Trophies of Octavian Augustus erected to commemorate the victory at Actium and the conquest of Egypt with various other ornaments drawn and etched by Cavaliere Gio.Bat'ta Piranesi 1753 - 1778

This etching by Giovanni Battista Piranesi depicts trophies erected for Octavian Augustus, celebrating his victory at Actium and conquest of Egypt. Created in a time of burgeoning European empires, Piranesi evokes the power and grandeur of the Roman Empire. Through his detailed rendering, we see not just monuments, but symbols laden with complex histories of military triumph, imperial expansion, and the subjugation of other cultures. The trophies immortalize Augustus, but what of those he conquered? How are their identities and histories woven into this narrative of Roman glory? Piranesi presents us with an emotional paradox, inviting us to consider whose stories are told, whose are erased, and how monuments like these shape our understanding of history and identity.