The massive
circular tomb of Emperor Augustus in Rome has recently been opened to the public. This makes
headline news to most people (including the Roman citizens) because the
building was neglected and stood abandoned for the past 80 years. Finally, renovation
works were completed, and the mausoleum has opened for visitors. The Mausoleum of the first Roman Emperor stands along the Tiber River
just as the much better-known Castel Sant’Angelo, which initially was conceived
as a mausoleum for the later Emperor Hadrian (ruled 117-138 AD)
and his family.
Working on the Tomb of Augustus,
archaeologists were in for some surprises. They always thought that this
mausoleum was cone-shaped, but their restoration revealed a cylindrical
building. That is not surprising if we look at Hadrian’s
Mausoleum, which also stands along the Tiber
and is cylindrical.
As Octavian returned home after his victory over Egypt, he
proclaimed himself emperor and took the name Augustus. This
was the proper time to start the construction of his tomb. With his title of
Emperor came the megalomania of having the largest mausoleum ever with a
diameter of about 87
meters! It seems that even today, this is a world
record. The idea was that the emperors coming after him would also be buried in
this tomb. So the ashes of Tiberius, Caligula, and Claudius were indeed interred in this necropolis. It must
have made quite a statement with its shiny marble walls. Archaeologists suspect
that an enormous statue of Augustus crowned the mausoleum.
This type of construction was apparently not confined to Rome since other similar tombs existed in Algeria. The
Royal Mausoleum of Mauretania in Tipaza may
be the best-preserved example. It was built in 3 BC for King Juba II of Mauretania and Cleopatra Selene II, his wife. This
queen was the daughter of Cleopatra VII and Marc Antony. She successfully ruled over Mauretania
until she died in 6 BC. Her husband built this mausoleum for her, and based on
its size, the idea probably was to also use it for future generations of royal
families. King Juba died in 23 AD, and his remains joined those of his
wife.
The mausoleum appears not to be unique as the shape was known
throughout Numidia.
It may, however, also be inspired by Augustus’ tomb
which was built some 25 years earlier. The circular stone construction
with a diameter of 60
meters was initially topped with a cone or pyramid
standing 40 meters
tall. The walls were decorated around the outside perimeter with 60 Ionic
columns, which have now lost their capitals. Inside there were two separate
vaulted chambers.
A recent article published on Academia by
Michael Bengtsson, “Reconstruction of the Palace area in Alexandria,” sheds another light on the Mausoleum of Alexander, which was visited for centuries in Alexandria. The author has carefully reconstructed the Royal
Palace of Alexandria, referring to the texts written by Zenobius, Strabo,
Suetonius, and Lucan.
Based on the striking resemblance between the Royal Mausoleum of
Mauretania in Algeria and
the Mausoleum of Augustus in Rome, Michael
Bengtsson concluded that the
tomb of Alexander served as a prototype for both. I think we may
safely assume that the size of Alexander’s circular tomb must have
surpassed all!
In the case of
the Algerian Mausoleum, we can be confident that Cleopatra Selene, born in Alexandria, thoroughly knew the Palace and the burial site of Alexander. As General Octavian, Augustus conquered Alexandria
in 30 BC after winning the Battle of Actium against Marc Antony. He
also visited the tomb of Alexander.
And finally, Hadrian was in Alexandria
in 130 BC. As a lover of all things Greek, he most certainly
was full of admiration for Alexander and
must have seen his tomb. He may well have been inspired to use the circular
shape for his own Mausoleum.
Other Roman emperors who paid their respects to Alexander were Julius Caesar in 45 BC, Caligula, Septimius Severus early 3rd century AD, and Caracalla in the 3rd century AD. It is said that Septimius Severus closed Alexander’s tomb
to the public when too many tourists flocked to see it! The crowds and tourists
are of all times, it seems.
See also: Linking the Pantheon in Rome with ancient Mausoleums
[Top picture from World History Encyclopedia - Second picture from Atlas Obscura - Bottom picture from Michael Bengtsson]
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