The Religious Authority of Augustus

Abstract

The prerogative to imply personal authority over a topic cannot be restricted to authors and researchers, but extends to those in positions of power and control, as they attempt to validate their decisions and policies. This frequently involves
invoking past traditions that are seen to be important to the population and to have fallen into neglect or disuse. This practice had become common by the late Republic in Rome, with noble families proudly restoring the temples and public buildings dedicated by their ancestors or dedicating new temples and public buildings to newly favoured gods, usually with the wealth won in war. The collapse of the Republic into the chaos of civil war, which finally ended in 29 BC with the young Octavian in control of the Roman Empire, was commonly blamed on the people’s alleged negligence and disregard of the gods. In order to appease these gods, Octavian, later called Augustus, initiated a wideranging religious reformation programme involving the erection and rebuilding of almost one hundred temples to numerous state deities and the restoration of numerous priesthoods. Many of these deities, priesthoods, and temples could be traced back to the Regal period. This paper will explore the authority that
Octavian/Augustus utilised in order to carry out this restoration.