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This is the "Prima Porta Augustus" that is on display in the Vatican Museum in Rome. Augustus is shown as the commander of the army addressing his troops. He is in military dress and the breastplate commemorates the recapture of the "army standards" from the Parthians in 20 BC. At his feet is a cupid, riding a dolphin, that alludes to the imperial family's descent from Venus through her son Aeneas and grandson Ascanius.
It is believed that this is a smaller copy of a larger bronze statue of Augustus that was placed on the top of his mausoleum!
This statue, in marble, is about 6 feet 10 inches tall and weighs about 2,200 pounds. It was discovered in 1863 in the villa of the empress Livia near Prima Porta on the Via Flaminia.
