Prima Porta Augustus The Augustus of Prima Porta appears to be based on the Doryphorus of Polykleitos, which portrays what Polykleitos saw as the ideal proportions for an athlete. The Augustus statue shows him as a victorious
general making a speech, posed in the traditional controposto manner.
It was discovered at Prima Porta, near Rome in 1863, in the villa belonging to Augustus wife Livia. It is probably a copy
of a bronze original from 20 B.C. The copy dates to the early reign of Tiberius (~15 A.D.) and includes, on its breastplate, scenes of the Roman victory over the Parthians, including a protagonist who
may be Tiberius.
Vatican Braccio Nuovo
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