The
Ara Pacis Augustae (
Latin, "Altar of Augustan Peace"; commonly shortened to
Ara Pacis) is an
altar in
Rome dedicated to
Pax, the
Roman goddess of
Peace. The monument was commissioned by the
Roman Senate on July 4, 13 BC to honor the return of
Augustus to Rome after three years in
Hispania and
Gaul, and consecrated on January 30, 9 BC. The altar reflects the Augustan vision of
Roman civil religion. It consists of a traditional open-air altar at its center surrounded by precinct walls which are pierced on the eastern and western ends by openings. The Ara Pacis is perhaps best known for the decoration on the exterior of the precinct walls composed of two tiers of friezes. On the north and south, the upper register depicts the procession of members of the Imperial household and the larger regime, while on the east and west, panels depict allegorical themes of peace and Roman civic ritual. The lower register of the frieze depicts vegetal work meant to communicate the abundance and prosperity of the Roman Peace . The monument as a whole serves a civic ritual function whilst simultaneous operating as propaganda for Augustus and his regime, easing notions of autocracy and dynastic succession that might otherwise be unpalatable to traditional Roman culture.