Immagini del potere. Ritratti imperiali a Cirene in età augustea

In one of his edicts from Cyrene, Augustus addresses the unauthorized removal of one of his statues, offering early evidence on the presence of his portraits in the city. The publication of Inscriptions of Roman Cyrenaica in 2020 and on-site epigraphic surveys by the author have led to the identification of eleven statue bases from the reigns of Augustus and Tiberius pertaining to portraits of the princeps and his relatives. These include a family monument, two statues of Augustus, three of Tiberius, one each of Octavia Minor and Julia, and three of Livia Drusilla. Among these, a statue of Octavian dating to 30 BCE – likely erected shortly after Cyrenaica changed sides following the battle of Actium – deserves particular attention. While the analysis of these bases sheds light on Cyrene’s epigraphic habit and monumental landscape during the Augustan period, it also provides us with insights on the region’s history. For instance, Marcus Sufenas Proculus, dedicator of at least two statues of Tiberius, can now be identified with the tribunus of the Praetorian Guard active in Cyrenaica during the Marmaric War and mentioned by Cassius Dio. A statue base allegedly pertaining to a portrait of the local heroine Aretaphila is also examined.