The idea of the 'Imperial Cult', for the worship of Rome in the form of a Roman Emperor, started when Julius Caesar was officially given divine status by the Senate. His adopted son, Augustus, then went on to give himself the title of 'Pontifex Maximus', chief priest of the Roman state, and encouraged the construction of temples in his name. The reverence of a living Emperor was not practised in Rome itself, but throughout the rest of the Empire citizens had an obligation not only to serve the Emperor but also to swear allegiance to him as a figure of worship. This allowed Rome to unify their distant provinces and spread Roman culture.
