Ara Ubiorum
Where conquered Germanic chiefs swore loyalty to Rome: a lost Roman altar in Cologne, dedicated to the goddess Roma and the emperor, and site of a 'Germanic diet'.
Long before Cologne became a Roman colony, this altar was meant to anchor a planned province of Germania, tying newly subdued tribes to Rome through religion rather than force alone.
Source: Wikipedia
At a Glance
- Type
- former Roman sanctuary (altar)
- Built
- in the last decade of the 1st century BC
- Dedication
- the goddess Roma and the Roman emperor
- Location
- Altstadt-Nord district, Innenstadt borough, Cologne
- Notable feature
- seat of the Concilium provinciae, a "Germanic diet"
When news of the Varus battle reached the Cheruscan priest Segimundus, who served at the Ara Ubiorum in Cologne in 9 AD, he reportedly tore the priestly headband from his head and fled across the Rhine to join the rebels.
Purpose and Significance
At this altar, the Germans whom Augustus had defeated were expected to demonstrate their loyalty to Rome and the emperor through sacrificial rites. Modeled on the Ara trium Galliarum, it gave rise to the Concilium provinciae for the intended province of Germania, a "Germanic diet". High-ranking Germans served as priests.
Segimundus and the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest
Tacitus reports that in AD 9, the Cheruscan Segimundus served here as a priest. When news reached him of the defeat of Publius Quinctilius Varus, he is said to have torn the priestly headband from his head, crossed the Rhine into Germania and joined the rebels.
Later Fate
When the territories east of the Rhine were abandoned in AD 16, the sanctuary lost its supraregional role. It continued to be maintained in Roman Cologne all the same.
Location and Research
The complex must have been imposing and visible from a great distance; its traces vanish in later Roman Cologne, the Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium. The oppidum Ubiorum lay within the city wall built after the colony's founding, presumably along the city's main axis, which crossed the forum. Together with the archaeological evidence, this points to the area around Alt St. Alban and Gürzenich as the most likely site. Researchers have also considered numerous other locations.
Timeline
- letztes Jahrzehnt des 1. Jh. v. Chr.Construction of the ara Ubiorum as a sanctuary for Roma and the emperor
- 9 n. Chr.Cheruscan Segimundus, a priest at the altar, flees to Germania after the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest
- 16 n. Chr.Abandonment of the territories east of the Rhine; sanctuary loses supra-regional importance
Map
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Sources & links
Auto-generated, last verified: 2026-09-21
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