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The Imperial Cult for worship of the emperor

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The Imperial Cult for worship of the emperor

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The imperial cult of Rome made emperors and their family's divine authorities in the Roman state. The cult made roman citizens more loyal to the emperor of Rome since the emperor was believed to be a divine figure.
The cults beliefs varied in regions but generally believed the emperor's rule was divinely approved so going against the rule of the emperor  would be like going against the gods, this would make rebellions less likely and increase the loyalty of the citizens to the emperor. The cult began under Augustus to help justify him becoming emperor and to convince the citizens to be loyal to the Roman Empire.  The cult spread quickly and became closely related to Romes official religion and gods, this meant going against the ideas of the cult was like going against Roman religion and was considered treasonous.

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Augustus established a postal service to communicate reliably as well as rapidly with the help of the governors and military officials.  Nothing could prevent them from completing their rounds.  Due to the modernly well-engineered roads, it was a relatively simple task for mail-carriers to travel 50 miles on horse drawn carriages to deliver the mail.  There was a cursus publicus or a “fast course” which high-prioritized people like the governor got their mail delivered on.  Augustus and succeeding rulers built 47,000 miles of roads as well as relay stations, each having a station master, accountants, grooms, and mail carriers to make delivering the mail easier.  The fast course was divided into two: Oxen were used to carry heavy loads and service was used for personal reasons.

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The Arch of Augustus was the triumphal arch of Augustus, located in the Roman Forum. It crossed over the Via Sacra, standing between the Temple of Castor and Pollux and the Temple of Caesar, near the Temple of Vesta, closing off the eastern end of the Forum. It can be regarded as the first permanent three-bayed arch ever built in Rome. The archaeological evidence shows the existence of a three-bayed arch measuring 17.75 x 5.25 meters between the Temple of Caesar and the Temple of Castor and Pollux, although only the travertine foundations of the structure remain. Ancient sources mention arches erected in honor of Augustus in the Forum on two different occasions: the victory over Antony and Cleopatra in 31 BCE, as well as the recovery of the standards lost to the Parthians in the year 20 BCE.

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Hut of Romulus on the Palatine burnt (rebuilding)

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Hut of Romulus on the Palatine burnt (rebuilding)

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The hut of Romulus on the Palatine was where Romulus, the founder of Rome lived. This hut is known as the Tugurium Romuli and was located on the Palestine hill. Inside, it was a single room peasant-like structure with a straw roof and wattle and daubs walls. The hut was repeatedly damaged throughout history, by fire and storms etc. but was often carefully restored. In 12 BC, when Augustus's right hand man passed away, crows alledgey set fire to it by dropping burning pieces of meat but it was later restored.

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The Temple of Castor and Pollux in the Roman Forum was built in the last decade of the 1st century BCE. This temple replaced another temple dedicated to the twin sons of Jupiter. Castor and Pollux were twins and demi- gods, and were the offspring of Jupiter and Leda. Pollux was immortal, but his brother was mortal. Roman general Aulus Postumius dedicated the original temple in Rome, who won a great victory in the Battle of Lake Regillus. During the Battle of Lake Regillus two men on white horses led the Romans to victory. These men were seen cleaning and watering their horses at the Juturna Spring at Rome. This is why the temple was dedicated to the cavalry twins, and built by a fountain. The renovations of the original temple became associated with Castor, after he adopted Roman knights.

After a terrible fire, Augustus rebuilt the temple. The emperor wanted his sons Gaius and Lucius Caesar to be involved with the construction of the temple, but they died before completion. Tiberius and Drusus substituted and helped construct the final parts. The material the temple was made of was marble and tufa. It was 32m by 50 m, with a height of 19m. The front had 8 columns, and each side had 11. The inside of the temple was very complex. The temple was the office of weights and measures, but also was a bank. Now the temple has only 3 columns, and is not as magnificent as it used to be.

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The major purpose of the aqueduct was to deliver water to the people of Rome. Before the aqueducts where restored the people would depend on rain water and water from the streams and rivers, which often dried up and or were polluted. Aqueducts required a great deal of planning. They were made from a series of pipes, tunnels, canals, and bridges. They channeled water from a fresh water source and delivered it into the city. The Water was used for drinking, irrigation, and to supply hundreds of public fountains and baths. Aqueducts also became an expression of wealth and power, and was used by many roman rulers.

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Augustus transformed the military into a strong force. One way that he did this was he increased the time that the soldiers would spend in the military. In the republic the troops would mostly be citizens that were only hired for the duration of whatever war was going on at the time. Augustus created permanent career soldiers. During the republic the soldiers would serve a maximum of sixteen years. They had to serve at least 6 years consecutively, with the average being 10 years in service. In 13 BC Augustus decreed that 16 consecutive years of active duty was the standard for all soldiers with 4 years in the reserves. Then in 5 AD he changed the law to being 20 years active duty and then an additional 5 in the reserves.

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Gaius Maecenas lived from around 70 BC to 8 BC. He was befriended by Augustus and his general, Marcus Agrippa, in Apollonia in 45 BC. Maecenas had been sent to Apollonia by Julius Caesar from the wishes of his father to gain a further education (although he was already highly educated) under Athendorus of Taurus. Maecenas was proud of his Etruscan heritage, claiming that he descended from the wealthy Clinii. Horace, a poet mentored by Maecenas, hinted in his writings that Maecenas descended from Etruscan royalty. Filling the role of Augustus’ political advisor and ambassador, he was by Augustus’ side when he learned the news of Caesar’s assassination. His influence on Augustus was felt, as Maecenas advised him to refrain from cruelty and inhumanity, especially in the early stages of the Second Triumvirate when it was imperative to gain the trust of the people. This was to ensure that Augustus would remain in power with the popular approval of the Roman citizens.Though when necessary, Maecenas acted with ruthlessness by executing conspirators of a plot to assassinate Augustus. Maecenas was a great diplomat and was able to proctor a peace between Antony and Augustus early on in their shared years of power. Later when Augustus and Agrippa went to fight against Cleopatra and Antony at the Battle of Actium, Maecenas was left in charge of Rome. Later on, after Augustus had been declared emperor, Maecenas became a patron of the arts by sponsoring poets, writers, and artists. This was done to bring culture to Rome and elevate the city to a higher importance and purpose. Maecenas brought along a more peaceful, more stable Rome by advising Augustus against inhumane and cruel punishments of the people. He was also a patron of the arts, showing that Rome was not focused on war, but on art and literature.

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The Via Flaminia is one of the first roads ever built. The road connects Rome to Rimini. The road is a direct route to Rome and was a very good and efficient way to transport goods to Rome. Over time the road began to break down. Having been constructed in 220 B.C. the road was very old by the time that Augustus took a position of power. Augustus knew the significance of this road throughout history and had it restored during his rule in 27 B.C. In his honor there is now an arch at the end of the road on the Roman side signaling the end of the road. This arch is called the Arch of Augustus. The road is still used, but now as a scenic country road through Rome.

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After nearly escaping being struck by lightning during his Cantabrian campaign, Augustus dedicated a temple to Iuppiter on the Capitol. He dedicated it on September 1st, 22 B.C. The walls were made of solid marble and contained works of art. Augustus visited the temple frequently and said that one time he dreamed that Iuppiter complained that the popularity of this new temple had sensibly diminished the number of worshippers. The temple stood close to the entrance of the area Capitolina on the south-east edge of the hill which overlooked the forum.

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Something that Augustus did to improve Rome was restore the monuments of Rome. An important monument he restored was the Temple of Gods. He did this to promote the Roman religion in Rome. He also did this by constructing new monuments that showed scenes from traditional Roman religion. These monuments also showed image of the "ideal" Roman family. Augustus' motives for restoring and building new monuments was to renew interest in Roman religion, to promote worship, and to increase Roman pride.

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One of Augustus' main goals during his reign was to establish a sense of morality within the Roman empire. He introduced many social reforms with the intention of improving overall morality. For example, he would reward families with three or more children because he wanted to encourage "proper marriage" and discourage illegitimate children. He also began to impose a tax on any man over the age of 38 that was not married, in addition to bans on receiving inheritances or attending games. Augustus implemented these laws in order to promote traditional Roman values and unite the Roman people under those values. These social reforms helped to establish stability and security within the empire.

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The Circus Maximus was a Roman stadium built in the sixth century BC. It was a racing stadium where many chariot races and gladiator fights were held. The stadium was a monument in Rome and was also used as an example for the construction of other stadiums across Rome. When the Emperor Augustus came into power, the Circus Maximus had been severely damaged from environmental factors. The revamping of the Circus Maximus was a part of a public works project to connect the empire through roads and relay stations; these stations were for couriers and state officials passing through the provinces. To complete these projects Augustus established two senatorial commissions, the curatores viarum, which oversaw the construction of the roads, and the curatores locorum publicorum, which oversaw the construction of temples and monuments. Augustus believed Rome should be a showplace, a city other cities would be modeled after. He wanted to make the Circus Maximus great again for the people of Rome, to give them a piece of their history back.

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Augustus used the temples of the Gods as a way to restore religion throughout the empire. The Ara Pacis Augustae had shown symbols and scenes of religious rites and ceremonies and Augustus’ view on the “perfect family”. His goal through building this was to be able to renew religous practices. Augustus appointed himself the pontifex maximus which also made him the secular head of the Roman empire. With this power that he gave himself he brought back ceremonies and festivals.

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The mausoleum was one of the first projects initiated by Augustus in the city of Rome following his victory at the Battle of Actium in 31 BC. Augustus tried to hold the morals of tradition close to him during his reign. What more tradition then to build oneself a monumental tomb for his people to visit after he is gone! The mausoleum of Augustus is a large tomb built by the Roman Emperor Augustus in 28 BC on the Campus Martius in Rome, Italy. The mausoleum, then, was a circular building with a diameter of 300 Roman Feet. The precise height of the structure is not known as the upper portions of the mausoleum have not survived to this day. The ruins today only reach a height of 30 Roman Feet. Although the structure did not help bring about a more stable Rome,  it helped keep the remembrance of Augustus's  reign over Rome alive forever.

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Augustus transformed and created a strong military during his time. His army was made up of 28 legions, each one consisting of roughly 6000 men. Along with these forces, there were a similar number of helping troops. He created a professional army with legions becoming permanent units composed of career soldiers. In addition to his weapons and armour, each man carried a matching pack that included a cooking pot, some rations, clothes, and any personal possessions. The Augusten era also saw the introduction of some items of more sophisticated and protective equipment for legionaries, primarily to improve their survival rate.

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Augustus imposed the duty of the censor. This provided a fair assessment of the tax burden, resulting in a more fair compilation of the tax revenue. Augustus also made another major change, The Aerarium which was located at the temple of Saturn in the Roman Forum on the Capitoline Hill. Two praetors managed it. Augustus provided a complete reform of the financial structure. Augustus created two new taxes, a poll tax and a land tax. These new taxes completely funded the imperial system. The new imperial system provided the urge to trade throughout the empire. Since they began trading in the empire, this led to stability, security, and prosperity. As a result, Augustus put his face on all the coins.

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Augustus did not believe in adultery, in fact he believed it was a crime. It was known as Lex Julia de adulteriis coercendis  and was eventually made a crime against the state if committed. Punishments  for adultery included banishment, or sometimes the husband or father of the adulterer could kill an adulterous wife.
Augustus also believed that the person one marries should be based on their social class. He did not want the mixing of social classes through marriages.

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This build that he commissioned during his time glorified Rome. The Via Appia is a tough build that shows the power Rome had and, being the road into Rome, showed off the beauty of the many structures in the Empire.

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Temple of Jupiter Feretrius on the Capitoline

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Temple of Jupiter Feretrius on the Capitoline

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This was the first temple ever built in Rome. It was dedicated to Jupiter by Romulus after he defeated Acro, king of the Ceninensi. After years had passed and the temple was destroyed, Augustus decided to rebuild it.

This helped to bring about Augustus’ ideal Rome because it further encouraged traditional Roman religion. This was an example of the glory of Rome and its grandeur but it also furthered the importance of a Roman religion. Therefore, it helped to bring about a more stable Rome because by encouraging a traditional religion, it united the people of Rome under one culture.

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The Ara Pacis Augustae was an altar in the city of Rome that caused a renewal in interest in religion among the Roman people. It was made in honor of Augustus and dedicated to the Roman goddess of peace, Pax. This altar showcased traditional religion as well as many of Augustus’ values. More specifically, it illuminated scenes and symbols of religious ceremonies as well as rights, while also displaying Augustus and what he considered to be the perfect Roman family. This re-established Roman pride, which served as a unifying force among all who share it. Stability was thus brought by this altar, providing such security among the people as well as religion.

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Titus Livius, usually just called Livy was a Roman historian. He lived from 59 or 64 BC to 17 AD. His history of Rome was written once Augustus had restored peace and prosperity after his victory at Actium. Augustus himself invited Livy to help mentor the future emperor Claudius. However, Livy had enough financial independence to not have Maecenas as a patron, or engage with his literary contemporaries. In his history of Rome, his life’s work, Livy published 142 books. Of which, books 11-20 and 46-142 have been lost. Livy’s history and outspokenness exemplify the new security and prosperity that had been brought to Rome, as well as the Emperor’s commitment to the arts.

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Just click on the plus sign on the bottom right to add a note!

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Just click on the plus sign on the bottom right to add a note!

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Vergil, recruited by Aeneas and commissioned by Vergil himself, wrote the epic poem The Aeneid, which traced the founding of Rome back to Troy and to Aeneas, son of Venus, thus making Rome divine from the very beginning.