The military significance of Venus in Late Republican and Augustan Rome

Abstract

The Roman goddess Venus is conventionally associated with love, sex, and beauty. However, these were only some of her areas of influence. In reality, her role within the Roman religious system was far more complex and multi-faceted, and was not confined to these associations. Venus, in the Roman mind, bore associations with warfare and military success that were just as prominent. On one hand, this is hardly surprising due to her divine status, especially as one of the Dii Consentes. All Roman deities could be thought of as ‘militaristic’ in some sense. However, even the Romans themselves made a sharp distinction between her role as the goddess of love, and her martial qualities. This indicates both her importance as a martial deity, and the surprising nature of her multi-faceted role in Roman religion. In addition to analysing the development and political advantages of Venus’ martial attributes in Roman religion, this thesis will also offer a survey of the major temples dedicated to Venus in her capacity as a military goddess during the Republican and Augustan periods. An investigation of these temples is a particularly important step towards understanding her influence over military success. Whilst some of the temples have been investigated previously in scholarship, a comprehensive analysis of these sites as evidence for Venus’ role as a martial goddess is still lacking in many cases. Furthermore, such an investigation is essential in charting the significance of her martial attributes in the turbulent political environment of the Late Republic. Venus’ ability to bestow martial favour became the subject of intense political competition in the Late Republic. In particular, the ‘great men’ of this period all recognised the power of her patronage and fought for control over the goddess’ martial attributes. Sulla, Pompey, and Caesar all engaged in a dialogue of competition, which saw each man seeking to outdo his predecessor’s claim to the goddess’ favour. During this competition, building projects became the ideal means through which individuals could advertise a personal connection with the goddess on a large public scale. Pompey’s famous theatre complex was constructed for this purpose, and explicitly evoked Venus’ martial attributes as the ‘bringer of victory’. The Civil War between Caesar and Pompey, however, became an important turning-point in this competition, with Caesar emerging victorious as the unquestionable recipient of Venus’ patronage. The Julian claim to descent from the goddess played an important role in Caesar’s eventual control over her martial attributes. His well-advertised lineage therefore surpassed any competing claims to her favour. Caesar’s construction of the Forum Iulium and the Temple of Venus Genetrix was designed to broadcast this ancestral connection on an unprecedented public scale, but Venus’ martial attributes were not ignored in this complex. Ultimately, the Forum Iulium and its Temple of Venus Genetrix functioned as a permanent reminder of Caesar’s power and position in the state as the result of the goddess’ patronage. The advertisement of Venus’ patronage was continued under Augustus, especially through his construction of the Forum Augustum. The clear visual connection between the Temple of Mars Ultor in Augustus’ forum, and the Temple of Venus Genetrix in the Forum Iulium deliberately evoked Venus’ martial qualities. This connection reinforced her role as consort of Mars, and also underlined the familial connection between Augustus and Julius Caesar. As such, the Forum Augustum functioned as a space through which Augustus could utilise Venus’ military and political associations, in order to boost his public image. It is undoubtedly true that Venus’ military attributes were utilised for political purposes within this period, especially by figures such as Sulla, Pompey, and Julius Caesar. Venus’ military characteristics were important for those in prominent political positions within the later Republic. Both literary and archaeological evidence attests to the goddess’ perceived influence over military fortune. Maintaining her favour was therefore required, in order to ensure the safety of the state through success in battle.