DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.26205#0051
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and the Tiber103. This considered iconographical programme was closely
associated with the decoration of the whole Forum as some kind of sanctuary
of gens Iulia 104. Likewise the decoration of the Ara Pacis contains the entire
ideological programme of the reign of Augustus. We encounter here as well
Aeneas, Lupercal, the personification of Rome — Dea Roma and the
embodiment of fertile Earth — Tellus, to say nothing of strictly historical
reliefs.
It is just the interpretation of the relief with Tellus which presents much
difficulty. A hypothesis exists that the personification of Italia is here in
question 105. With such an understanding of this figure in view, the extension
of the hypothesis would be the recognition of a woman seated on a swan
(traditionally called Aura) as the personification of Italia’s freshwaters, and
the swan as the symbol (or in keeping with the terminology employed in the
present work as “zoomorphic” embodiment) of the Eridanus — Po, the
largest riveis of Italy on which lived king Cygnus (Kyknos) ruling the Ligures,
who was transformed by Apollo into a swan 106. This is quite a controversial
hypothesis, yet the author feels obliged to point it out here.
In the times of the rule of the lulo-Claudian dynasty, more strictly speaking
under Nero, a sestertius was struck commemorating the completion of the
harbour in Ostia by this emperor, which was launched by Claudius 107 (Fig. 48).
On the reverse the ships and boats of various types are represented as well
as port buildings and a statue on a column. At the bottom of the coin there
reposes a bearded male holding an oar in one hand, with his other hand on
a dolphin. It is just because of the dolphin that the opinion is prevailing that
103 The tympanum of this temple is represented on a relief from the so-called Ara Pietatis
Augustae, erected in 43 A. D. and kept in Villa Medici in Rome. Cf. Reinach, RepRel., Ill,
PI. 313, k; R. Bloch, Ara Pietatis Augustae, Mel Rome, 56, 1939, pp. 81—120; id. [in:] Cagiano
de Azevedo, Le Antichita della Villa Medici, Roma 1951, pp. 9—23; EAA, I, 1958, p. 528, s. v.
Augusto', Nash, I, p. 74 ff.; P. Zanker, Forum AugUstum. Das Bildprogramm, Tubingen 1968;
Hannestad, p. 86, Fig. 59; Zanker, Augustus, p. 117, Figs. 86 and 150; J. Ganzert and V. Koc-
kel, Augustusforum und Mars-Ultor Tempel, [in:] Kaiser Augustus, pp. 149—166; T. Holscher,
Historische Reliefs, [in:] Kaiser Augustus, Cat. No. 209, p. 378.
104 Cf. among others, the location of the statues associated with mythical ancestors of the line,
given by P. Zanker, Forum Augustum, Tubingen 1968, PI. A and by Hannestad, Fig. 54.
105 Cf., among others, Toynbee, pp. 140—141; E. Strong, Terra Mater or Italia?, JRS, 27,
1937, pp. 114—126 (with the juxtaposition of earlier views. Strong declares for Tellus); H. Kahler,
Die Ara Pacis und die Augusteische Friedensidee, Jdl, 69, 1954, pp. 67—100 (Italia); E. Simon, [in:]
Helbig4, II, pp. 690—693 (with bibliography. Italia); E. Simon, Ara Pacis Augustae, Tubingen
1967; A. Sadurska, La politique dynastique d'Auguste, EtTr., 3, 1969, p. 103 (Italia); Andreae,
Fig. 42 (Tellus Italia — Mutter Erde Italien); Zanker, Augustus, pp. 173—184 (Pax); Ostrowski,
Prowincje, pp. 72—73 and p. 151 (ITALIA? 14); Ostrowski, Provinces, ITALIA 14. S. Settis,
Ara Pacis, [in:] Kaiser Augustus, pp. 413—414, Cat. No. 227 (Terra Mater).
100 Paus. I, 30, 3; Ovid. Met. 2, 367 ff.
107 Imhoof-Blumer, No. 564 (a sea god); RIC, I, p. 151, No. 58, PI. 9, 168 (the Tiber);
Toynbee, p. 139, PI. 19, 5 (Oceanus); Breglia, No. 22 (the Tiber); Hannestad, p. Ill, Fig. 69
(Neptun).
4 — Prace archeologiczne 47
and the Tiber103. This considered iconographical programme was closely
associated with the decoration of the whole Forum as some kind of sanctuary
of gens Iulia 104. Likewise the decoration of the Ara Pacis contains the entire
ideological programme of the reign of Augustus. We encounter here as well
Aeneas, Lupercal, the personification of Rome — Dea Roma and the
embodiment of fertile Earth — Tellus, to say nothing of strictly historical
reliefs.
It is just the interpretation of the relief with Tellus which presents much
difficulty. A hypothesis exists that the personification of Italia is here in
question 105. With such an understanding of this figure in view, the extension
of the hypothesis would be the recognition of a woman seated on a swan
(traditionally called Aura) as the personification of Italia’s freshwaters, and
the swan as the symbol (or in keeping with the terminology employed in the
present work as “zoomorphic” embodiment) of the Eridanus — Po, the
largest riveis of Italy on which lived king Cygnus (Kyknos) ruling the Ligures,
who was transformed by Apollo into a swan 106. This is quite a controversial
hypothesis, yet the author feels obliged to point it out here.
In the times of the rule of the lulo-Claudian dynasty, more strictly speaking
under Nero, a sestertius was struck commemorating the completion of the
harbour in Ostia by this emperor, which was launched by Claudius 107 (Fig. 48).
On the reverse the ships and boats of various types are represented as well
as port buildings and a statue on a column. At the bottom of the coin there
reposes a bearded male holding an oar in one hand, with his other hand on
a dolphin. It is just because of the dolphin that the opinion is prevailing that
103 The tympanum of this temple is represented on a relief from the so-called Ara Pietatis
Augustae, erected in 43 A. D. and kept in Villa Medici in Rome. Cf. Reinach, RepRel., Ill,
PI. 313, k; R. Bloch, Ara Pietatis Augustae, Mel Rome, 56, 1939, pp. 81—120; id. [in:] Cagiano
de Azevedo, Le Antichita della Villa Medici, Roma 1951, pp. 9—23; EAA, I, 1958, p. 528, s. v.
Augusto', Nash, I, p. 74 ff.; P. Zanker, Forum AugUstum. Das Bildprogramm, Tubingen 1968;
Hannestad, p. 86, Fig. 59; Zanker, Augustus, p. 117, Figs. 86 and 150; J. Ganzert and V. Koc-
kel, Augustusforum und Mars-Ultor Tempel, [in:] Kaiser Augustus, pp. 149—166; T. Holscher,
Historische Reliefs, [in:] Kaiser Augustus, Cat. No. 209, p. 378.
104 Cf. among others, the location of the statues associated with mythical ancestors of the line,
given by P. Zanker, Forum Augustum, Tubingen 1968, PI. A and by Hannestad, Fig. 54.
105 Cf., among others, Toynbee, pp. 140—141; E. Strong, Terra Mater or Italia?, JRS, 27,
1937, pp. 114—126 (with the juxtaposition of earlier views. Strong declares for Tellus); H. Kahler,
Die Ara Pacis und die Augusteische Friedensidee, Jdl, 69, 1954, pp. 67—100 (Italia); E. Simon, [in:]
Helbig4, II, pp. 690—693 (with bibliography. Italia); E. Simon, Ara Pacis Augustae, Tubingen
1967; A. Sadurska, La politique dynastique d'Auguste, EtTr., 3, 1969, p. 103 (Italia); Andreae,
Fig. 42 (Tellus Italia — Mutter Erde Italien); Zanker, Augustus, pp. 173—184 (Pax); Ostrowski,
Prowincje, pp. 72—73 and p. 151 (ITALIA? 14); Ostrowski, Provinces, ITALIA 14. S. Settis,
Ara Pacis, [in:] Kaiser Augustus, pp. 413—414, Cat. No. 227 (Terra Mater).
100 Paus. I, 30, 3; Ovid. Met. 2, 367 ff.
107 Imhoof-Blumer, No. 564 (a sea god); RIC, I, p. 151, No. 58, PI. 9, 168 (the Tiber);
Toynbee, p. 139, PI. 19, 5 (Oceanus); Breglia, No. 22 (the Tiber); Hannestad, p. Ill, Fig. 69
(Neptun).
4 — Prace archeologiczne 47