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The images are of Augustus accepting the surrender of Rome's sworn enemy, the Parthians. It was his greatest triumph and the gods are shown looking on with approval. The message is clear: Augustus was simply fulfilling the will of the gods. And now the war that had divided Rome was over.
So the statue offers emphatic reassurance, Augustus is strong, but he's not threatening. He's the leader who guarantees his people a new Golden Age. It's the Pax Augusta, the Augustan peace, and even the gods approved. Augustus had achieved his greatest ambition. He'd unified the two camps of Rome. And he'd done it using the power of art.
One story tells how as an old man in his 70s, Augustus took a boat journey out of Rome. It must be the last trip of his life. On his way, he was spotted by a group of foreign traders who spontaneously burst into applause and cheered their leader. They shouted out that it was to him that they owed their lives, their freedom and their prosperity. Augustus was overwhelmed. To him it came like final proof that he'd succeeded. He was the unifier of Rome and the savior of his people. Augustus was the hero sent by the gods to save Rome. It did seem like the beginning of a new Golden Age.
But all of this was built on a lie; the people had been duped. While portraying himself as a peacemaker, Augustus was eradicating all opposition. While preaching humility, he and his family lived and behaved like corrupt royalty. And while boasting that he was handing back power to the people, Augustus was a king in all but name. In reality he had founded a system of dictatorship that would last for 400 years.
Parthian: (a.) Of or relating to Parthia or its people, language, or culture. 帕提亚的
Parthia: An ancient country of southwest Asia corresponding to modern northeast Iran. It was included in the Assyrian and Persian empires, the Macedonian empire of Alexander the Great, and the Syrian empire. A Parthian kingdom lasted from c. 250 b.c. to a.d. 226, reaching the height of its influence and land holdings at the beginning of the first century b.c. Its people, of Scythian stock, were noted as horsemen and archers. 帕提亚
emphatic: (a.) Expressed or performed with emphasis 强调的
savior: (n.) A person who rescues another from harm, danger, or loss. 救助者
dictatorship: (n.) Absolute or despotic control or power. 专政
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