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Published: Nov. 3, 2022, 7:30 a.m.

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\\nUnderstanding ancient monuments requires a careful eye as well as detective work to delve into the representations and their layers of meaning. In this interview we are joined by Dr Victoria Austen to consider the representation of foliage on the Ara Pacis Augustae and the Garden Room of Livia\\u2019s villa. Both these structures hold a special place for scholars interested in the Augustan period and studying them together reveals fruitful connections for considering the messages Augustus sought to convey about his rule.
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\\nSpecial Episode - The Ara Pacis and Livia\'s Villa with Dr Victoria Austen
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\\nDr Victoria Austen holds a MA and PhD from King\\u2019s College London. She has lectured in the Classics at the University of Winnipeg and is currently the Robert A. Oden, Jr. Postdoctoral Fellow for Innovation in the Humanities and Classics at Carleton College, Minnesota. Her research interests span the Latin literature of the Late Republic and Early Empire; ancient Roman gardens and landscapes; race and ethnicity in the ancient world; the reception of classical myth; and the integration of digital humanities into the classroom. Austen\\u2019s monograph Analysing the Boundaries of the Roman Garden: (Re)Framing the Hortus is forthcoming in 2023 as part of the Bloomsbury Ancient Environments Series.
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\\nThe Ara Pacis Augustae
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\\nThe Altar of Augustan Peace is considered one of the outstanding monuments from the reign of Augustus. It\\u2019s packed with images and is most famous for its processional friezes and the friezes that depict various deities. But when you encounter the Ara Pacis, you\'re at eye level with the acanthus friezes - highly stylised displays of foliage and small animals. It is these acanthus friezes that we consider with Dr Austen.
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\\nThe acanthus friezes of the Ara Pacis dominate the lower register of the exterior. They were originally highly saturated and striking in colour.\\xa0
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\\nOne of the acanthus friezes up close. The foliage grows out from an acanthus base and as the tendrils progress they seem to change into different plants. At the top of the frieze you might even spot two swans on either side of the main stem. Thanks to Dr Victoria Austen for this photo.
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\\nThe Garden Room of Livia\\u2019s Villa
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\\nA more private setting than the Ara Pacis, Livia\\u2019s villa is nonetheless an important example for considering the ways in which garden imagery was utilised during the Augustan regime. Dr Austen takes us on a tour of the Garden Room delving into the imagery and how understanding this room can help us better appreciate the Ara Pacis as well.
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\\nThe Garden Room of Livia\'s Villa can still be visited today - we highly recommend the experience! The fresco is housed by the Palazzo Massimo alle Terme. Photo credit to Miguel Hermoso Cuesta, Wikimedia Commons.
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\\nDetail from the Garden frieze showing the low fences that suggest a demarcated garden area with a wilderness in the background. Notice the continued sense of cultivation throughout. Photo courtesy of Dr Victoria Austen.
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\\nDifferent trees are a focal point in the Garden frescoes and here we see an oak surrounded by birdlife. Photo courtesy of Dr Victoria Austen.
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\\nLooking to learn more about Livia after this episode? We have just the thing for you -