The Via Labicana statue of Augustus.
The Via Labicana statue of Augustus, closeup.
The Via Labicana Avgvstvs is a sculpture of the Roman emperor Augustus as pontifex maximus, with his head veiled for a sacrifice. It is a significant statue because it adds another aspect to Augustus' self-representation; not only is he the political head of the world's greatest empire, he is also the religious head of it. In the Res Gestae 19-21 he talks about all of his religious benefactions to the city of Rome, such as building temples for "Minerva, Queen Juno and Jupiter Libertas." The statue is dated as having been made after 12 BC. It was found on the Via Labicana in 1910. It is now in the Palazzo Massimo alle Terme at the National Museum of Rome.
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