Don't be surprised. PR was always there, even when people did not know about its existence. For example, the Egyptian pharaoh was a god for the Egyptians, but … he was dressed in exactly the same cut of a skirt as that of the last peasant, which demonstrated his "closeness to the people." A modern politician wears a black tie at a funeral, but for a debate, usually red is the color of dominance, and that is why American image makers do not advise girls to wear red underwear on their first intimate date. Subconsciously, this can affect the young man not in the best way, up to embarrassment. But midshipmen of the Marine Corps in St. Petersburg at the beginning of the twentieth century, on the contrary, were given government pants … red, and they were used exclusively for trips to hot spots! Well, in the past, luxurious clothes and even seemingly such a utilitarian thing as a battle carapace that protects the chest and back served the purpose of "demonstrating oneself" and dominating everyone else. So a different shell was more important just from the point of view of informational impact on the public, rather than as a means of personal protection. Well, as an example, let's take a close look at the famous statue of Caesar Octavian Augustus, found in Prima Porta, which can be seen in almost any of the textbooks on the history of the Ancient World. And - although it seems surprising, there are no less secrets in it than in another cipher, but what seems incomprehensible to us today, at that time everyone immediately understood!
The commander of Republican Rome in a muscular metal cuirass. To the left of him are the scribes, to the right are the honorary guards of the lictors. Rice. A. McBride.
Before, however, it should be remembered that already the Celts and Etruscans used metal (bronze and copper shells) muscular cuirasses, the main decoration of which was the more or less relief muscles of their owners, as well as spirals and circles minted from the inside from relief knobs. The Greeks refused these "excesses", and their cuirasses showed only the beauty of metal torsos. True, linen shells - lithoraxes made of quilted strips of linen fabric could be decorated with overlaid embossed images of lion faces and Medusa the Gorgon, but splendor was not held in high esteem by them, as, incidentally, by the Romans during the era of the republic.
Etruria. "Tomb of the Warrior in Vulchi" and the armor and weapons found in it. Baths of Diocletian National Museum, Rome.
Breastplate from Tomb of the Warrior in Vulci.
That is, if ordinary soldiers wore metal plates on belts or chain mail on their chests, then the commander could afford the maximum that was a muscular cuirass with emphasized muscles, which his servant polished every time to a mirror shine, which again emphasized his high status …
But the Republic was replaced by the Empire (even if it was still in the form of a principate), and it was here that everything changed, and in a very noticeable way.
Greek anatomical armor: breastplate - thorax and leggings - knemis. British museum
It all began with the fact that on April 20, 1863, a statue of Octavian Augustus was found in Prima Porta, which is now in the Vatican. Art critics believe that this statue is the most perfect depiction of Augustus, who is shown dressed in a rich chased carapace, which depicts several figures at once. At first it seems that they were made on it solely for the sake of beauty. However, it turns out that this is just a non-verbal, that is, non-verbal code, or, in other words, purely intuitive PR, which helped to influence the Roman public with the help of visual information!
King Menelaus. Greek vase from the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. He is wearing a linen carapace with metal scales attached to it.
First of all, it should be emphasized that Octavian Augustus never called himself either emperor or king, but demanded that the people around him call him princeps - “the first among equals”, that is, to demonstrate his attachment to the traditions of the Roman republic. And he really scored for himself a great many different first positions, declaring himself the first senator, and the first tribune, and the commander-in-chief, and even … the supreme (that is, the first!) Priest. Thus, he concentrated in his hands the power of a true supreme ruler, almost greater than many kings possessed at that time! At the same time, the Roman people, brought up in the traditions of democracy, did not at all consider themselves deceived by all these and did not present any claims to the usurper! How can this be explained?
A statue of a Roman emperor or general in a chased cuirass, elaborately and whimsically decorated, but tasteless. It depicts the goddess Selena and two Nereids. Approximate dating 100 - 130 years. AD Exhibited at the National Archaeological Museum in Athens.
And so that Augustus was able to show all his actions in such a way that the Romans quite sincerely thought that he was acting in the common interests and, in addition, sacredly honors the ancient patriarchal traditions of republican Rome. So he reduced the army - he saved the people's money! Introduced a luxury tax - another meritorious savings on … gladiatorial fights. Began to severely punish thieving officials? Well, this is absolutely wonderful: “He does everything for the people”!
Painted sculpture of Octavian Augustus. This is how both Greek and Roman sculptures should have looked in ancient times.
Things are good! One thing is bad: neither in face, nor in posture, nor in muscles, Octavian did not look like an ancient hero. He was short, albeit a little, but limped, and often froze, so that sometimes he put on several tunics at a time.
However, who do we see on the statue depicting him? The beautiful demigod is what we see on her. And although the statue, of course, could not speak, it was the shell “put on” on it that “spoke” for it, being an excellent means of non-verbal PR-communication!
A graphic representation of the details on the carapace of Octavian Augustus.
Well, so what did the people of that time, looking at him, recognize? On the upper part of the shell was an image of the god Helios, since it was believed that this god knew everything about everyone, because he could see everything from above. In addition, this is the god of the Sun, therefore, the purity of the thoughts of the princeps, therefore, should not cause doubts among anyone. Below were depicted two goddesses at once, Aurora and Selene, which symbolized the prosperity of Rome, which, they say, came under Augustus. God Mars, accompanied by a wolf (two figures in the very center of the shell), receiving a Roman eagle from the Parthian, well, everyone understands that - a symbol of victory over Parthia - although it was not military, but only diplomatic! But there was! On both sides on the shell were images of Germany and Spain, conveyed in allegorical form, conquered by the power of Roman weapons, and the god Apollo, riding a griffin, alluded to … the divinity of the princeps clan! Like, this is none other than the god Apollo himself united with his mother while she was sleeping, and in the end - such a wonderful ruler! Accordingly, the goddess Diana with a deer on the left side of the shell showed Octavian's connection with the Roman demos, since she was considered his patroness. Octavian never neglected the voices of the demos, arranged gladiatorial fights and distribution of bread for him, so that it was immediately clear to everyone that the goddess patronized the princeps. God Tellus with his cornucopia is again a hint of the prosperity that Octavian brought to the Roman people.
It's funny that Augustus is barefoot on the statue, although, as an emperor, he usually always and everywhere walked in shoes. In this case, it is the Greek tradition to portray the hero without shoes. And here another hint is hidden, a hint that Octavian is none other than the second Alexander the Great. In addition, two more characters are depicted on the shell - a dolphin and Cupid, also for a reason. Both are satellites of the goddess Venus. Venus, on the other hand, was considered the patroness of the house of Julia, and her companion, the dolphin, reminded that the goddess was born from sea foam. There is an assumption that Augustus originally held a spear in his left hand - another heroic symbol, but in the Renaissance the spear was replaced with an imperial scepter, and thus the imperial "greatness" of Octavian Augustus was finally confirmed.
Sculpture in marble.
Well, and of course, considering all these details, people of our time have little to say. But for the contemporaries of Octavian, his statue was like an "open book." So the Roman just had to look at her with a cursory glance to make sure once again: yes, indeed, Octavian Augustus is actually divine, everything that he does for society is only beneficial and good for everyone and for everyone! So, people paid great attention to such non-verbal communications already in those distant years, and, of course, all the same is the case now!
