Reconstrution by G. Gatti (from Boatwright)

Introduction:

At the most basic level, the Mausoleum of Augustus was built by Octavian to house his own cremated remains and those of chosen family and friends. However, even cursory observation shows that this monument transcends its apparently mundane purpose.

Almost every aspect of the structure was designed explicitly to highlight Augustan greatness. The term that came to describe the structure – Mausoleum –has itself connotations of greatness, since it is a reference to the tomb of the Anatolian dynast Mausolus, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world (Strabo 5.3.9).

Perhaps as is fitting for a man of his ambition and ego, Augustus primarily used his mausoleum as a means of crafting his own legacy, both literally and figuratively.