Evidence Provided by the sources from Pompeii and Herculaneum for religion:

Temples.

-Roman Temples-Foreign Cults-Emperor Cults

Roman Temples

• Temple of Apollo and Jupiter• Temple of Isis and Vespasian • Literary Evidence• Archaeological Evidence

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.

Isis and 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.

•TEMPLE OF VESPASIAN

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 APOLLOis 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 JUPITERis 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

•Roman State Cult and Fortuna Augusta

•The Shrine of the Augustales and the Temple of the Genius Augusti

•Literary Evidence

•Archaeological Evidence

From the time Augustusonwards, an imperial rulercult developed in the romanWorld. The emperor wasworshipped at both Pompeiiand Herculaneum.

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 shrine-

clubroom 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.