed in togas. Senators restricted the erection of monuments amongst generals and figureheads. However, those that had money in Rome, privately constructed statues and monuments for themselves and their family, just as in the example of a tomb monument to a freedman M. Vergilius Eurysaces, and the tomb of Caecilia Metella. These viewpoints shared by the elites helps the audience to understand the gradual shift of the usage of Hellenistic style art to the outright adoption of their usage by Mark Antony and Augustus.
In his chapter on rival images, Zanker does a convincing job at showing how both Mark Antony and Augustus used the mythical past to connect themselves to Alexander the Great: Antony used Dionysus and Augustus used Apollo. Zanker mentions that this self-gratification and aggrandizement was most influential during the civil war between the two men, but that after Actium, the power of images changed yet again. The images shifted focus to virtues and morals.
Zanker explains this shift as Augustus’ ‘cultural program’. The cultural program focused on a restoration of morals and attempted to achieve a change in public thinking—to think on higher things, such as pietas and reverence for the gods. His argument is focused on a few key buildings: the Mausoleum, the Temple of Apollo, and the Forum Augustus. These were important to the cultural program because they were buildings in the public sphere. The Mausoleum is next to the Temple of Apollo, which was also part of the cultural program—to build new temples for the gods. The Mausoleum was also grand in size.
Nevertheless, even the architecture on the monuments themselves were important. The ‘Vines of Paradise’ drawn on many monuments and buildings became a leading symbol. Vines showed growth, Zanker writes, “new shoots in all directions” —which perhaps referenced the power of imperialism and conquering the east. The vines were also “signs of fertility and abundance” and "law and order.” Zanker persuasively shows that images had power and were extremely important in the Age of Augustan, not only at solidifying Augustus’ rule by a connection to a mythical past, but also how visual language was used to morally restore Rome, which leads me to my final point.
I think that Zanker’s work improves our understanding of Roman emperorship. It is a view point I have not read before regarding the Roman emperorship of Augustus. I liked his approach of using the images—monuments, coins, statues, and buildings—accompanied with the literary sources to argue his point. I think it is persuasive in some regards. On the other hand, his argument is not convincing, when he states that Augustus had a plan his entire reign on how to evoke power through images. However, Zanker gives a literary example to support his argument. When Augustus was a young boy, others would feed him information about his divinity and lineage from prophetic things they saw in the stars and sky. I can see how he used this as a way to show his audience that Augustus may have had these thoughts engrained in him since he was a young child, and this allowed him to use such images for his own reign and purposes. However, I don’t agree that this was Augustus’ master plan of using images to evoke power and pietas from the beginning to end of his reign. The power of the images shifted overtime and thus, it shows a shift in planning. (Even to Zanker, the shift was after the Battle of Actium.)
One final remark is how Zanker relates or compares to other scholars, such as Jean-Louis Ferrary, Fergus Millar, John Rich, and Ronald Syme, who also wrote about Augustus, his power, and the Principate. I feel that Ferrary and Syme’s arguments on how Augustus’ powers came from his various titles, could connect with Zanker’s point of how Augustus’s power came through images. Titles and images are usually found together (although not all the time) in instances of coinage, inscriptions, and building or monument dedications. As Syme explains the changing of nomenclature over different parts of Augustus’ reign, so too does Zanker explain the change of images over different parts of Augustus’ reign.
April 12, 2025
ya sé cuál sería mi respuesta si me preguntaran con qué personaje histórico enrollaría 😛 qué listo era el cabrón...
December 21, 2014
Augustus is the bomb and this book was very useful in examining how he created his public image. Accessible writing.
September 13, 2016
Най-после я завърших. Много по��езна и разкрива аспекти, за които само съм предполагала.
I finished it at last. Very useful and shows aspects that I haven't realised.
I finished it at last. Very useful and shows aspects that I haven't realised.
February 4, 2017
Por qué tratan así al pobre Ovidio.
January 13, 2017
Un testo fondamentale per capire il periodo augusteo
February 18, 2022
This was unashamedly very very cool
March 27, 2025
Tras la derrota de Marco Antonio y Cleopatra, Octavio asumió el poder total de Roma, convirtiéndose en el primer emperador romano y dando origen al famoso y célebre Imperio Romano. Como parte fundamental de la creación del Imperio, Octavio, ahora llamado Augusto, emprendió una avasalladora campaña de difusión y unificación de mitos e imágenes con el objetivo de enaltecer su figura, la de sus allegados, y de promover la grandeza del Estado y el Imperio por todo el continente.
El libro es bueno, aunque bastante denso. Resulta difícil calificar de manera negativa un ensayo teórico como este, pero, aunque menores, considero que tiene algunos defectos, sobre todo relacionados con el contexto. Zanker evita proporcionar cualquier tipo de información contextual sobre la época, algo que considero necesario para comprender el libro. Si no tienes idea de qué ocurrió antes de Augusto y qué sucedió después, es muy fácil perderse. Pienso que un capítulo inicial breve hubiera sido de gran utilidad. Lo mismo ocurre con el final: si bien aborda el tema de la sucesión de Augusto, creo que un capítulo final sobre la repercusión a largo plazo de su campaña mediática habría sido muy interesante
Por último, en ocasiones el libro puede resultar algo redundante. Supongo que esto es consecuencia de tratarse de una investigación teórica, pero para un lector no experto en el tema, como yo, después de analizar un montón de monedas con variantes sobre determinados temas, puedes comenzar a aburrirte. A pesar de todo, es un libro muy interesante que recomendaría solo a alguien verdaderamente interesado en el tema o cuyos intereses estén relacionados con el arte, el marketing, la historia, las antigüedades y, evidentemente, el Imperio Romano.
El libro es bueno, aunque bastante denso. Resulta difícil calificar de manera negativa un ensayo teórico como este, pero, aunque menores, considero que tiene algunos defectos, sobre todo relacionados con el contexto. Zanker evita proporcionar cualquier tipo de información contextual sobre la época, algo que considero necesario para comprender el libro. Si no tienes idea de qué ocurrió antes de Augusto y qué sucedió después, es muy fácil perderse. Pienso que un capítulo inicial breve hubiera sido de gran utilidad. Lo mismo ocurre con el final: si bien aborda el tema de la sucesión de Augusto, creo que un capítulo final sobre la repercusión a largo plazo de su campaña mediática habría sido muy interesante
Por último, en ocasiones el libro puede resultar algo redundante. Supongo que esto es consecuencia de tratarse de una investigación teórica, pero para un lector no experto en el tema, como yo, después de analizar un montón de monedas con variantes sobre determinados temas, puedes comenzar a aburrirte. A pesar de todo, es un libro muy interesante que recomendaría solo a alguien verdaderamente interesado en el tema o cuyos intereses estén relacionados con el arte, el marketing, la historia, las antigüedades y, evidentemente, el Imperio Romano.
January 16, 2024
Toda una obra maestra esencial para entender la "cultura material" (sic.) altoimperial, y un complemento idóneo para la obra de Ronald Syme, compensando cada una las debilidades de la otra. Después de leer este libro es imposible ver del mismo modo una escultura o un relieve de época augustea, que el lector será capaz de identificar al vuelo por detalles que antes pasaban completamente desapercibidos, y es tal vez la mejor obra existente para entender las características de la cultura de masas altoimperial.
En cuanto a los defectos, el que más me ha dolido es la escasa profundización en la figura de M. Antonio y su propaganda; es cierto que el libro es sobre Augusto y es normal que se centre la atención en él, pero es innegable que el programa representativo del princeps se conforma en contraposición con el de Antonio, y además tocándole al primero ser la parte reaccionaria contra la originalidad del segundo, lo que conlleva que uno no se pueda entender del todo sin contar con una imagen completa del otro. Por otro lado, la bibliografía es escasa (no porque Zanker haya leído poco, sino porque solo nos enseña una selección mínima de lo que ha usado), está plasmada de una forma un tanto confusa y por lo general no se cita en el texto.
En cuanto a los defectos, el que más me ha dolido es la escasa profundización en la figura de M. Antonio y su propaganda; es cierto que el libro es sobre Augusto y es normal que se centre la atención en él, pero es innegable que el programa representativo del princeps se conforma en contraposición con el de Antonio, y además tocándole al primero ser la parte reaccionaria contra la originalidad del segundo, lo que conlleva que uno no se pueda entender del todo sin contar con una imagen completa del otro. Por otro lado, la bibliografía es escasa (no porque Zanker haya leído poco, sino porque solo nos enseña una selección mínima de lo que ha usado), está plasmada de una forma un tanto confusa y por lo general no se cita en el texto.
March 26, 2021
Zanker is a renowned authority on this topic and the book is authoritative and comprehensive, with many illustrations of the examples. It is clearly better suited to a specialist reader rather than to the broadly interested generalist - such as I am. However, I still found it well worth the reading, although with a skimming approach.
I was fascinated to find that, under Augustus's rule, the brutal verism of the late Republic busts was quickly superseded by an idealised style which began with the importation of Greek models, probably using Greek sculptors. Paradoxically, the Romans at this time (as distinct from later regimes such as Nero's) were coy about nudity and these imported Greek forms were decidedly un-Roman, but they were valued because Hellenism was seen as the ideal.
I was fascinated to find that, under Augustus's rule, the brutal verism of the late Republic busts was quickly superseded by an idealised style which began with the importation of Greek models, probably using Greek sculptors. Paradoxically, the Romans at this time (as distinct from later regimes such as Nero's) were coy about nudity and these imported Greek forms were decidedly un-Roman, but they were valued because Hellenism was seen as the ideal.
March 15, 2024
Ottimo volume, come gli studi di Zanker in generale. Ovviamente non è una lettura leggera, ma il metodo di approccio scelto per affrontare il tema e l'indice studiato permettono una piena immedesimazione nella cultura di età augustea e piena comprensione del contenuto. Consigliato a tutti gli studiosi o appassionati di culture classiche, specificamente di quella romana. Si tratta, tra l'altro, di una (ennesima) conferma che lo studio della cultura materiale e di quella letteraria risulta più proficuo se le due vengono messe in comunicazione.
June 20, 2025
I had to read this book as part of a list of compulsory readings for university so my opinion on it is influenced negatively by the fact that I was ordered to read it, that I had little time and many other such things. Nevertheless, I must admit it was much interesting, a bit boring, but the point of view taken into consideration was fascinating and the illustrations functional. I appreciated this one!
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January 18, 2023Nie czytałam tej książki, przeczytałam inną tego autora „Apoteoza cesarzy rzymskich. Rytuał i przestrzeń miejska” ale nie ma jej na Goodreads wiec dodaje tą żeby mi się 2023 wyzwanie czytelnicze naliczyło…
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April 16, 2023___________________________________
FROM BOOK: I volti del potere - L'impero di Augusto (Andrea Giardina)
FROM BOOK: I volti del potere - L'impero di Augusto (Andrea Giardina)
November 10, 2017
Fascinating stuff, some of the images are not great, but I compensated by googling them and reading alongside.
June 2, 2018
Lettura fondamentale per chi si avvicina al mondo romano e alla storia antica. Una splendida opera di un grande studioso.
February 1, 2023
Mycket bra teoretisk genomgång av användningen av konst och arkitektur i propagandasyfte under romersk antik, specifikt i Augustus byggprogram.
April 9, 2023
Sarebbe stato carino avere delle cazzo di immagini dei monumenti in un libro dedicato alla propaganda augustea 😃
June 2, 2024
A este pequeño truco le llamo: cambiar el curso de la historia para siempre
January 7, 2025
It’s all about your personal brand…
November 10, 2025
augustus va inte så dum
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May 27, 2011 Perhaps I should have begun with Zanker, as he was really the introducer of the “power of images” to the field of Roman history, as opposed to art history. Quoting his preface can summarize the sort of change that his book brought to Roman studies:
Art and architecture are mirrors of a society. They reflect the state of its values, especially in times of crisis or transition. Yet it is notoriously difficult to analyze any particular work of art as an historical document in and of itself. This book tries to illustrate how a fundamental change in the political system led to a new visual language that reflects both an altered mentality and contributed significantly to the process of change. . . . I have sought to emphasize questions such as the societal forces that fueled the change as well as the effect of psychological factors. Thus the form of the work is of no less importance than its message (v).
What Zanker did was to connect analysis of the enormous body of Augustan art—complex, varied, and beautiful as it is—to the analysis of the societal and political changes of the period. Based on the evidence (amply illustrated; there is at least one image on nearly every two-page spread), he envisions an Augustus who propagated his values through a sort of dialogue with his subjects, and did not simply impose them from the top down. Rather than a one-hundred-percent cult of personality, he rather attempted to disentangle the threads of “the complex machinery of [Augustus’] cultural program,” which he described as “the collaboration and mutual influence one another of princeps, political cronies, creative poets, architects, and artistic ateliers” (102).
I was not totally convinced by this argument. While I agree that Augustus’ recreation of Rome in an “archaicized” mode owed a lot to the antiquarian interests of the Late Republic, could it have gone so far without his own intense personal interest? At times Zanker himself cannot avoid making certain aspects of “cultural renewal” in the city of Rome seem like they were imposed from above: “But in general people were reluctant to wear [the toga]. . . . Augustus had to give them a push” (163). However, the chapter on the spread of Roman “classicism” from the center of Rome to the outer fringes of the Empire is incredibly valuable. In the past, Republican Rome had absorbed artistic styles from the Hellenistic world even as it largely rejected monarchialism. Once Augustus introduced one-man rule, his persona as the center of the state was projected far and wide. Zanker argues, “ . . . in both East and West it was the rapidly spreading cult of the emperor that was the principal vehicle for propagating the Augustan program and its attendant imagery” (297). Once again, uniformity is the key to impressing as many people as possible with the power of Rome and the centrality of its at least partly-divine princeps. [from an annotated bibliography i wrote a few years ago. don't go looking for this on most goodreads entries]
Art and architecture are mirrors of a society. They reflect the state of its values, especially in times of crisis or transition. Yet it is notoriously difficult to analyze any particular work of art as an historical document in and of itself. This book tries to illustrate how a fundamental change in the political system led to a new visual language that reflects both an altered mentality and contributed significantly to the process of change. . . . I have sought to emphasize questions such as the societal forces that fueled the change as well as the effect of psychological factors. Thus the form of the work is of no less importance than its message (v).
What Zanker did was to connect analysis of the enormous body of Augustan art—complex, varied, and beautiful as it is—to the analysis of the societal and political changes of the period. Based on the evidence (amply illustrated; there is at least one image on nearly every two-page spread), he envisions an Augustus who propagated his values through a sort of dialogue with his subjects, and did not simply impose them from the top down. Rather than a one-hundred-percent cult of personality, he rather attempted to disentangle the threads of “the complex machinery of [Augustus’] cultural program,” which he described as “the collaboration and mutual influence one another of princeps, political cronies, creative poets, architects, and artistic ateliers” (102).
I was not totally convinced by this argument. While I agree that Augustus’ recreation of Rome in an “archaicized” mode owed a lot to the antiquarian interests of the Late Republic, could it have gone so far without his own intense personal interest? At times Zanker himself cannot avoid making certain aspects of “cultural renewal” in the city of Rome seem like they were imposed from above: “But in general people were reluctant to wear [the toga]. . . . Augustus had to give them a push” (163). However, the chapter on the spread of Roman “classicism” from the center of Rome to the outer fringes of the Empire is incredibly valuable. In the past, Republican Rome had absorbed artistic styles from the Hellenistic world even as it largely rejected monarchialism. Once Augustus introduced one-man rule, his persona as the center of the state was projected far and wide. Zanker argues, “ . . . in both East and West it was the rapidly spreading cult of the emperor that was the principal vehicle for propagating the Augustan program and its attendant imagery” (297). Once again, uniformity is the key to impressing as many people as possible with the power of Rome and the centrality of its at least partly-divine princeps. [from an annotated bibliography i wrote a few years ago. don't go looking for this on most goodreads entries]
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