Religious Reforms and Imperial Cult

Question 1

res gestae/poets

Answer 1

Res Gestae Mentions 7 simultaneous priesthoods Four being commemorated on a Denarius (16 BC)

Horace Depicts Augustus as a ‘God Incarnate’

People of Rome attributed many past problems with Abandonment by gods, reforms and religious imagery aided in good presentation
Res Gestae: ‘I restored 82 temples’, physical aid in this idea of restoration,

Virgil: ‘shall bring back again / the age of gold to Lactium’ backs up Augustus presentation

suetonius-2000 volumes…

Question 2

imperial cult

Answer 2

Imperial Cult, Other religions and other regions: As soon as Egypt taken, worshipped,

Suetonius says he ‘showed respect to all ancient’ religions, however ‘despised the rest’

also coinciding with a foreseen danger of one living person being worshipped as a deity as being dangerous, so he only tolerated this idea in the eastern provinces:

Question 3

Eastern Provinces

Answer 3

People of Pergamum petitioned to build a temple of Octavian, 29 BC, Tacitus says ‘he did not stand in their way’,

Divine Numen in Gaul allowed Augustus’ Genius to be worshipped rather than himself, avoiding the claim that he was more than human / divine than in any other scenario AD 12/13

Ovid- Augustus’ spirit being worshipped ‘at crossroads’ -
Similarly, AUGUSTAN LARES INSCRIPTION records priests of the Augustan cult of Freedmen worshipping this

Tacitus suggests that presence of imperial cult worship could help question the extent of how much Augustus restored the traditional roman religion ‘There were no honours left for the God’s now’