Statue of Augustus as Jupiter

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Under Augustus Octavian (63 BC - 14 AD), the Roman state effectively evolved into a monarchy while maintaining all appearances of a republic. Augustus was officially known as princeps, or the first in line among senators, and citizens erected numerous statues in his honor. Suetonius noted, however, that "temples dedicated solely to him were not allowed to be built in the provinces, except for those with dual dedications to himself and Roma." In Rome itself, Augustus rejected such honors outright. After his death, Augustus was deified. The Hermitage statue, created during the reign of one of Augustus's followers in the first half century AD, depicts Augustus seated on a throne as Jupiter, the highest Roman god. This composition was modeled after a statue of Zeus the Olympian by Phidias, a 5th-century BC Greek sculptor. The idealized features of the youthful face reveal an unmistakable likeness to Augustus. "Divine nudity" was reserved for immortal images alone, while portrait sculptures of Romans were required to include either a toga or military attire. The Octavian Augustus statue exemplifies Augustan Classicism, a trend evident in the early Empire period, which combined Roman realism with Greek Classicism. This piece is also a quintessential example of 19th-century restoration: the statue, discovered in fragments in Cumae, was reconstructed by an Italian sculptor using both ancient and modern pieces. The reconstruction relied heavily on images of the Emperor as Jupiter enthroned, which appeared on ancient coins and carved gems.