Evidence Provided by the
sources from Pompeii and
Herculaneum for religion:
Temples.
-Roman Temples
-Foreign Cults
-Emperor Cults
Roman Temples
Temples with columns incorporated in the
central front part was called the antis,
with the whole front opening onto a
colonnade was known as prostyle; and
with columns placed at the front and back
were called amphiprostyle. Temples with
a ring of columns around its entire
perimeter was peripteral and with the
entire perimeter surrounded by a double
colonnade was known as dipteral.
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Temple of Apollo and Jupiter
Temple of Isis and Vespasian
Literary Evidence
Archaeological Evidence
Isis and Vespasian
•TEMPLE OF VESPASIAN
•
TEMPLE OF ISIS
is one of the best preserved
buildings in Pompeii. An inscription
informs us that the temple was
restored after the earthquake
62AD. The building consists of a
large rectangular space marked off
by walls, within it is the cella of the
god on a pedestal in a niche.
Is a small cult building. Part of the
façade of the outer structure still
remains, the walls are decorated with
blind gabled windows and there is a
cella raised on a pedestal.
Apollo and Jupiter
•
TEMPLE OF APOLLO
is an integral part of the
Forum, even though it
predates it. The Temple of
Apollo dates back to the 6th
century, the Samnite period.
It shows architectural features
deriving from both the Italic
and Greek cultures and has a
rectangular plan with a
perimeter being surrounded
by 48 columns. (add info
about Apollo)
•TEMPLE OF JUPITER
is situated on the northern side of the
Forum. It was built in honour of Jupiter
(the overall protector of the state),
Juno (special care was for women)
and Minerva (patroness of craftwork).
It was built in 2nd century B.C, in two
stages, the second of which led to the
expansion of the architectural
structure. The temple was seriously
damaged during the earthquake of 62
A.D. It had not yet been fully restored
at the moment of the eruption in
79A.D.
Literary evidence
• Temple of Isis established in 80BC. It’s
services included initiation.
• Venus was protectress of city and the city
was rebuilt after the earthquake of 62AD
Archaeological evidence
• The temple of Jupiter was significant as it
was situated on a high podium which
made it very impressive
Foreign Cults
With all the cults, the
initial threat to the
social order was at
first met with
suppression, but
eventually followed
by official adoption
•Physical Evidence
•Cult of Isis and Sabazius
•Literary Evidence
•Archaeological
Evidence
Physical Evidence
• Roman religion had always proved very
tolerant of foreign deities and Egyptian
gods were introduced in Campania
through trade links.
• Mystery cults from the east enjoyed great
popularity in the Roman world from 1st
century AD.
Cult of Isis and Sabazius
The cult of the Egyptian Goddess Isis was
bought to Pompeii and Herculaneum by
Italian merchants via the Aegean island of
Delos. Mainly women were drawn to the
cult, but worshippers also included
children, slaves, freedmen, traders,
soldiers and high and low officials.
The cult offered initiation and experience of
the sacred and appears to have satisfied
emotional needs not met through rituals of
state cults. The temple of Isis was
established at Pompeii before the Romans
founded the colony in 80BC. Rome didn’t
have a temple of Isis until AD38.
There is evidence of the worship of Isis at
Herculaneum but no evidence of a temple.
A statue of Isis shows her in ‘The Glory Of
Women’, seated and suckling her infant,
Horus.
Sabazius was the god of vegetation. The
cult originated from Thrace in northern
Greece and Phrygia in Asia Minor. His
worship been ‘detected’ in a garden in
region 2 at Pompeii. Cult objects aire
found in nearby rooms of the sacred
space that opened to the garden, these
include 2 right hands made of bronze
(mantic hands), a bronze statuette of a
youth in a short tunic, lamps and a small
bronze dog.
In Herculaneum a similar bronze mantic
hand was found.
Literary Evidence
• Literary sources state that Isis was linked
to the moon and cosmic forces. She
brought together men and women and
was hailed as the glory of women.
• Clement of Alexandria writes that the cult
of Sabazius offered devotees initiation into
‘mysteries’.
Archaeological Evidence
• Statue of Isis depicted with her son Horus,
in Herculaneum.
• Ashes and burnt bones of sacrificial
animals were found on the altar at the
front of the Temple of Isis.
• Egyptian influenced decorations were
found on the walls around the temple
enclosure.
Emperor Cults
From the time
Augustus
onwards, an
imperial ruler
cult developed in
the roman
World. The
emperor was
worshipped at both
Pompeii
and Herculaneum.
•Roman State Cult and Fortuna Augusta
•The Shrine of the Augustales and the
Temple of the Genius Augusti
•Literary Evidence
•Archaeological
Evidence
Roman State Cult and Fortuna Augusta
Roman State Cult
The Roman state cult centered on
the worship of The Capitoline Triad:
Jupiter, Juno and Minerva.
Priesthoods in the cults were very
prestigious and were filled by
members of the curia and
magistrates. The temple of Jupiter
dominated the open civic space
that was at the heart of the Roman
city. There has been no evidence of
A Capitoline Triad at uncovered at
Herculaneum.
Fortuna Augusta
The Fortuna Augusta was
dedicated to the good fortune of
Augustus. It was built at a
crossroad on the north-south
street one block away from the
forum in Pompeii.
The Shrine of the Augustales and
the Temple of the Genius Augusti
The Shrine of the Augustales
The Augustales, met in a shrineclubroom on the wide main street
of Herculaneum. It held a statue of
Augustus or the Emperor
Vespasian. Frescos on the walls
depict Neptune and his wife
Salacia balancing a depiction of
Heracles with Juno and Minerva.
The Temple of the Genius Augusti
The imperial ruler cult was celebrated at
the temple of the Genius Augusti, also.
It is also known as the Temple of
Vespasian. It is situated on the east
side of the forum and was surrounded
by a courtyard
Literary evidence
• Lucius Mammius Maximus was an
Augustales and was the donor of the
towns market.
• Lawrence Richardson suggested that
although no-one knows where the club
house is, the Augustales may have met in
one of the small hall buildings at the south
of the Forum.
Archaeological evidence
• A marble altar standing in the courtyard in
the front of the temple of the Genius
Augusti is carved with a relief showing a
scene of sacrifice.