Temple of Augustus and Livia

The Temple of Augustus and Livia is a Roman peripteral sine postico^{[footnotes 1]} hexastyle Corinthian temple built at the beginning of the 1st century, which was in the center of the ancient city of Vienne, also corresponding to the center of the modern city, in the French department of Isère and the region of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes.^[2]^[3]

Ancient history

During its construction, the temple was dedicated to the imperial cult, to honor the

Narbonnaise. Most of the building is rebuilt in Seyssel stones and choin. According to specialists of ancient ornamentation, the more naturally treated capitals were carved around the middle of 1st century, which corresponds to the first uses of choin in the city. Partial reconstruction would therefore take place a few decades after construction. However, one cannot imagine that such a building intended to honor Augustus has remained unfinished for so long. The building must therefore have suffered a fire (traces of which can be seen on the rear part and on the podium), or a slight earthquake which caused the collapse of the eastern part of the building (this assertion is disputed by the scientific community ), the rear part having resisted better due to the presence of the cella

and the west wall. This reconstruction undoubtedly took place before Livia was deified in 42 because the initial inscription was put back on the frieze of the new pediment and then that of Livia was added to the architrave.