Augusto tra testi e monumenti. Gli ornamenti del santuario di Apollo Palatino e un serpente sull'ara Pacis

The aim of the article is to provide exemplification of the functions of ornamenta (statues and paintings) and the decorative “programmes” in Augustan Rome, in the intentions of the clients and to the eyes of the users of the time, with particular attention to the sanctuary of Apollo Palatine and to the so-called porticus of the Danaids, thanks elegy II, 31 of Propertius. The ancient texts selectively mention and describe the monuments, without necessarily having to, or intending to, explain their significance. Modern-day scholars reconstructing the programmes may in some cases risk over-interpreting them. The correspondence between texts and monuments (as in the case of the Ara Pacis) are undeniable, but is it possible to establish more precise structural analogies?