Emperor Worship and Roman Religion

Emperor Worship and Roman Religion PDF Author: Ittai Gradel
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 9780199275489
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 408

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Book Description
While Roman religion worshipped a number of gods, one kind in particular aroused the fury of early Christians and the wonder of scholars: the cult of Roman emperors alive or dead. Was the divinity of emperors a glue that held the Empire together? Were rulers such as Julius Caesar and Caligula simply mad to expect such worship of themselves? Or was it rather a phenomenon which has only been rendered incomprehensible by modern and monotheistic ideas of what religion is--or should be--all about? This book presents the first study of emperor worship among the Romans themselves, both in Rome and in its heartland Italy. It argues that emperor worship was indeed perfectly in keeping with Roman religious tradition, which has been generally misunderstood by a posterity imbued with radically different notions of the relationship between humans and the divine.

Emperor Worship and Roman Religion

Emperor Worship and Roman Religion PDF Author: Ittai Gradel
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 9780199275489
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 408

Get Book Here

Book Description
While Roman religion worshipped a number of gods, one kind in particular aroused the fury of early Christians and the wonder of scholars: the cult of Roman emperors alive or dead. Was the divinity of emperors a glue that held the Empire together? Were rulers such as Julius Caesar and Caligula simply mad to expect such worship of themselves? Or was it rather a phenomenon which has only been rendered incomprehensible by modern and monotheistic ideas of what religion is--or should be--all about? This book presents the first study of emperor worship among the Romans themselves, both in Rome and in its heartland Italy. It argues that emperor worship was indeed perfectly in keeping with Roman religious tradition, which has been generally misunderstood by a posterity imbued with radically different notions of the relationship between humans and the divine.

Rituals and Power

Rituals and Power PDF Author: S. R. F. Price
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 9780521312684
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 324

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Book Description
Simon Price attempts to discover why the Roman Emperor was treated like a god.

Roman Emperor Worship

Roman Emperor Worship PDF Author: Louis Matthews Sweet
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Cults
Languages : en
Pages : 174

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Book Description


The Impact of the Roman Empire on the Cult of Asclepius

The Impact of the Roman Empire on the Cult of Asclepius PDF Author: Ghislaine van der Ploeg
Publisher: BRILL
ISBN: 9004372776
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 337

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Book Description
In The Impact of the Roman Empire on The Cult of Asclepius Ghislaine van der Ploeg offers an overview and analysis of how worship of the Graeco-Roman god Asclepius adapted, changed, and was disseminated under the Roman Empire. It is shown that the cult enjoyed a vibrant period of worship in the Roman era and by analysing the factors by which this religious changed happened, the impact which the Roman Empire had upon religious life is determined. Making use of epigraphic, numismatic, visual, and literary sources, van der Ploeg demonstrates the multifaceted nature of the Roman cult of Asclepius, updating current thinking about the god.

Oxford Bibliographies

Oxford Bibliographies PDF Author: Ilan Stavans
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780199913701
Category : Hispanic Americans
Languages : en
Pages :

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Book Description
"An emerging field of study that explores the Hispanic minority in the United States, Latino Studies is enriched by an interdisciplinary perspective. Historians, sociologists, anthropologists, political scientists, demographers, linguists, as well as religion, ethnicity, and culture scholars, among others, bring a varied, multifaceted approach to the understanding of a people whose roots are all over the Americas and whose permanent home is north of the Rio Grande. Oxford Bibliographies in Latino Studies offers an authoritative, trustworthy, and up-to-date intellectual map to this ever-changing discipline."--Editorial page.

A Family of Gods

A Family of Gods PDF Author: Gwynaeth McIntyre
Publisher: University of Michigan Press
ISBN: 0472130056
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 193

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Book Description
Important examination of Roman imperial power structure

Invented History, Fabricated Power

Invented History, Fabricated Power PDF Author: Barry Wood
Publisher: Anthem Press
ISBN: 1785274767
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 404

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Book Description
Invented History, Fabricated Power begins with an examination of prehistoric beliefs (in spirits, souls, mana, orenda) that provided personal explanation and power through ritual and shamanism among tribal peoples. On this foundation, spiritual power evolved into various kinds of divine sanction for kings and emperors (Sumerian, Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Indian, Chinese and Japanese). As kingships expanded into empires, fictional histories and millennia-long genealogies developed that portrayed imperial superiority and greatness. Supernatural events and miracles were attached to religious founders (Hebrew, Hindu, Buddhist, Christian, Islamic). A unique variation developed in the Roman Church which fabricated papal power through forgeries in the first millennium CE and the later “doctrine of discovery” which authorized European domination and conquest around the world during the Age of Exploration. Elaborate fabrications continued with epic histories and literary cycles from the Persians, Ethiopians, Franks, British, Portuguese, and Iroquois Indians. Both Marxists and Nazis created doctrinal texts which passed for economic or political explanations but were in fact self-aggrandizing narratives that eventually collapsed. The book ends with the idealistic goals of the current liberal democratic way of life, pointing to its limitations as a sustaining narrative, along with numerous problems threatening its viability over the long term.

Imperial Cult

Imperial Cult PDF Author: Gwynaeth McIntyre
Publisher: BRILL
ISBN: 9004398376
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 94

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Book Description
As political power in Rome became centered on the emperor and his family, a system of honors and titles developed as one way to negotiate this new power dynamic. Classified under the modern collective heading ‘imperial cult’ (or emperor worship or ruler cult), this system of worship comprises religious rituals as well as political, economic, and social aspects. In this article, Gwynaeth McIntyre surveys the range of ancient literary sources and modern scholarly debates on how individuals became gods in the Roman world. Beginning with the development of exceptional honors granted to Julius Caesar and his deification, she traces the development of honors, symbols, and religious rituals associated with the worship of imperial family members. She uses case studies to illustrate how cult practices, temples, and priesthoods were established, highlighting the careful negotiation required between the emperor, imperial family, Senate, and populace in order to make mortals into gods.

Imperial Inquisitions

Imperial Inquisitions PDF Author: Steven H. Rutledge
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1134560591
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 494

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Book Description
Delatores (political informants) and accusatores (malicious prosecutors) were a major part of life in imperial Rome. Contemporary sources depict them as cruel and heartless mercenaries, who bore the main responsibility for institutionalising and enforcing the 'tyranny' of the infamous rulers of the early empire, such as Nero, Caligula and Domitian. Stephen Rutledge's study examines the evidence to ask if this is a fair portrayal. Beginning with a detailed examination of the social and political status of known informants and prosecutors, he goes on to investigate their activities - as well as the rewards they could expect. The main areas covered are: * checking government corruption and enforcing certain classes of legislation * blocking opposition and resistance to the emperor in the Senate * acting as a partisan player in factional strife in the imperial family * protecting the emperor against conspiracy. The book includes a comprehensive guide to every known political informant under the early empire, with their name, all the relevant primary and secondary sources, and an individual biography.

The Divinity of the Roman Emperor

The Divinity of the Roman Emperor PDF Author: Lily Ross Taylor
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781258153793
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 314

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Book Description