Ara Pacis, Rome, Italy - SpottingHistory.com

The Ara Pacis Augustae ('Altar of Augustan Peace') is an altar in Rome dedicated to Pax, the Roman goddess of Peace. The monument was commissioned by the Roman Senate on July 4, 13 BC to honor the return of Augustus to Rome after three years in Hispania and Gaul and consecrated on January 30, 9 BC. Originally located on the northern outskirts of Rome, a Roman mile from the boundary of the pomerium on the west side of the Via Flaminia, the Ara Pacis stood in the northeastern corner of the Campus Martius, the former flood plain of the Tiber River and gradually became buried under 4 metres of silt deposits. It was reassembled in its current location, now the Museum of the Ara Pacis, in 1938.

The altar reflects the Augustan vision of Roman civil religion. The lower register of its frieze depicts vegetal work meant to communicate the abundance and prosperity of the Roman Peace, while the monument as a whole serves a civic ritual function whilst simultaneously operating as propaganda for Augustus and his regime, easing notions of autocracy and dynastic succession that might otherwise be unpalatable to traditional Roman culture.

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User Reviews

Nathan Troester (21 months ago)
Very cool exhibit, with a lot of well-preserved history. The additional exhibits were unfortunately closed during our visit.

Josh Crammel (21 months ago)
Lovely place with always interesting and all kinds of exhibitions..I saw the one about the Italian actor 60s, Marcello Mastroianni ... unforgettable

Tom Kubina (2 years ago)
You can admire this piece of antic history in peace and quite as not so many people goes here. So you have plenty of time to step by and explore every piece of it. Also Sergo Leone exhibition was amazing.

Annette Larcombe (2 years ago)
Second time I have been to this museum, I must have missed getting pictures on my phone, during this visit. Thé Ara Pacis, is the Altar of peace. Which sunk Into the bog, during the flooding of Rome long after its construction. It was then broken apart and people removed parts taking them all over the world. They have more recently been reunited (not totally in its entirety) and placed in a specialised Museo near the tomb of Augustus (currently being renovated and restored). The significance being Augustus brought peace to the empire and thus the reason for building the Altar. It contains images down the side of lots of the leading class of Rome at the time. Notes at the Museo indicate they can identify most of these individuals. It is a little out of the way, but it is well worth a visit for about 30-60 minutes, to understand this period in Rome’s history. You can combine it with a walk around the outside of Augustus tomb and a few other points.

Michael Asheroff (2 years ago)
Amazing museum dedicated to the monument first erected by Augustus. Fabulous detail in the carvings. See this on your next visit to Rome

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