Apollo as Vindex and Ultor during the Augustan Age: New Perspectives

• Authors: Piccioni Aura
• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

EN

Iam Fides et Pax et Honor Pudorque / priscus et neglecta redire Virtus / audet apparetque beata pleno / copia cornu recites the Carmen Saeculare (lines 57–60). This is the beginning of a new Golden Age, of the Aurea aetas (OV. Met. I,89). Augustus himself writes that he brought peace to the Res Publica (RG 25,1–2; 26,2–3). It is however meaningful that he dedicated a cult to Mars Ultor and adopted Apollo, the god of revenge par excellence, as his personal protector. On the basis of diverse archaeological evidence connected to the literary sources, the present paper aims to point out the function of “Apollo the avenger”in Augustan politics as an element for establishing, justifying and guaranteeing (vindicare) the power of the princeps, as well as the actions of the young Octavian.Even the link to ultio, private revenge, was not denied. Surely the epithet Ultor for Mars recalls the private function of revenge against the Caesaricides, but Apollo seems to have embodied the public role of guarantor (vindex) for the entire Res Publica, a role that Augustus also wished to take up. The very concept of pax Augusta is based upon revenge. It contains a warning to internal and external enemies, simultaneously making Augustus guarantor of the State and enabling him to take vengeance on his personal enemies. This subtle threat, which is concentrated in the fi gure of Apollo, a personifi cation of the princeps himself, seems to have been one of the main features of the Augustan regime.

Keywords

EN

Augustus; Apollo; Revenge

Discipline

• PHILOLOGY_&_LINGUISTICS: PHILOLOGY & LINGUISTICS
• ARCHAEOLOGY: ARCHAEOLOGY

• Publisher: Institute of Philosophy, Czech Academy of Sciences
• Journal: Eirene. Studia Graeca et Latina
• Year: 2016
• Volume: 52
• Issue: 1-2
• Pages: 423–443

Contributors

author

Piccioni Aura

• Institut für Klassische Archäologie der Universität Regensburg, Universitätsstraße, 31 – 93053, Regensburg, Germany