Augustus: Caesar & god. Varying [Egyptian] Images of the 1st Roman Emperor

Discuss the world of the Greeks, Romans, Babylonians, and Egyptians.
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MrMacSon
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Augustus: Caesar & god. Varying [Egyptian] Images of the 1st Roman Emperor

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Temple reliefs are among the most widely recognised forms of Egyptian art. In some cases they adorn every surface of a temple’s walls, columns and ceiling. A common misconception is that temple building and decoration ceased during the Imperial period. However, there is evidence of large scale building works funded by the emperors.

... images ... show Augustus as a traditional Pharaoh, wearing a variety of different headdresses and offering varying things to gods and goddesses including Isis, Sekhmet, Osiris, Horus and Toth ...

... it is safe to say that Augustus was seen by the majority of the population as Pharaoh. His appearance all over Egypt in traditional and non-traditional materials and motifs shows his peculiar position within the hierarchy of Egypt. As sole leader, he is recognised as both Egyptian and Roman, from state sponsored reliefs, local priests and local magnates.This unique positioning can be seen to show Augustus’ ability to adapt his iconography to local idiom ...

Augustus: Caesar and god.
Varying Images of the First Roman Emperor

Jodie Martyndale-Howard
The University of Nottingham

in Christoph Klose, Lukas C. Bossert, William Leveritt (eds.) | Fresh Perspectives on Graeco-Roman Visual Culture. Proceedings of an International Conference at Humboldt-Universität, Berlin, 2nd–3rd September 2013 | 2015
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