Vatican Museums, Rome
This statue of Augustus shows him in his role as leader of the Roman army.
The decoration of his breast plate is used to evoke various mythological
and historical references. The figure of the sky spreads his cloak across
the top of the breastplate. Beneath him Sol, the Sun, drives his chariot
towards Aurora, the Dawn, who rides off on a winged female figure.
At the bottom rests the goddess Tellus, Earth. Above her, to the left and
right, Apollo rides a griffin and his sister Diana a stag. The two figures
in the centre probably represent Augustus's success in persuading the Parthians
to return Roman legionary standards they had captured thirty years earlier.
The cupid supporting the Emperor's right leg is the son of Venus and may
suggest Augustus's own descent from her through the Julian family. The dolphin
may refer to the emperor's victory at the sea battle of Actium. The statue
is from Livia's villa at Prima Porta, Rome.
最近研究神话，对奥古斯都这尊像身上的图绘产生兴趣。
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现在白话诗讲究象征主义，然而，没有古“典”，没有“神”，没有“圣”
，哪里来象征呢？象征什么呢？象征谁呢？
最近读了卢克莱修《物性论》中论及赫拉克利特的几句很是同感：
…………，可见，那些主张
火是万物的原料、并且单独由火
宇宙的全部东西就被形成的人，
乃是远远地离开了真正的推理。
作为这些人的首领负担战斗任务的
是那个赫拉克利特，他以晦涩的语言
闻名于愚人中间；而不是闻名
于那些严肃寻求真理的希腊人之间。
因为庸人惯于惊异和崇拜
隐藏在乖僻的语言底下的东西，
认为凡他们愚蠢的耳朵听来很甜蜜
或用巧妙雕琢的词句所粉饰的
东西－－就是真理。……