Imperial cult
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| - | The '''[[imperial cult]]''' in '''[[ancient Rome]]''' was the worship of a few select [[Roman Emperor|emperor]]s as [[Roman gods|god]]s once they were deceased; the only emperor to declare himself a [[god while still living]] was [[Domitian]] which caused outrage. | + | An '''Imperial cult''' is a form of [[state religion]] in which an [[emperor]], or a [[dynasty]] of emperors (or rulers of another title), are [[worship]]ed as [[messiah]]s, [[demigod]]s or [[deity|deities]]. "[[Cult (religious practice)|Cult]]" here is used to mean "[[worship]]," not in the modern pejorative sense. The cult may be one of [[cult of personality|personality]] in the case of a newly arisen [[Euhemerus]] figure or one of national identity (e.g., [[Ethiopian Empire]] or [[Empire of Japan]]) or supranational identity in the case of a multi-ethnic state (e.g., [[History of China#Imperial era|Imperial Era China]], [[Roman Empire]]). A '''divine king''' is a [[monarch]] who is held in a special [[religious]] significance by his subjects, and serves as both head of state and a [[deity]] or head religious figure. |
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| - | Making a god out of certain deceased emperors became a prominent element of [[Roman religion|religion]] in the [[Roman Empire]] during the [[Principate]], to a point when some relatives of emperors were deified as well (with the word ''Divus'' preceding their names, or ''Diva'' if female). The [[cult]] soon spread over the whole extent of the Empire. It was only abandoned in the [[Dominate]], after the emperor [[Constantine I of the Roman Empire|Constantine I]] started supporting [[Christianity]]. | + | |
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| - | The [[apotheosis]] of an Emperor was an essentially political act performed by the dead emperor's successor to reinforce the majesty of the imperial office, and, often quite effectively, to associate the current emperor with a well-regarded predecessor. Since it was a propaganda tool focused on leaders, the Roman imperial cult can be considered a [[cult of personality]]. | + | |
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| - | == Subjects == | + | |
| - | It is usually deceased emperors who were deified. However, it is not always the immediate predecessor. For instance, when [[Septimius Severus]] overthrew [[Didius Julianus]] to gain power in AD [[193]], he arranged the apotheosis of [[Pertinax]], who had ruled before Julianus. | + | |
| - | This allowed Severus to present himself as the heir and successor to Pertinax, though the two were not related. | + | |
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| - | Apotheosis could also be applied to deceased members of the imperial family, such | + | |
| - | as emperors' wives like [[Livia]] or [[Faustina the Elder|Faustina]] and emperor's son like [[Valerius Romulus]]. It was also | + | |
| - | an acceptable and critical part of the imperial cult to the senate (worship of living | + | |
| - | emperors being regarded with suspicion). | + | |
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| - | For royal females, acquiring the title of ''[[Augusta (honorific)|Augusta]]'', only exceptionally granted, was generally regarded as the essential stepping stone to the status of divinity. | + | |
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| - | In an even rarer occasion, non-imperial Romans could be deified as | + | |
| - | well. The last non-imperial human to be deified was [[Antinous]], the | + | |
| - | young lover of [[Emperor Hadrian]]. The apotheosis of Antinous became | + | |
| - | the subject of numerous sculptures commissioned by Hadrian to | + | |
| - | commemorate the youth. Consequently, the image of Antinous is | + | |
| - | among the most recognizable faces from antiquity. | + | |
| - | Somewhat uniquely, his cult was not so much one of propaganda than one of genuine affection. | + | |
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Revision as of 14:32, 16 September 2009
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An Imperial cult is a form of state religion in which an emperor, or a dynasty of emperors (or rulers of another title), are worshiped as messiahs, demigods or deities. "Cult" here is used to mean "worship," not in the modern pejorative sense. The cult may be one of personality in the case of a newly arisen Euhemerus figure or one of national identity (e.g., Ethiopian Empire or Empire of Japan) or supranational identity in the case of a multi-ethnic state (e.g., Imperial Era China, Roman Empire). A divine king is a monarch who is held in a special religious significance by his subjects, and serves as both head of state and a deity or head religious figure.
Unless indicated otherwise, the text in this article is either based on Wikipedia article "Imperial cult" or another language Wikipedia page thereof used under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License; or on research by Jahsonic and friends. See Art and Popular Culture's copyright notice.
