Portrait of Augustus

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This portrait of Augustus is also that of Rome's first emperor, a man who inherited and married into his position as grand-nephew of Julius Caesar. Throughout his reign, Augustus will be depicted with this same image, remaining youthful even in his late seventies when he appears to radiate beauty like a god who does not age. The original imperial portrait that the emperor spread throughout the Empire is one found on the statue discovered in Livia's villa in Prima Porta near Rome. This meticulously crafted hairstyle allows specialists today to compare similar portraits and identify the specific "types" or reference models they are related to, as seen in Augustus's bangs where two locks of hair from the left intersect with a central lock forming an overlap, then fork into another lock. This type of creation is dated around 20 CE, just a few years after the Senate gave Octavus the name Augustus. This prestigious title would be passed down to his successors and eventually become synonymous with all emperors. In this representation, Augustus wears an oak crown, also known as a civic crown, symbolizing supreme power that the Senate likely awarded him after the battle of Actium in 31 CE when Mark Anthony and Cleopatra were defeated, restoring peace.