The Ara Pacis Augustae (“Altar of Augustan Peace”) was commissioned by the Roman Senate in 13 BC to celebrate Augustus’ safe return from campaigns in Gaul and Spain, and dedicated in 9 BC. One of the finest surviving examples of Augustan propaganda in stone, its sculpted relief panels depict a religious procession featuring Augustus, his family, and Roman priests, alongside allegorical scenes celebrating the peace and prosperity (the Pax Romana) his rule was said to have brought. Originally sited in the Campus Martius, the altar was gradually buried under centuries of flooding and silt before being rediscovered and painstakingly reassembled in the 20th century. It is now displayed in a modern museum designed by American architect Richard Meier, opened in 2006 near the Mausoleum of Augustus. [Editor’s note: this page did not appear on the original site at all. This paragraph was drafted as a placeholder using general reference sources and should be reviewed/expanded by Dr. Siegel.]