Gemma Augustea as a Reflection of Roman Cult of the Emperor

Abstract

The institution of the rulercult was formed in Rome during the reigns ofjulius Caesar and Octavian Augustus. It comprised worship of emperor as a god whilst living and after apotheosis when dead. The Gemma Augustea is a masterpiece from the Augustan period that express through visual language the ideological premise of the restoration of the julioclaudian dinasty.