Temple of Caesar

The Temple of Caesar, also known as the Temple of Divus Iulius, dates back to 29 BCE and was one of the first building projects undertaken and completed by Augustus. After its completion, Augustus dedicated it to his adoptive father, Julius Caesar, after his series of victories, and this is evident by the various sculptural reliefs that symbolize victory and triumph. The decorative elements of this temple, like a frieze decorated with winged Victory figures, suggest that Augustus wanted to create an eternal connection between him and his adoptive father—probably for propaganda purposes. 

Its purpose in the Roman Forum was to serve as both an important speaker’s platform and a voting venue, and it was the only site in Augustan Rome that was known to have hosted a legislative assembly. The plan for the temple suggests that it was built specifically for the purposes stated above, and based on the other buildings in the early 20s BCE, its function makes perfect sense. Why? Because it was said that August was actively trying to create new sites for civil institutions during the time in which this temple was completed. According to Darryl A. Phillips’ article, “The Temple of Divus Iulius and The Restoration of Legislative Assemblies Under Augustus”, this temple serves as a “[u]seful focal point for examining the transition from republic to principate and the establishment of Augustus’ family as an imperial dynasty” (Phillips, 373). 

As briefly mentioned earlier, the plan had a speaker’s platform at the front and was situated in front of a colonnade, where the platform itself could only be accessible from either ramps or stairs at the side. Allegedly, the very front of the temple also marks the spot where Caesar’s body had been cremated, where that spot’s exact location was originally marked with a Numidian marble column but was later removed. However, when the temple was constructed, a cylindrical structure was placed in that spot to compensate for the absence of the column. 

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Sources: 

  1. Phillips, Darryl A. “THE TEMPLE OF DIVUS IULIUS AND THE RESTORATION OF LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLIES UNDER AUGUSTUS.” Phoenix, vol. 65, no. 3/4, 2011, pp. 371–88. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/41497569. Accessed 3 May 2024.
  2. Watkin, David. Roman Forum. Cambridge, Harvard Univ Press, 2012., p. 21. 
Temple of Caesar