Originally, Roman Templa were rectangular areas either in the sky or on the earth, so defined by the augurs, as to provide the basis for interpreting signs either from lightning or from the flight of birds. The terrestrial ones were said to be loci effati , freed from evil forces and thereby inaugurated. Temples in our sense were usually , but not necessarily, templa. The worship of gods was initially carried out at open-air altars and these remained outside the temple, as the essential context for sacrifices (rituals). The building was added to house the god's image, to store the paraphernalia of the cult and the dedications made by individuals as the result of private vows to the god. Eventually they became storehouses of art-treasures from conquered Greece.Some functions were proper to templa in the strict sense, only in them, for instance, could meetings of the Senate take place.