Ostrowski, Janusz A.: Personifications of rivers in Greek and Roman art (Warszawa [u.a.], 1991)

49

and the Tiber103. This considered iconographical programme was closely
associated with the decoration of the whole Forum as some kind of sanctuary
of gens lulia 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 vet th<> anthnr ooint it out here.

_

IntheE_ 1 dynasty, more strictly speaking

under Ne= « rorating the completion of the

harbour i:E -inched by Claudius 107 (Fig. 48).

On the r<-
as port b'ET

Augustae, e:
PI. 313, k; I
de Azevedi
Aug us to; Ni
Hannestad
kel, Augusti
Historische $

104 Cf. a
given by P.

105 Cf., ;
1937, pp. IP
Die Ara Paci
Helbig4, II,

I o

I 0

r os

Toynbee, p = ^
(Neptun). E

4 — Prace ai —~

s types are represented as well
U: the bottom of the coin there
; hand, with his other hand on
it the opinion is prevailing that

i relief from the so-called Ara Pietatis
in Rome. Cf. Reinach, RepRel., Ill,

l, 1939, pp. 81—120; id. [in:] Cagiano
, pp. 9—23; EAA, I, 1958, p. 528, s. v.

m. Das Bildprogramm, Tubingen 1968;

| s. 86 and 150; J. Ganzert and V. Koc-
| Augustus, pp. 149—166; T. Holscher,

p. 378.

| ited with mythical ancestors of the line,
*1. A and by Hannestad, Fig. 54.
rong, Terra Mater or Italia?, JRS, 27,
Strong declares for Tellus); H. Kahler,
!4, pp. 67—100 (Italia); E. Simon, [in:]
Simon, Ara Pacis Augustae, Tubingen
Tr., 3, 1969, p. 103 (Italia); Andreae,
'ustus, pp. 173—184 (Pax); Ostrowski,
ski, Provinces, ITALIA 14. S. Settis,
227 (Terra Mater).

p. 151, No. 58, PI. 9, 168 (the Tiber);
he Tiber); Hannestad, p. Ill, Fig. 69