How did rulers, above all Augustus, use myth and the gods to project political power?
Myth and the symbols of power: the use of gods, heroes and foundation myths to project political authority, with a focus on Augustus (his association with Apollo, Venus, Aeneas and Romulus) and monuments such as the Ara Pacis, and the use of mythic imagery on coins, statues and buildings.
An OCR GCSE Classical Civilisation (J199) study of myth and symbols of power in Myth and Religion. Covers how rulers used gods, heroes and foundation myths for authority, focusing on Augustus (his links to Apollo, Venus, Aeneas and Romulus) and monuments such as the Ara Pacis, plus mythic imagery on coins and statues, with the source and essay skills the J199/11 paper rewards.
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What this dot point is asking
Myth was not only entertainment or worship: it was political. Rulers used the gods, heroes and foundation myths to make their power look natural and god-given. OCR focuses on Augustus, the first Roman emperor, and his association with Apollo, Venus, Aeneas and Romulus, and on monuments such as the Ara Pacis, plus the use of mythic imagery on coins, statues and buildings. The paper tests precise knowledge (AO1) and the analysis of these visual sources plus your own argument (AO2).
The answer
Myth as political power
Augustus and the gods: Venus, Apollo and the founders
The Ara Pacis and monumental imagery
The double purpose
Augustus's use of myth had two connected aims:
- Legitimacy. To turn a position won by force into one that looked divinely sanctioned and traditional.
- Religious restoration. He genuinely revived old cults and temples after the neglect of the civil wars, presenting himself as the restorer of Roman piety and morality.
The two went together: restoring religion both pleased the gods and strengthened Augustus.
Examples in context
A strong essay would argue Augustus used myth chiefly to legitimise power won in war, while genuinely restoring traditional religion at the same time.
Try this
Q1. Which goddess did Augustus claim as an ancestor, and through which hero? [Knowledge recall]
- Cue. The goddess Venus, through the Trojan hero Aeneas (her son), via Augustus's adoptive family the Julii.
Q2. Explain how the Ara Pacis helped support Augustus's rule. You must refer to its decoration. [Short explanation]
- Cue. Its sculpture showed the pious imperial family in procession, a panel of peace and fertility, and Aeneas sacrificing, presenting peace, prosperity and divine favour as the fruits of Augustus's rule.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of OCR exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
OCR J199/11 2020 (style)4 marksDescribe two ways Augustus linked himself to the gods or to Rome's founders. [4]Show worked answer →
A short knowledge question (4 marks, AO1, 2 marks each). Reward two distinct, accurate links.
Way one. Augustus claimed descent from the goddess Venus, through his adoptive family the Julii and their ancestor Aeneas (Venus's son), so the imperial family had divine and Trojan origins.
Way two. Augustus associated himself with the god Apollo, for example building a great temple to Apollo next to his house on the Palatine and crediting Apollo with his victory at Actium.
Top marks. Two separate, correctly explained links (for example Venus/Aeneas and Apollo).
OCR J199/11 2022 (essay, true tariff 15)15 marks'Augustus used myth and religion mainly to make his power seem legitimate.' How far do you agree? Justify your response. [marked here out of 15; this is the true J199/11 tariff]Show worked answer →
The 15-mark extended response (AO1 and AO2). The marker rewards a clear argument supported by named monuments and myths.
Agree (legitimacy). Augustus had seized power in civil war, so he used myth to make his rule look natural and god-given: descent from Venus and Aeneas, the patronage of Apollo, comparison with Romulus, and the Ara Pacis showing peace, piety and fertility flowing from his rule, all presenting him as the destined restorer of Rome.
Other aims. He also used religion to restore traditional Roman worship after the disorder of the civil wars, to promote moral renewal, and to thank the gods, which were genuine religious as well as political acts.
Judgement. The top band argues a clear line, for example that legitimacy was the central aim (turning a war-won position into a divinely sanctioned one) while religious restoration was a real and connected goal. Support with named monuments such as the Ara Pacis and the temple of Apollo.
Related dot points
- The nature of the gods (immortality, anthropomorphism, power and limitations), the major Olympian gods and goddesses and their Roman equivalents and spheres of influence, their symbols and attributes in literature and material culture, and myths showing the gods interacting with mortals.
An OCR GCSE Classical Civilisation (J199) study of the gods in Myth and Religion. Covers the nature of the gods (immortality, anthropomorphism, power and limits), the twelve Olympians and their Roman equivalents and spheres, their symbols and attributes in art, and myths of gods and mortals, with the source and essay skills the J199/11 paper rewards.
- Heracles (Roman Hercules) as the universal hero: his birth and the hostility of Hera, the Twelve Labours, other exploits, his depiction in art, and his significance to both Greeks and Romans, including his use in Roman ideology.
An OCR GCSE Classical Civilisation (J199) study of Heracles (Roman Hercules), the universal hero in Myth and Religion. Covers his birth and Hera's hostility, the Twelve Labours and other exploits, his depiction in art (lion skin, club), his apotheosis, and his significance to both Greeks and Romans, with the source and essay skills the J199/11 paper rewards.
- The foundation myths of Rome: Aeneas's journey from Troy to Italy and his role as ancestor of the Romans, the story of Romulus and Remus (the she-wolf, the founding of the city and the death of Remus), and how these myths expressed Roman values and identity.
An OCR GCSE Classical Civilisation (J199) study of Rome's foundation myths in Myth and Religion. Covers Aeneas's journey from Troy to Italy and his role as ancestor of the Romans, the story of Romulus and Remus (the she-wolf, the founding and the death of Remus), and how the myths expressed Roman values and identity, with the source and essay skills the J199/11 paper rewards.
- The role of religion in the public life of Athens and Rome, the nature and duties of priests and priestesses and how they were chosen, and the place of religion in civic identity, including the link between the gods and the well-being of the city.
An OCR GCSE Classical Civilisation (J199) study of religion in civic life in Myth and Religion. Covers the role of religion in the public life of Athens and Rome, the nature, selection and duties of priests and priestesses, and how religion expressed civic identity and protected the well-being of the city, with the source and essay skills the J199/11 paper rewards.
- The concept of sacred space (the sanctuary and altar), the form, function and location of the Greek and Roman temple, its key architectural features (columns, cella, pediment, the orders), and the religious meaning of temples such as the Parthenon.
An OCR GCSE Classical Civilisation (J199) study of temples and sacred space in Myth and Religion. Covers the sanctuary and altar, the form, function and location of the Greek and Roman temple, its architectural features (columns, cella, pediment, the Doric and Ionic orders), and the religious meaning of temples such as the Parthenon, with the source and essay skills the J199/11 paper rewards.
Sources & how we know this
- OCR GCSE (9-1) Classical Civilisation J199 specification — OCR (2017)