Family worship was structured around ancestors and the deities that protected the home, the family's property and its members. The head of the family led the rites, which were held in a specific place in the home. Everybody who depended on him - his wife, children and slaves - attended. There was also a public and political aspect to religion, which included festivals honouring the city's gods, the gods in the Roman pantheon, Rome itself and the emperor. This was a sign of loyalty to the Empire. From the time of the late Roman Republic, eastern cults began to spread that were more personal in nature.