Like many other places of worship throughout the Roman Empire, this small temple with marble capitals and columns and with the altar at the front, was not only dedicated to the celebration of specific rituals in honour of Emperor Augustus (31 BC-14 AD) but also to the propaganda in favour of the imperial house by the local elite. In this case, an inscription gives us the name of the manufacturer of the building: Marcus Tullius, son of Marcus, duoviri of Pompeii. The construction of the temple at his own expense and on land owned by him, made Marcus Tullius a strong supporter of the emperor.

The cult of Fortuna Augusta was looked after by a group of slaves and liberti, that is groups particularly related to the emperor as the guarantor of their rights and ambitions. The marble coatings that adorned the building were removed just a few years after the eruption. There was a statue of Fortuna in the cell of the temple and statues of the imperial family in the niches on the side.

Date of excavation: 1823-1824; 1826; 1859.