Augusteum - Madain Project (en)

This term generally refers to temples or enclosures dedicated to the imperial cult, particularly to emperors like Augustus, after whom the term is named. Augustea could be found in various cities across the Roman Empire and were used to honor emperors and reinforce their divine or semi-divine status. Examples include the Augusteum in Cartagena, Spain, and the Augustaion in Constantinople, each serving as civic and religious centers tied to the imperial ideology. The augustea were typically grand in design and placed at very busy locations with it the cities.

Herculaneum Augusteum
Situated in the north-western corner of the archaeological site, the augusteum was part of the forum area. The area is still mostly unexcavated and very few architectural elements have been unearthed sa far.

Pisidian Antioch
The Temple of Augustus, serving as the centerpiece of an imperial cult complex known as the "Augusteum" or "Sebasteion", was strategically built at the city's highest point. Rectangular in shape with a semicircular rear, the temple's placement in the center of this semicircular configuration allowed it to be visible from significant distances across the city and its productive surrounding lands. This complex was enclosed on all sides by porticoes, creating a prominent architectural boundary. Visitors entered through an ornate propylon, enhancing the grandeur of the sacred space.

Although much of the temple structure has been lost, existing foundational remnants, the stylobate, and surviving architectural fragments were sufficient to allow for a partial reconstruction of its original form. The dimensions of the temple itself measure 13.6 by 23.5 meters, built on a substructure of 14.2 by 27.95 meters with a height of 2.6 meters. Access to the temple was provided by a twelve-step staircase leading to the vestibule, and beneath the cella, there was a vaulted cellar measuring 4.5 by 7.75 meters, with a depth of 2.5 meters. This structure showcases the architectural sophistication of Roman temple design and its integration into civic and religious life.

Ostia Antica Augusteum
The Augusteum in Ostia Antica was a ceremonial and religious space in the Barracks of the Fire Brigade that featured a mosaic, podium, and dedications to emperors. A black-and-white geometric mosaic was installed in the pronaos, or vestibule, of the courtyard. It was detached in 1964 CE and placed on a modern support. A podium was located against the back wall of the room. It was originally lined with marble and had five bases for small statues on top. The cella of the sanctuary contained dedications to emperors, including Antoninus Pius, Marcus Aurelius, Lucius Verus, and Septimius Severus. The dedications were most likely set against the columns and brick piers of the facade, and on the podium. The Augusteum was used for some type of cultic worship focused at the imperial family, including prayers for the safety of the emperor and the well-being of the empire. A mosaic at the foot of the podium depicts a bull sacrifice, which suggests that sacrifices may have taken place there.

Temple of Augustus and Rome in Ankara
The Temple of Augustus in Ankara, one of the most significant Roman structures in the region, was constructed by Emperor Augustus after Galatia was incorporated into the Roman Empire (27 BCE–14 CE) and was dedicated to the city's local goddess and the personification of Rome. The temple is aligned southwest-northeast, featuring a pseudo-dipteral Corinthian layout measuring 36 by 54.82 meters, raised on a podium roughly 2 meters high. It is encircled by 8 columns along its short ends and 15 along its longer sides. In the front chamber (pronaos), four columns stand, while two additional columns are positioned in antis style in the posterior chamber (opisthodomos). Remaining sections, especially along the southern foundations and southeast, consist of the unfinished outer column base (peristasis) and the stepped crepidoma around the platform.

Over time, the temple underwent significant architectural alterations. Converted into a church by the Byzantines in the early 6th century, modifications included leveling the sacred room (cella) floor, removing the wall between the cella and opisthodomos, adding an apse, and installing three large windows in the southeastern cella wall. In 1427-1428, the Hacı Bayram Mosque was constructed near the temple's northwest corner, and later, it is believed the temple served briefly as a madrasa.

A section of the temple's northwest wall was damaged in 1834; however, key elements like the pronaos, the grand gate, and much of the cella have remained intact. After Augustus's death, his Res Gestae Divi Augusti (Achievements of the Deified Augustus) was inscribed on the temple walls in both Latin and Ancient Greek, representing the only complete surviving copy of this inscription originally placed in Rome. The text, painted red and carved on the anta walls, records Augustus's deeds, with the Latin version on the pronaos-facing wall and the Greek version on the southeastern cella wall. This bilingual inscription, alongside additional inscriptions such as the Priest's List, is highly significant for its insights into Roman imperial ideology and administration, making the temple and its inscriptions valuable for both archaeology and history.

Sebastia Augusteum
The Augusteum of Sebastia (illustration), an impressive sanctuary complex built by King Herod in Samaria, has undergone several excavations. The first was by a Harvard University team in the early 20th century CE, followed by a joint expedition in the 1930s CE. Ehud Netzer of the Hebrew University later revisited and reassessed these findings, specifically focusing on the sanctuary's design and construction, which Josephus briefly references in his writings.

Situated at the highest point of Sebastia's acropolis, the sanctuary required an artificial platform to support its forecourt. This platform was created by constructing three U-shaped walls, filled with earth to form a large rectangular plaza measuring 85 by 74 meters. The temple's entry stood about 11 meters south of the forecourt, an unusual design choice. Herod likely positioned it this way to emphasize the temple's dominance over its surroundings. The temple itself was elevated 6 meters above the forecourt, adding to its visual prominence.

Augusteum of Constantinople
The Augustaion (or Augusteum) was an enclosed open space located in Constantinople, just south of Hagia Sophia. This area, which evolved over time, held significant ideological and symbolic importance due to its proximity to key monuments such as the Great Palace and Hagia Sophia. During the Constantinian era, it served as a vast open area bordered by Hagia Sophia to the north, the Senate House and the Great Palace to the east, the Baths of Zeuxippus to the south, and the Basilica (marked today by the Basilica Cistern) to the west. The Milion, a milestone indicating the start of the Mese—Constantinople's main colonnaded street—was situated just outside the Augustaion. The Patriarchate was later established between the Augustaion and Hagia Sophia.

Initially known as the Tetrastoon, the Augustaion is one of the older structures dating back to the reign of Septimius Severus, later remodeled by Constantine. It was renamed in honor of Helena, Constantine the Great's mother, who held the title of Augusta, and it is said that Constantine placed a statue of her on a porphyry column within the space. The Augustaion was significantly affected by fire during the Nika Riots in 532, leading to a reconstruction overseen by Justinian, which included the Augustaion, the Baths of Zeuxippus, the Senate House, and Hagia Sophia. The rebuilt Augustaion differed considerably from its original layout, becoming a smaller, restricted courtyard for Hagia Sophia rather than a public forum. Notably, a prominent column crowned with a bronze statue was erected in 543, alongside statues of three barbarian kings in submission. This column replaced an earlier one featuring an equestrian statue of Theodosius I, and a column with a silver statue of Aelia Eudoxia was also located near the Augustaion.

Mausoleum of Augustus
The Mausoleum of Emperor Augustus, located on the northern end of Rome's Campus Martius, stands as a monumental testament to the first emperor's efforts to consolidate his legacy and unify Rome's architectural and cultural identity. Commissioned in 28 BCE after Augustus’ decisive victory at Actium, this circular tomb, inspired by Hellenistic dynastic models, such as the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus and the tumuli of Etruria, was intended to house the remains of the Julio-Claudian family. Constructed from tuff and travertine and capped with an earthen mound once adorned with evergreen vegetation, the structure symbolized the eternal dominance of the imperial lineage. Despite its initial prominence in the Roman urban landscape, the mausoleum fell into neglect in the post-classical era, serving varied functions before its modern restoration efforts aimed to recover its original significance.

Shrine of the Augustales
The Shrine of the Augustales in ancient Herculaneum was a cultic building dedicated to the worship of the emperor and possibly his extended family. It was most likely constructed during the last decade of the first century BCE. Also known as the "college of the Augustals", comprising of a relatively square plan, was a very beautiful temple dedicated to emperor Augustus. Some of the decorations, paintings and frescoes in the cella, representing Hercules and other gods still survive today. The floor of the cell is still embellished by an amazing opus sectile formed by precious marble slabs. The Augustales were a civic order of freedmen charged with the organisation of the imperial cult.

Sanctuary of the Augustales
The so-called Sacellum of the Augustales (Sacello degli Augustali) at the ancient Roman city of Misenum (modern day Miseno) was a cultic-architectural complex located near the theater that was first built during the Iulio-Claudian period and dedicated to the worship of the Imperial cult. The complex was renovated during the second century, at which time one Cassia Victoria re-dedicated the shrine in honor of her husband, L. Laecanius Primitivus, who was a priest of the Augustales during the reign of Marcus Aurelius.