The meridian was built in the Piazza de Montecitorio, in line with the Ara Pacis to create symmetry among the monuments. It is rumored to have been designed to have a shadow cast on the Ara Pacis on certain important dates, such as Augustus’s birthday. As time was a very important tool for religious and political life in Rome, this monument also served as a useful tool for the daily proceedings within the city. This monument served to pronounce Augustus’s power by not only demonstrating his triumph over Egypt, but also his ability to “control time”. As methods of measuring time were relatively new back then, this was a very significant scientific accomplishment, as well. At the same time, this monument could also serve the interests of the public by giving the public a tool to measure time and govern their political and religious activities.

The shadow of the Obelisk supposedly fell on the Ara Pacis during Augustus’s birthday. Image taken from http://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/ancient-cultures/ancient-near-eastern-world/ara-pacis-illuminated/