Skip to main content

Secondary sourceArtifact7-6 BC

Trophy of Augustus

Roman Senate · 7-6 BC

A monument at La Turbie in France built by the Roman Senate to commemorate Augustus's conquest of Alpine tribes.

This monument was built by the Senate to honour Augustus's military conquests in the Alps.

Ask Augustus about this sourceView the original(opens in new tab)
Ruined stone monument on a hilltop: a tall, weathered cylindrical tower of rough masonry with arched crenellation at the top, and a curved colonnade of pillars and carved architrave on its left side. Dark evergreen trees stand in front.
Trophy of Augustus (Tropaeum Alpium), 7-6 BC. La Turbie, France.

About this source

What it is

The Trophy of Augustus, also called the Tropaeum Alpium, is a monument at La Turbie in France, erected by decree of the Roman Senate around 7-6 BC. It originally carried an inscription recording the Alpine peoples defeated under Augustus, known today through the writings of Pliny.

Why it matters

The monument celebrated the conquest of numerous Alpine tribes, showing how the Senate publicly credited Augustus with expanding and securing Roman territory. That its text survives mainly through a later writer, Pliny, rather than directly on the ruined stone, reminds students how much of ancient history depends on later copies and quotations.

Look closer

  • Why would the Senate want to build a monument honouring Augustus's military victories?
  • What does it mean that we know the inscription mainly from Pliny's writing rather than the stone itself?
  • What can the ruined state of the monument tell us about the passage of time since Augustus's reign?

This artifact is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Augustus on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

More Augustus sources

Meet the AI Augustus →
Black-and-white photograph of a large weathered marble inscription in Latin capital letters, arranged in horizontal lines across several panels, with a large white area where stone is missing on the left side.Document

Primary source

Res Gestae Divi Augusti

Augustus · 14 AD

Line engraving of a curly-haired man in profile wearing a draped Roman cloak, one hand resting on a globe and the other holding a scroll, inside an ornate border. Title reads 'D. Oct. Augustus' with a text block below.Painting

Secondary source

Emperor Augustus with Globe

After Titian (engraving by A. Sadeler, after Titian) · between 1700 and 1799 (possibly 17th century)

Photograph of a marble sculpted head on a white background. It has short, wavy hair carved in curling locks, large almond-shaped eyes with heavy lids, a straight nose, and a small closed mouth. The neck is broken off at the bottom.Sculpture

Primary source

Relief Head of the Young Augustus

Marble statue of a standing man in armor, right arm raised pointing forward, with a draped cloak over his left arm. A small cupid-like figure with a dolphin stands beside his right leg. Plain dark grey background.Sculpture

Secondary source

Augustus of Prima Porta

c. 19 BCE or later

Marble enclosure of the Ara Pacis in a glass-walled museum hall, seen from the southwest. Carved relief panels decorate the walls, with a doorway and a stepped approach at the front.Artifact

Primary source

Ara Pacis

13-9 BCE

Ready when you are

Start chatting with Augustus now.

20 messages free · No credit card · Available in 50+ languages.

Trial Humy for freeGet a quote for institutions