In this richly illustrated book, a reconstruction of the tomb of Augustus in Rome makes it look like the grandest fairground carousel ever built. The first Roman emperor Augustus began construction of the tower in 28 BC (42 years before his death). The drum-shaped tower was a new design for Rome, inspired by Etruscan and Greek Example, covering a whole new area of the city was created to commemorate his own divine glory. Initially, it was filled with columns and sculptures, topped by a huge bronze statue of the emperor, which sat on a garden terrace and was surrounded by a white travertine wall with a diameter of 87 meters, the longest wall in the Roman Empire.
The mausoleum – a model of Castel Sant’Angelo, Hadrian’s mausoleum and later the pope’s palatial apartment – has survived, battered but still of real monumental significance. Ancient Roman historian Suetonius said Augustus boasted that he discovered Roman brick and left behind marble, but it turned out that brick (along with Rome’s miracle material, concrete, which made the Pantheon and its massive dome Preserved intact for 2000 years) longer lasting. In many of Paul Roberts’s “Fifty Monuments,” his descriptions of their long afterlife are gripping. For example, the Mausoleum of Augustus lost its shiny marble and elaborate decoration in the 1160s; by the 17th century it was used for bullfighting and buffalo hunting; in the 19th century it became a theater and concert hall. The stone used to house the urn of Agrippina, granddaughter of Augustus and mother of the infamous Caligula, became a measuring stick for grain in the Middle Ages.
Favored by Mussolini
In the 20th century, Mussolini razed all surrounding buildings to increase the mausoleum’s control over its surroundings and apparently considered adding his own remains to the history of his empire. Instead, his body was buried in an unmarked grave in 1945, resurrected and stolen by supporters in 1946, found and hidden for 11 years, and transferred to his home in Predapio in 1957 Among the graves of family members in the town, it has become a pilgrimage site for many.
This watercolor recreates the original splendor of the Mausoleum of Augustus and was created by French architect and archaeologist Jean-Claude Golvin and is one of hundreds of illustrations in the book. Illustrations range from paintings by the Old Masters to engravings, including those by Piranesi, and photographs, including many by the author himself. One of the most beautiful illustrations is a golden rendition of the once vast lost temple of Jupiter. The two-page book is the work of 19th-century academic and architect CR Cockerell, whose designs include the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, where Roberts is curator of antiquities. Many of the striking moody images were created by the muralist Alan Sorrell (1904-74), whose archives are held at the Ashmolean Museum. Sorrell’s career as an archaeological illustrator began in 1936 when the great Kathleen Kenyon invited him to recreate a site for an archaeological site. illustrated london news: Archaeologist Barry Cunliffe describes his work as inspiring as that of star archaeologists Glyn Daniel and Mortimer Wheeler.
Formally, the book covers nearly a thousand years, from the construction of the Temple of Jupiter Optimus Prime, which began in the late 600s BC, to the erection of Phoca in 608 AD during the brief reign of Phocas Scylla, after which he was deposed, dragged through the streets and disemboweled. Yet the title of Roberts’ book is a gross understatement: The man couldn’t resist a tempting trail and visited hundreds more sights than the advertised 50. Neil MacGregor had patented the idea when he created it. 100 objects tell the history of the world year 2010. However cliché the title may be, however, Roberts’ romp through ancient and contemporary Rome is indeed a brilliant piece of work. While the book is 256 pages and as thick as a wallet, it contains maps and guarantees that you can visit all 50 locations without asking for special access from the pope or emperor, it is well worth planning an epic trip. city tour.
- Paul Roberts, Ancient Rome among its fifty monuments, Thames & Hudson, 256 pp, 185 color illustrations, £30, published 18 April
- Maeve Kennedy is a freelance arts and archeology journalist and co-author of The Art Newspaper
