▁the ▁guard ian - sp irit , ▁' god head ' ▁or ▁divine ▁power ▁of ▁a ▁living ▁em peror — in ▁other ▁words , ▁a ▁means ▁of ▁worship ing ▁a ▁living ▁em peror ▁without ▁literally ▁calling ▁him ▁a ▁god . ▁ ▁The ▁cult ▁of ▁August us ▁was ▁promoted ▁by ▁T iber ius , ▁who ▁dedicated ▁the ▁Ara ▁N umin is ▁August i . ▁In ▁this ▁context , ▁a ▁distinction ▁can ▁be ▁made ▁between ▁the ▁terms ▁num en ▁and ▁genius . ▁ ▁Definition ▁as ▁a ▁pre - anim istic ▁phase ▁of ▁religion ▁The ▁expression ▁Num en ▁in est ▁appears ▁in ▁O vid ' s ▁Fast i ▁( III , ▁ 2 9 6 ) ▁and ▁has ▁been ▁translated ▁as ▁' There ▁is ▁a ▁spirit ▁here '. ▁Its ▁interpretation , ▁and ▁in ▁particular ▁the ▁exact ▁sense ▁of ▁num en ▁has ▁been ▁discussed ▁extens ively ▁in ▁the ▁literature . ▁ ▁The ▁supp osition ▁that ▁a ▁num in ous ▁presence ▁in ▁the ▁natural ▁world ▁supposed ▁in ▁the ▁earliest ▁layers ▁of ▁Ital ic ▁religion , ▁as ▁it ▁were ▁an ▁" anim istic " ▁element ▁left ▁over ▁in ▁historical ▁Roman ▁religion ▁and ▁especially ▁in ▁the ▁et ym ology ▁of ▁Latin ▁the onym s , ▁has ▁often ▁been ▁popular ly ▁imp lied , ▁but ▁was ▁critic ised ▁as ▁" most ly ▁a ▁scholar ly ▁fiction " ▁by ▁Mc Ge ough ▁( 2 0 0 4 ). ▁ ▁Num ina ▁and ▁specific ▁relig ions ▁The ▁phrase ▁" num en ▁er is ▁c ael o que ▁redu x ▁m ira bere ▁reg