Title
Description
Scale model of the Arch of Augustus at Susa, circa 1st century BCE. Origin site is Susa, Turin, in the Piedmont province of Italy.
Publication Date
1978
Type of Artwork
Model
Time Period/Geographical Region
Ancient Rome
Height (cm/in)
81.28 cm / 32 in
Width (cm/in)
81.01 cm / 31.5 in
Depth (cm/in)
57.15 cm / 22.5 in
Disciplines
Ancient History, Greek and Roman through Late Antiquity | Sculpture
Recommended Citation
Morehead State University. Camden-Carroll Library., "Arch of Augustus at Susa" (1978). Metropolitan Museum of Art Cast Collection. 32.
https://scholarworks.moreheadstate.edu/metropolitan_art_collection/32
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Comments
This cast is a scale model of a triumphal arch found in the city of Susa, Italy. It was originally built in the 1st century by a local king named Marcus Julius Cottius, who dedicated it to Augustus, the first emperor of Rome. Triumphal arches were built by Romans to mark the important achievements of imperial rule. The arch bears an dedication inscription (not visible on our scale model) and a frieze with sculptural reliefs that runs horizontally above the archway and columns. The frieze depicts a sacrifice known as suovetaurilia, where pigs, sheep, and bulls were led to the slaughter to appease the gods.