Religión y culto en el ara Pacis Augustae

Abstract

The ara Pacis Augustae, in all its magnificence as a work of art and all its powerful political implications as a creation of the imperial power, was essentially an altar, i.e. an official place of cult subject to certain religious rules and having a specific ceremonial calendar. Accordingly, this research topic has come about and been developed to present, discuss and try to provide a response to the problems that the ara Pacis poses as a place of cult. The debate is organized and is part of the broader context of the nature of the arae in the Roman cultic practice and is predicated on the analysis of the textual tradition of the ara Pacis and the archaeological evidence itself. As a result, we present the process of 'foundation' of the ara Pacis Augustae to its full extent and complexity, both in its own ritual aspects themselves as well as in its physical representation as a monument.