Cultus Apollinis

Apollo is the ancient Greek god of healing, oracles and inspiration. He had no indigenous Roman counterpart, and until the end of the republic remained a foreign god with only a single temple outside the pomerium. He was worshipped in Rome primarily as Apollo Medicus, Apollo the healer. Apollo was actually quite a minor god in Italy and did not become popular until the advent of Augustus who built a magnificent temple on the Palatine to him. His cult was supervised by the decemviri sacris faciundis in ritu graecu.

Dedication days, dies natalis, for his Temples:

28 B.C. Apollo Palatinus: a.d. VII ID Oct. October 9

431 B.C Apollo in pratis Flaminiis: III ID. Quinct. July 13

Festivals: Ludi Apollinares: prid non -III ID Quinct. July 6-13

Here below is a a copy of the cult image housed in the temple of Apollo Palatinus . It is Apollo with a cithara:

In 430 BCE, the Temple of Apollo Medicus was dedicated to Apollo on account of a plague. Located near the Theater of Marcellus, three fluted white marble Corinthian columns of this temple were re-erected in modern times. Fragments of this temple are found in the Montemartini Museum.

During the Second Punic War in 212 BCE, the Ludi Apollinares were instituted in his honor.