ABSTRACT
Power and Propaganda examines the five extant large Imperial cameos of the Early Roman Empire, yet the book starts with the Aquileia Dish, a silver picture dish from the 30s BCE. At first glance, this might seem like a disconcerting place to begin, but it is necessary to examine the Aquileia Dish because the silver dish is the reason why there were large Imperial cameos to begin with. Cleopatra, the Egyptian Ptolemaic queen, commissioned the Aquileia Dish as propaganda to promote her partner, Mark Antony (Livia will respond artistically with the Tazza Farnese). Through its iconography, in the Aquileia Dish, Cleopatra promotes Mark Antony to become the sole ruler of Rome, advertising what he could bring to the new empire, especially as a result of an alliance with her, including Egypt, fertility, and abundance. Their three children, also pictured on the silver dish, represent the seamless continuation of their dynasty and ensure the prosperity of Egypt and Rome. Behind every man is an even greater woman, and Cleopatra starts the ball rolling with an ingenious way to promote Mark Antony and their children for succession.
