Temple of Fortuna Augusto, Pompei

The Temple of Fortuna Augusto stands on the corner of via del Foro and via della Fortuna. It was built by Marcus Tullius, a wealthy local benefactor and relative of Cicero. Tullius even appointed a minister for the cult, which worshipped the then Roman Emperor, Augustus Caesar. When Augustus died, the temple began worshipping his successor, and continued to worship whoever claimed the title of emperor.

The temple, like many Roman places of worship, kept religious statues in its cella. Each time a new emperor was crowned, the minister would order a new statue and place it in a niche within the cella. This led many of the citizens of Pompei to believe that the temple was politically rather than religiously motivated. A statue of Augustus remained in the central niche throughout the temple’s history, however.

This small temple was destroyed in the earthquake of 62 AD, and never fully rebuilt. It originally had a very similar layout to the Temple of Jupiter, located nearby at the edge of the Forum. A raised podium at the centre of the temple, accessible via a stone staircase, contained an altar and the cella. Within the cella, five niches housed statues of Augustus and his successors.