Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Date of Degree

6-2026

Document Type

Master's Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts

Program

Classics

Advisor

Rachel Kousser

Subject Categories

Ancient History, Greek and Roman through Late Antiquity | Classical Archaeology and Art History

Keywords

Dionysos, Augustus, Actium, statuary

Abstract

At the center of the Roman court at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York stands an almost seven-foot-tall statue of an androgynous looking figure, leaning on a smaller statue of a woman. This piece, formally known as Statue of Dionysos Leaning on a Female Figure, has been nicknamed the Hope Dionysos for both the archaic statue he is leaning on, as well as the family to whose collection he belonged for many years. However, in its day, the statue occupied a complicated place in Roman culture. This paper will examine the ways in which Dionysos, specifically through the representation of the Hope Dionysos, both challenged and promoted the new societal norms under Augustus’ reign, particularly in the wake of the civil war. Numerous scholars have examined the antagonistic relationship between Dionysos and the Augustan status quo; however, few scholars have explored the ways in which the god was able to affirm and support the new social agenda under Augustus. A more complex understanding of Dionysos’ place in early Imperial society, instead of a binary “pro-” or “anti-” Augustan stance, will provide a more accurate picture of the ancient perception of the god. Through the use of contemporary Augustan art (such as the Ara Pacis and the Garden Room at the Villa of Livia) and contemporary literary sources (such as Horace and Livy), I will argue that rather than solely promoting Augustus or Mark Antony, the Hope Dionysos – and by extension the god Dionysos – allowed a viewer to engage in and associate the statue with both, thus serving as a “safe” outlet for subversive thought. Though Dionysos was seemingly all things Augustus was not, the god was far more complex than that.

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