Aeneas or Numa? Rethinking the Meaning of the Ara Pacis Augustae

• Autores: Paul Rehak
• Localización: Art bulletin, ISSN 0004-3079, Vol. 83, Nº 2, 2001, págs. 190-208
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • The “Aeneas” panel, a much-discussed element of the Ara Pacis, is usually interpreted as the Trojan hero’s sacrifice of a brood sow on his landing in Latium, a story recounted in Virgil, Varro, and Dionysios of Halikarnassos. This study reexamines the relief and relevant texts and concludes that the scene instead probably portrays the second king of Rome, Numa Pompilius, as the ideal of the peaceful ruler, in contrast to Romulus, the warlike ruler, on the balancing panel. This interpretation raises broader questions about the relationship of visual art, texts, and modern theory in the study of Roman sculpture.