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Augustus Building Programme Essay

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Augustus Building Programme Essay
Augustus’ Building Programme – An Overview
Augustus’ Aims 1. Providing for the needs of the people 2. Promoting the prestige of the empire 3. Glorifying his own and his family’s name 4. Making a statement about his leadership
Augustus spent a huge part of his personal wealth on building and his key lieutenant, Agrippa, until his death in 12 BC, supervised much of the building programme.
The Fora
There were three fora in Rome during the Augustan period. 1. The Roman Forum below the Palatine Hill: the political, commercial, religious and social centre of the Roman republic since earliest times, and later of the empire. Augustus: * repaved it in travertine * completed the basilica Iulia and the Curia Iulia * …show more content…
He named the site after his two grandsons and gave orders that if he died before completion, his heirs should complete it. * Colonnades of Livia and Octavia * “Often urged leading citizens to embellish the city with new public monuments or to improve and restore ancient ones…” (Suetonius) This produced, amongst others “a variety of magnificent buildings by Marcus Agrippa, a theatre by Cornelius Balbus and an amphitheatre by Statilius Taurus”. Agrippa’s buildings include Saepta Julia (voting hall) and Gardens and Baths of Agrippa on the Campus Martius, Aqua Virgo and PANTHEON. Not mentioned in Suetonius but we know about the Pantheon from the dedicatory inscription which Hadrian left there (M.Agrippa, son of Lucius, built this when he was consul for the third time) and from Dio Cassius. Dio Cassius mentions the aqueduct as does Frontinus. The Pantheon and the Mausoleum of Augustus faced each other on the Campus Martius, thus symbolizing the union between the two
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