Sacrificial Altar
Front - original west face
Reconstruction: The sacrificial altar is the center-piece of the entire Ara Pacis Augustae, yet much of its form and size is necessarily speculative. Very few original parts had survived so that when the archaeologists reconstructed it in 1938 much of its size and shape had to be imagined. The archaeologists have tried to make this clear by distinguishing between original marble and other parts, but this is not normally understood by the public.
Parts of the sacrificial altar: Descriptions in publications are sometimes confusing because some sections of the sacrificial altar are referred to with different terms and the same term is sometimes used to refer to different sections.
The use of the term “altar” alone can be especially confusing. In publications one finds this term occasionally used to refer to the Ara Pacis as a whole, often to the entire structure within the enclosing precinct walls, sometimes to the portion of the sacrifical altar above the base, or above the plinth, or, at the extreme, to the sacrificial table only.
On this website, the parts of the structure within the precinct walls are distinguished as follows.
Sacrificial altar – the entire structure within the enclosing precinct walls.
Base – the 3 lowest levels. In the front these serve as stairs.
Plinth – the level above the base and below the podium. In the front, the plinth serves as the first step up to the sacrificial table.
Podium – the large u-shaped structure resting on the plinth and below the hypothetical structure sometimes called the "prothesis". 4 steps are set into the front of the podium, leading to it's top, the level on which priests would stand.
Prothesis - the large u-shaped structure (hypothetically reconstructed in 1938 with no original parts) resting on the podium and supporting the sacrificial table in the center and 2 crowning elements along the sides.
Sacrificial table (mensa) – the flat, horiizontal slab on top of the prothesis, between the back halves of the 2 side crowning elements. Scholars agree that there were originally figural friezes front and back.
Crowns – the 2 elaborate vertical side elements, resting on the sides of the prothesis.
Each of these 2 vertical elements consists of:
Friezes and griffin-lions - the bottom level of the vertical side crowns.
Volutes – the top level of the vertical side crowns.
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Only portions of the sacrificial altar can be seen from any one position outside the precinct wall. photo July-Oct. 2008
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"Fig. 99 - Architectonic structure of the altar (drawing G. Gatti)". Scanned from Giiuseppe Moretti, L'Ara Pacis Augustae; Rome, 2005 (1st ed. 1948), vol.1, fig.99. Reproduced with appreciation.
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To avoid misinterpreting the color of the Ara Pacis, it is well to note the range of color recorded in a photograph such as this. The light, creamy color at the top of the altar and on the far wall are appropximately accurate, whereas areas in the foreground are seriously discolored by shadows and reflections. 14mm lens, severe perspective distortion, |
"Author's drawing. East-west section of the altar with dimensions." This is the only published drawing of these measurements; taken in the field. Scanned from Wayne Andersen, The Ara Pacis of Augustus and Mussolini: An Archaeological Mystery; Geneva: Editions Fabriart, 2003, fig.9. Reproduced with appreciation. |
"Author's quick sketch made at the site. A - stepped base and podium, B - hypothetical prothesis, C - table top". Scanned from Wayne Andersen, The Ara Pacis of Augustus and Mussolini: An Archaeological Mystery; Geneva: Editions Fabriart, 2003, fig.46. Reproduced with appreciation. |
"Author's drawing. West elevation of the altar, with dimensions taken in the field, and human scale". Scanned from Wayne Andersen, The Ara Pacis of Augustus and Mussolini: An Archaeological Mystery; Geneva: Editions Fabriart, 2003, fig..42. Reproduced with appreciation. |
For clarity, I prefer to refer to the level running just below the podium as the "plinth" on which the podium rests, though some scholars refer to it as the top of a 4-stepped base. photo Oct. 2008 |
The face of the reconstructed podium has been roughened to indicate that it almost certainly held reliefs. photo July 2008
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Clearly, the molding on the front of the podium would originally have continued around onto the inner face beside the steps. photo July 2008
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Left side of the sacrificial altar and wall beyond, as seen from the doorway. 14mm lens, severe perspective distortion, photo Oct. 2008 |
Remnant of the podium's original upper molding, showing that it was an egg and dart design. photo July-Oct. 2008
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Remnant of the podium's original lower molding; alternating convex-concave, with cable molding at the bottom. photo July-Oct. 2008
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