Please enable JavaScript.
Coggle requires JavaScript to display documents.
Augustus as a religious leader - Coggle Diagram
Augustus as a religious leader
'the loyal citizen might gaze upon Augustus in the shape of ... the priest with veiled head, aged, austere and remote' - syme
to distance himself from the imperator character and the controversial civil wars.
Why might Augustus want to link himself to religion?
the romans where very religious.
he is using it for votes from plebians who would only have limited education.
He was a member of nearly every priestly college in rome
could show how much he values religion.
however he could be using it as an element of controll
As pontifex maximus, Augustus can change the calendar and create festivals to built a good rep with the plebians and senators.
using religion for votes.
the senators are also motivated by religion.
they blame the civil wars on the decline of religious value amongst the empire.
julius caesar was also pontifex maximus... legacy, divi filius and pietas.
Augustus' name
sources:
denarius showing a tripod, litus, patera and simpulum - all used in religious rituals and linked to specific colleges.
litus is a symbol of the college of Augurs (future seers)
simpulum is a symbol of ritual.
minted 13/12 BC also the same year of pontifex maximus title given to augustus.
this is a legitimate title, he waits for lepidus to die first.
he is youthful -> links to Apollo. he is semi - divine
His name: Augustus was given to him by the senate and is linked to the college of the Augurs.
he has no wreath -> he is completely abandoning the character of imperator and his tripple triumph.
Essay plans
the positions augustus held in the roman civic religion and changes to religion
As ruler of Rome, Augustus had to lead by example. He re-established traditional social rules and religious rituals, sacrificing animals to Rome's gods. In 12 AD he made himself Pontifex Maximus, the chief priest of Rome and head of the Collegium Pontificum, the highest priests in the land. - Google
'he swelled the ranks of the preistly colleges' suetonius
he is the quindecimviri
encourages julia to become a vestal virgin, suetonius
becomes an Augur, coin
augustus' role in restoring religious observances that had fallen out of practice.
Lupercalia - an ancient Roman festival of purification and fertility, held annually on 15 February.
Augustus makes it less sexual - before it was much more sexual.
saecular games
the saecular games. bringing back a traditional festival but changes it.
suetonius 31
carmen saecularae Horace - written for the saecular games
reformed the calendar
suet 31
the restoration and building of temples and alters.
restored 82 temples in 28 days - suet
temple of apollo - properitus
mars ulter - pietas
also uses money from wars
Ara Pacis - an alter to peace
forum of Augustus
restoring temple of minerva
practice in his reign including: the worship of the Lares (the worship of augustus' family.
lares are augustus' dead ancestors. legacy and family gods.
'ordained the worship of the lares at the cross roads..'
lares augusti - those gods and Augustus
Forum of augustus
Penates: household gods
the aeneid pannel on the ara pacis
representaions of augustus as personally close to the gods, including his relationship with apollo, and the notion that he was semi-divine himself.
prima porta -
on the back, the comet
he is barefoot
the dolphin: venus
cupid
sol and luna on the breast plate
'Caesar our god' - propertius
suetonius: augustus dresses as Apollo and holds a feast while a famine is occuring in rome
comet coin