The Sebasteion at Aphrodisias: An Imperial Cult to Honor Augustus and the Julio-Claudian Emperors

Augustus and the Julio-Claudian emperors’ successful reign over the vast Roman Empire were due primarily to provincial loyalty and acquiescence. My research examines the intermingling of Roman, Hellenistic, and Aphrodisian art forms in the imperial sculptural reliefs of the Sebasteion at Aphrodisias in order to demonstrate the use of visual art forms to express provincial loyalty to the princeps. I argue that the diverse artistic styles of the Sebasteion’s imperial reliefs’ represent definitive evidence of an imperial cult in the eastern provinces and signify imperial concordia, a primary aspect in the successful reign of Augustus and the Julio-Claudians emperors.