Succeeding the Great Aeneas: ideological parallels of Augustan succession in the Aeneid and on the Ara Pacis

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dc.contributor.advisorDe Villiers, Annemarieen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorStassen, Heidieen_ZA
dc.contributor.otherStellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Ancient Studies.en_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2024-02-14T11:00:40Z
dc.date.accessioned2024-04-27T02:10:19Z
dc.date.available2024-02-14T11:00:40Z
dc.date.available2024-04-27T02:10:19Z
dc.date.issued2024-03
dc.descriptionThesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2024.en_ZA
dc.description.abstractENGLISH ABSTRACT: The succession narrative was commonplace in Republican Rome among the senatorial families, where the children of said families would not only accumulate their own “political authority” (auctoritas) but also inherit that of their parents. This study investigates succession during the early Principate and how it was connected to auctoritas, its hereditary nature and how this served as a foundation for Augustus to gain auctoritas from his familial lineage that linked him with Julius Caesar, and more importantly, to Aeneas. Therefore, this study aims to cross-examine how Augustus consolidated the key-virtue of Aeneas by incorporating and propagating the virtue of pietas across all of his own public monuments and depictions. Although individual studies have examined the political and religious propaganda of the Principate’s ideology in Virgil’s Aeneid and on the Ara Pacis – arguably the two most important artefacts related to the establishment of the Principate – no studies have examined the parallels between these works which highlight those virtues that may have served to legitimise Augustus’ rule in the eye of the public. Therefore, this study considers both the visual (Ara Pacis) and the literary (Aeneid) in correlation to each other, within the context of the political ideology created under Augustus, and alongside other artistic mediums. The method of analysis that is used is that of iconographic exegesis, which examines both visual and literary mediums in order to identify possible iconographic patterns or coinciding themes. An investigation into identified values/ideals and specific figures that were portrayed throughout the Aeneid and on the Ara Pacis reveals where and how the element of succession is present, and how it was used to support Augustus’ claims to authority, along with the portrayal of pietas as a familial and inherited virtue. The evidence collected across the various and different mediums suggests that the Principate propagated the familial and divine lineage of the imperial family, specifically Augustus, which ultimately worked to both legitimise and ensure his reign. Therefore, this thesis concludes that there is a clear theme present in the Aeneid and on the Ara Pacis, one relating the necessary pietas of the princeps as the only guarantee for maintaining the Golden Age. The main themes across all state-sponsored media indicates a continuous promotion of the pietas of Augustus while also comparing him to the very first Roman, Aeneas, his divine ancestor.en_ZA
dc.description.abstractAFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die opvolg narratief was algemeen in die Romeinse Republiek onder die senators gesinne, waar die kinders van hierdie gesinne beide hul eie "politieke gesag" (auctoritas) kon opbou, maar ook dié van hul ouers kon erf. Hierdie studie ondersoek troonopvolging tydens die vroeë Prinsipaat en hoe dit verband hou met auctoritas, die oorerflike aard daarvan en hoe dit gedien het as 'n grondslag vir Augustus om auctoritas te verkry uit sy stamboom wat hom verbind het met Julius Caesar, en nog belangriker, met Aeneas. Daarom het hierdie studie ten doel om te ondersoek hoe Augustus die sleutel-deug van Aeneas gekonsolideer het deur die deug van pietas in al sy eie openbare monumente en uitbeeldings in te sluit en te propageer. Alhoewel individuele studies die politieke en godsdienstige propaganda van die Prinsipaat se ideologie in Virgilius se Aeneïs en op die Ara Pacis ondersoek het, – waarskynlik die twee belangrikste artefakte wat verband hou met die vestiging van die Prinsipaat – is daar geen studies wat die parallelle tussen hierdie werke ondersoek volgens die deugde wat beklemtoon is om die moontlike heerskappy van Augustus in die openbaar te legitimeer nie. Daarom beskou hierdie studie beide die visuele (Ara Pacis) en die literêre (Aeneïs) in korrelasie met mekaar, binne die konteks van die politieke ideologie wat onder Augustus geskep is, en saam met ander kuns mediums. Die metode van analise wat gebruik word, is dié van ikonografiese eksegese, wat beide visuele en literêre mediums ondersoek om moontlike ikonografiese patrone of ooreenstemmende temas te identifiseer. 'n Ondersoek na geïdentifiseerde waardes/ideale en spesifieke figure wat in die Aeneïs en op die Ara Pacis uitgebeeld is, onthul waar en hoe die element van opvolging teenwoordig is, en hoe dit gebruik is om Augustus se aansprake op gesag te ondersteun, tesame met die uitbeelding van pietas as 'n familie en oorerflike deug. Die bewyse wat oor die verskillende mediums versamel is, dui daarop dat die Prinsipaat die familie en goddelike afstamming van die keiserlike familie, spesifiek Augustus, gepropageer het, wat uiteindelik bygedra het om sy bewind te legitimeer en te verseker. Daarom kom hierdie tesis tot die gevolgtrekking dat daar 'n duidelike tema in die Aeneïs en op die Ara Pacis voorkom, een wat die nodige pietas van die princeps voorhou as die enigste waarborg vir die handhawing van die Goue Eeu. Die hooftemas in alle staatsondersteunde media dui op 'n voortdurende bevordering van die pietas van Augustus, terwyl hy hom ook vergelyk met die heel eerste Romein, Aeneas, sy goddelike voorouer.af_ZA
dc.description.versionMastersen_ZA
dc.format.extentxi, 184 pages : illustrations
dc.identifier.urihttps://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/130673
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherStellenbosch : Stellenbosch Universityen_ZA
dc.rights.holderStellenbosch Universityen_ZA
dc.subject.lcshMuseo dell'Ara Pacisen_ZA
dc.subject.lcshAra Pracisen_ZA
dc.subject.lcshArten_ZA
dc.subject.lcshAugustus, Emperor of Rome, 63 B.C.-14 A.D.en_ZA
dc.subject.lcshVirgil. Aeneisen_ZA
dc.subject.lcshRome -- History -- Augustus, 30 B.C.-14 A.D.en_ZA
dc.subject.nameUCTD
dc.titleSucceeding the Great Aeneas: ideological parallels of Augustan succession in the Aeneid and on the Ara Pacisen_ZA
dc.typeThesis en_ZA
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