Fragments of Ara Pacis Augustae
Head of a Young Man, thought to be the young god Honos
This marble head of a young man is one of the finest and most important fragments of the Ara Pacis on display in the lower level of the Museo dell’Ara Pacis.
The history of this head reveals the gradual evolution of scholarship and restoration of the Ara Pacis. The head was discovered in 1859 while underpinnings were being added to the walls of the Palazzo Fiano. It was first illustrated by Petersen (1902), incorrectly accompanying one of the Della Valle-Medici slabs, then considered part of the Ara Pacis. It was first identified as the young god Honos and illustrated as part of the Roma panel by Studniczka (1909), close to the positions to which it is now ascribed by most scholars (see illustrations below). In his 1938 reconstruction of the Ara Pacis and 2 volume 1948 publication, Moretti inserted the head in the Aeneas panel, thinking it might belong to the figure of Aeneas’ companion Achates, standing at the far right holding a spear (illustrations below). In her classic 1953 article, Toynbee correctly calls attention to the fact that the head is slighty too large in scale for the Aeneas panel and agrees with Studniczka's 1909 identification.
During the restoration of the 1980s, the head was removed from the Aeneas panel. Ever since then, it has been considered most likely part of the Roma panel, though it has never been inserted. In the recent color projection, an image of the head has been included as part of the Honos figure at the right of the Roma panel.
A clear, detailed account of the excavation and scholalry study and reconstruction of fragments from the Ara Pacis is provided in the museum's impressive guidebook by Orietta Rossini, Ara Pacis, Comune di Roma (2006) pp. 93-99.
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Head of a young man from the Ara Pacis, thought to be Honos from the Roma panel. photo May 2010
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Three views of the head of a young man from the Ara Pacis, thought to be Honos from the Roma panel. On display in the lower level of the Museo dell'Ara Pacis. photo May 2010 |
Head of a young man from the Ara Pacis, thought to be Honos from the Roma panel. photo May 2010 |
1902 Petersen "Ara Pacis: Outerfrieze. Villa Medici, front wall on the left. Terme Museum, bonus eventus". Scanned from Eugen Petersen, Ara Pacis Augustae, Archäologischen Institutes in Wien, 1902, vol. with photos, pl.7 left page. Reproduced with appreciation.
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1909 Studniczka "Fragments of the relief of the Ara Pacis north of the east door, Terme Museum." Scanned from Franz Studniczka, "Zur Ara Pacis", Abb, Sächs. Ges. der Wissenschaften, XXVI, 1909, plate 6, fig.7. Reproduced with appreciation.
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1909 Studniczka "Head of a young god (Honos) from the Ara Pacis in the Terme Museum". This was the first publication of a high quality photograph of this head. Scanned from Franz Studniczka, "Zur Ara Pacis", Abb, Sächs. Ges. der Wissenschaften, XXVI, 1909, plate 7. Reproduced with appreciation.
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1948 Moretti "West Front of the Monument". Scanned from Giuseppe Moretti, L'Ara Pacis Augustae; Rome: La Libreria dello Stato, 1948, detail of pl.1. Courtesy of the Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato, Rome. Reproduced with appreciation.
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1953 Toynbee "Reconstruction of West Side (now facing south)". Showing the head of the young man inserted in the Aeneas panel. Scanned from Toynbee, "Ara Pacis Reconsidered", Proceedings of the British Academy, 39 (1953), pl 7. © The British Academy 1953. Reproduced by permission from Proceedings of the British Academy, vol. 39. Reproduced with appreciation.
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1953 Toynbee "Ara Pacis: head of personification (?) from Roma Scene (?). (Restored by Moretti as head of Achates (?) from scene of Aeneas' sacrifice)". Scanned from Toynbee, "Ara Pacis Reconsidered", Proceedings of the British Academy, 39 (1953), pl.12b. © The British Academy 1953. Reproduced by permission from Proceedings of the British Academy, vol. 39. Reproduced with appreciation. |
1980s following Panel of Aeneas sacrificing to the Penates; after removal in 1980s of the head of a young man, wrongly inserted by Moretti in the 1937-38 reconstruction. photo July 2008. |
1938 following Panel of the goddess Roma; as reconstructed by Moretti 1938. photo July 2008
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2009 following Panel of the goddess Rome between two young gods, thought to be Virtus and Honos. Color reconstruction projected on the Ara Pacis panel. photo May 2010
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