Speculum Romanae Magnificentiae: The Egyptian Obelisk of Augustus 1589

This print of the Egyptian Obelisk of Augustus is one of a series known as the *Speculum Romanae Magnificentiae*, or Mirror of Roman Magnificence, which was made in Rome to celebrate the city’s ancient monuments. The Obelisk, originally erected in Heliopolis in Egypt, was brought to Rome by Emperor Augustus, the city’s first emperor, and erected in the Circus Maximus. By placing an ancient Egyptian monument in the heart of imperial Rome, Augustus sought to connect his rule with the power and prestige of ancient Egypt. This print emphasizes the continued presence of ancient power within the early modern city. The obelisk, topped with a Christian cross, stands as a monument to both pagan and Christian rule, demonstrating the social and cultural continuities between the ancient and modern worlds. Historians rely on sources like this to study how people thought about the past in early modern Italy.