The year 31 BC is considered a year of change. The numerous civil wars that the population of the Roman Republic had endured for decades officially came to an end under the rule of Gaius Octavius, Caesar's adopted son. Octavius, who soon received the honorary name Augustus, became the first emperor of Rome and assumed sole rule over the entire Roman Empire. This change led to the end of the previous elitist and popular authority and thus the era of the Roman Republic. 

The art of portraiture during the reign of Augustus also marked a sharp break with the traditions and norms of the Republic. Using plaster casts of portrait busts and statues in the basement of the Archaeological Museum, Nick Winkelmann traces the history of the declining Republic in the March edition of ‘Theme of the Month’ and explains how Emperor Augustus was portrayed in his portraits as emperor. The Sunday tours take place on 8 and 15 March at 2.15 p.m. in the Archaeological Museum, Domplatz 20-22. Admission is free and registration is not required.

Due to its great and lasting success, the Archaeological Museum is extending the special exhibition “Sicily – Island of Arethusa” by one month until March 27, 2026. Over the past four months, around 5,300 people have visited the exhibition, which showcases the museum's rich collection of Sicilian coins. The multimedia exhibition concept, which incorporates not only coins but also casts and originals from sculpture, architecture, and literature, as well as an interactive map, and highlights the interconnection with other forms of art and culture, contributed to a new visitor record last year. In 2025, a total of almost 18,000 people visited the museum in the heart of the old town.

With almost 18,000 visitors, the Archaeological Museum set a new visitor record last year. One reason for the great interest is likely to be the two special exhibitions that were shown in the building on Domplatz in 2025. The exhibition ‘Body.Cult.Religion’, which was shown from 25 October 2024 to 26 February 2025 in collaboration with the Bible Museum, attracted a total of around 7,000 curious visitors. The coin exhibition ‘Sicily – Island of Arethusa’, which can be seen until 27 February this year, has already been viewed by over 3,000 interested visitors.

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