Augustus of Prima Porta
The marble statue of Augustus found at Livia's villa near Prima Porta, showing the emperor as a barefoot commander addressing his troops.
Every element of this statue argues a case. The breastplate shows the recovery of the standards lost at Carrhae, the bare feet borrow from Greek statues of gods and heroes, and the face is a young man's although Augustus was not. Copies stood across the empire. It is imperial imagery in its most deliberate form: a portrait engineered to say that peace, piety and military success arrived together, and with one man. Read the full story in our article on Imperial Ideals and Artistic Patronage in the Age of Augustus.
Public domain — source (Wikimedia Commons). Free to reuse under the stated licence.
