Bust of Emperor Augustus ("Prima Porta" type)
14 - 37. White marble.Room 071
This type of portrait of the first Roman emperor , Augustus Caesar –born Gaius Octavius– (63 B.C.-14 A.D.), was the best and most widely known. It corresponds to the "Prima Porta" type, which was created as an expression of the virtues of humanity and responsibility characteristic of a good prince and first citizen, and was very often employed in effigies of the Emperor. It was created around 27 B.C., when Gaius Octavius Caesar (63 B.C.-14 A.D.) received the title of Augustus from the Roman Senate. With a relaxed expression, a firm gaze and smooth and very ordered hair, this portrait transmits an air of sublime tranquility. This head, in particular, should be dated in the epoch of Emperor Tiberius (14-37 A.D.).