Shaping the Sacred Space in Early Imperial Asia Minor. The Pseudomonopteros Temple of Hierapolis and Roman Influence on the Sacred Architecture

Sacred architecture represents a highly suitable experimental field for the verification of continuity and change in the transition to the Roman Imperial age. In this framework, the paper focuses on a pseudomonopteros temple of the Apollo Sanctuary in Hierapolis of Phrygia, a late Augustan and Tiberian reconstruction of a Hellenistic building linked to oracular practices. The architectural and decorative analysis revealed a complex process of transfer and adaptation of models from the sacred architecture of Augustan Rome. The meanings of this architectural transfer and the media by which it was achieved are discussed, together with the specific role of architects and local donors in the adoption of Italic models, highlighting the importance of a contextual analysis that is not limited to the architectural evidence alone.