Ara Pacis

The Ara Pacis is a historic altar in Rome dedicated to the Pax Romana. The monument was commissioned by the Roman Senate to honor the return of Augustus to Rome after three years in Hispania and Gaul. The altar reflects the Augustan vision of Roman civil religion, with its lower register depicting agricultural work meant to communicate the abundance and prosperity of the Roman Peace. The monument consists of a traditional open-air altar at its center surrounded by precinct walls, which are pierced by openings and elaborately sculpted in Luna marble. The exterior walls of the Ara Pacis are divided between allegorical and pseudo-historical relief panels on the upper register, while the lower register comprises scenes of nature, including harmonic, intertwined vines that contain wildlife and connote nature under control. The Ara Pacis is a significant historical and cultural landmark, offering a glimpse into ancient Roman art, architecture, and civil religion