Augusteum Carthaginis Novae
About
Part temple, part college for the imperial cult, built as part of Augustus's extensive redesign of Carthago Nova alongside its new forum, streets and theatre; sits within the Molinete hill archaeological park in the heart of the old town. Exact construction date within the Augustan period and full identification of the structure's function are still debated in the Spanish excavation literature, hence medium confidence, but the building's Augustan-era existence and continuity into the 2nd century CE are not in dispute.
What happened here
The building itself is a house for the god, and most people never go inside. Everything public happens on the steps and at the altar in front: an animal led up, examined, killed cleanly, its organs read, the meat divided and eaten. The priest covers his head and a flute player keeps up a noise so no ill-omened word is heard. Worshippers leave what they can afford — a terracotta figure, a coin, a model of the body part they want healed — and the accumulated clutter is periodically cleared and buried on site. On festival days the doors are opened and the cult statue is dressed, garlanded, and sometimes carried out through the streets. The temple also holds money, which is why towns keep their treasury in one.
Sources
Roman Maps shows the empire frozen at 11 August 117 CE, the day Trajan died — its moment of greatest territorial extent. Explore the full map →