Aeneid
Aeneas's mother, the goddess of love, who frequently aids her son on his journey.
Who is Venus?
The enemy depicted on the center of the cuirass returning the lost Roman military standards.
Who are the Parthians?
The Roman emperor who began the construction of the Colosseum around 70-72 CE.
Who is Vespasian?
This was Augustus's original birth name before he was adopted in Julius Caesar's will.
What is Gaius Octavius (or Octavian)?
The twin brother of Remus, whom he killed, making him the legendary sole founder of Rome.
Who is Romulus?
This virtue, Latin for 'piety' or 'dutiful respect,' is Aeneas's defining characteristic.
What is Pietas?
The name for the small, winged figure riding a dolphin at Augustus's ankle, who is the son of Venus.
Who is Cupid?
The emperor who rebuilt the Pantheon into the structure we see today, completing it around 126 CE.
Who is Hadrian?
This funerary inscription, written by Augustus, details his life and accomplishments from his own perspective.
What is the Res Gestae Divi Augusti (The Deeds of the Divine Augustus)?
The Roman name for the Greek god Hades, who rules the underworld.
Who is Pluto (or Dis Pater)?
The ultimate, irresistible force that governs all events in the epic, even overruling the wishes of the gods.
What is Fate (or Fatum)?
The stylistic choice of depicting Augustus's feet this way, which was typically reserved for gods and heroes in classical iconography.
What is barefoot (or heroic nudity)?
This structure, part of Nero's extravagant Domus Aurea (Golden House), was drained to create the site of the Colosseum
What was a private lake (or pond)?
This is the official date, in BCE, when the Senate granted Octavian the title "Augustus," marking the start of the Principate.
What is 27 BCE?
The Roman goddess of the hunt, the Moon, and childbirth, known to the Greeks as Artemis.
Who is Diana?
The prophetess who guides Aeneas into the realm of the dead in Book 6, an oracle of Apollo.
Who is the Cumaean Sibyl?
The military title of Commander-in-Chief that the statue's general's armor and commanding pose are meant to emphasize.
What is Imperator?
The term for the circular opening at the dome's apex, which is its sole source of natural light.
What is the oculus?
Augustus preferred to be called this modest title, meaning "first citizen," to conceal his true power.
What is Princeps?
The name of the river where Romulus and Remus were abandoned and later rescued by a she-wolf.
What is the Tiber?
Aeneas hesitates before killing Turnus, but decides to deliver the final blow when he sees Turnus wearing this piece of armor.
What is Pallas's sword belt (or baldric)?
The general term for the 200-year period of Roman peace that Augustus's reign ushered in and which the statue's imagery celebrates.
What is the Pax Romana?
The Pantheon was originally built by this close associate of Augustus between 27 and 25 BCE, but it burned down twice.
Who is Agrippa?
This was the name of the legislative and military power, often associated with Tribunes, which gave Augustus the power of veto and sacrosanctity.
What is Tribunicia Potestas (Tribunician Power)?
This two-faced god represents beginnings, endings, transitions, and time, and is the namesake of the first month of the year.
Who is Janus?