Ephesus: Imperial Cult

Temple to Julius Caesar (background), Augustus (left) and Domitian (right)

Worship of the Roman emperors began at Ephesus in 29 B.C., when a temple to the deified Julius Caesar and the goddess Roma was built near the city’s administrative buildings. Later, space for a cult of the emperor Augustus and the local goddess Artemis was set aside near the chambers of the city council. Linking Augustus to Artemis impressed on people that benefits came from the divine cooperation of Rome and the Ephesians’ patron deity. The provincial temple for the Flavian emperors was dedicated in Ephesus in A.D. 89 or 90. From this time on, Ephesus boasted that it was the "temple keeper" (neokoros) for Artemis and the emperor.