IGII2 3237 Altar of Augustus the God, Archegetes, Saviour

Altar of Augustus the God, Archegetes, Saviour

IG II² 3237 Date: 27 BC - 14 AD

The People (dedicated this altar) of Caesar Augustus the God, Archegetes, Saviour.^[1]

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References:

IG II² 3237 (Translated text) (PHI)

Translation by: Chris de Lisle

Monument type: Altar

Inscription type: Dedication (Public, emperor)

Findspot: Near Roman Agora (Lost)

Transliterations on Places on

[1] This inscription was recorded by the Greek archaeologist K. S. Pittakis sometime before 1835 (L'ancienne Athènes, 1835, 116) in the Church of Agios Soter (near the Gate of Athena Archegetis on the west side of the Roman Agora) and does not seem to have been seen since. The use of the genitive case indicates that it is an altar rather than a statue base. For other altars dedicated to Augustus at Athens, see Agora XVIII 275 with notes and on Augustus and Athens, see SEG 29.168 with notes.

The altar was erected after he received the title of Augustus in 27 BC. In Rome, Augustus was not declared a god until after his death in 14 AD, but the Greek world did not feel the same compunction about declaring a living individual divine, so the altar need not be posthumous. The inscription transliterates the Latin title Augustus, rather than using its standard Greek translation (Sebastos). This is unusual and might indicate an early date before the standard translation had become established, but see M. Kantiréa, Le dieux et le dieux augustes, 2007, 49 n. 3 for parallels. The epithet Archegetes (“founder”) seems to link Augustus with Athena Archegetis and suggests a link between this monument and the erection of the Roman Agora, which was funded by Augustus and whose gate was dedicated to Athena Archegetis (IG II³ 4, 12; Kantiréa Le dieux, 48-50).

Added: 24 Jul 2026
Updated: 24 Jul 2026
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ID: AIO_3867