The gods of the Greeks and Romans were omnipresent and pervaded almost every sphere of life. As a result, the gods permeated the very fabric of the community, and representations of them adorned ordinary buildings, decorated household walls or ornamented gardens. The gods could also be found marking grave sites and tombs, guiding and watching over mortals as they made their journey to the Underworld.
There were special sacred spaces set aside for the gods, however, including sanctuaries, temples, altars and shrines. Often constructed on a grand scale and decorated lavishly, these holy places reflected on the status of both the god they were dedicated to and the community in which they were built. Temples and sanctuaries also marked places of strategic importance, being located near important resources such as mineral springs, or built at vantage points overlooking a harbour or township.
