Emperor Worship - Introduction

Emperor Worship – Introduction

BACKGROUND

·  Egypt – Pharaohs worshipped as gods

·  Greek – East

o  Alexander the Great – 324 BC insisted the Greek states recognise him as a god (based this on the idea of Persian prostration before the King as being worship)

o  All later Hellenistic kings were honoured this way

o  After Roman conquest, Roma was honoured this way

CREATION OF THE CULT OF THE EMPEROR

·  Christian leaders later abolished old rituals

·  Augustus introduced worship of ruler as a god

·  In south and east of Italy – god-king had been around for a long time

·  Egypt – Pharaoh regarded as god for nearly 3000 years

o  Based on concept of power

·  All-powerful ruler could change someone’s life for better or worse

o  Claimed descent from the gods

·  Respected while alive

·  Worshipped when he went to join the gods of death

·  Aeneas – founder of Roman race – joined gods after death as had Romulus

·  Greek conqueror – Alexander the Great – asked subjects to worship him as the past rulers of Egypt and Persia had been

·  Julius Caesar – claimed descent from the gods

o  Declared Julian family descended from Iulus, son of Aeneas and grandson of Venus

o  After he became dictator he accepted honours reserved for gods – arrogance that led to death

o  Masses adored Caesar and accepted that the comet in the sky that appeared after his death was a sign that he had been taken to the heavens to join the gods

·  Octavian encouraged this idea – call himself the son of a god

Julius Caesar’s heir – Octavian

·  Defeated Mark Antony and Cleopatra – Battle of Actium

o  Brought peace to state

·  Wars finished – people were filled with relief and guilt

o  Looked for reasons for such events occurring

o  They felt they had failed to carry out rituals

§  The pax deorum had been broken – wars were punishment

·  New ruler not a religious man but determined

o  Restored stability

o  Promoted ancient religion

o  27 BC – took title of Augustus (avoided the fact that he was a dictator or tyrant)

§  Title means – a person in whom numen was increased

§  Worthy of great respect and honour

PATTERN SET BY AUGUSTUS

·  Established

o  Temples to Roma et Augusta in East and later West

o  Gave himself the title:

§  Son of a god because – Caesar had been deified and he was his heir

o  Established the cult of Numen Augusti – the divine will of Augustus

§  Acceptable – stoic view that all shared in the divine spirit

§  Festival held January 17

§  Altars to Numen Augusti set up in provinces

No excessive honours for living emperor. He left it open to be declared divine after death in the light of his achievements.

Strengthened loyalty to Emperor and also gave sense of belonging to the Roman World.

SPREAD OF THE IMPERIAL CULT TO THE WEST

·  Provincial Concilia or parliaments of Deputies, elected by several cities, met annually at chief city of the province. Conducted a festival to honour Roma et Augusta

·  Flamen – high priest appointed, leading men eagerly accepted this office.

·  Seviri Augustales – colleges of 6 officials, mostly freedom who oversaw cult practices (gave freedmen often wealthy positions of honour)

·  Statues of the Emperor set up in temples wanted by some officials but rejected by Tiberius as flattery

REVIVAL OF OLD RELIGION

·  During war – rituals ignored

·  Temples damaged, destroyed or left to fall into ruin

·  In 28 BC – rebuilt 82 temples – kept them in good repair

·  Filled vacant priesthoods and promoted worship of old gods in new guise

·  Built new forum

·  Built temple of Mars honouring him as father of Rome’s founder – Romulus

o  Honoured as Mars the Avenger as well – help Augustus right wrongs

§  1 – murder of Julius Caesar – Octavian defeated army of Caesar’s assassins in 43 BC

§  2- slaughter by Parthians of three Roman legions

·  Promoted worship of Apollo

o  Until 31 BC – Greek god has been god of healing

o  Augustus stated that he had helped him at Actium

o  Built a large temple to Apollo on Palatine

o  Young, handsome god = represent Augustus and his success

REVIVAL OF OLD VIRTUES

·  Encourage return to ancient virtues

o  Pietas – dedication to duty

o  Gravitas – sense of responsibility

o  Frugalitas – simple tastes

o  Disciplina – character training

o  Industria – hard work

o  Virtus – manliness and courage

o  Constantia – firmness of purpose

·  Worship of these = moral code

·  Augustus linked them to worship of gods

RECONSTRUCTION

·  Roman Pantheon – set of gods

·  Cult based on single ruling figure might be more acceptable and would provide a focus for religious unity

·  Promoted two cults

o  1 – Genius – his guardian spirit

o  2 – Numen – his divine power or will

·  Old custom of worshipping Genius of paterfamilias

o  Encouraged genius to be that of empire

o  Worshipped on birthday

o  Honoured on Compitalia along with lares and penates of the city

·  In east he was worshipped with goddess Roma – personification of the city

·  In west and in Italy – claiming to be a god would have ended in his assassination so he was careful not to refer to himself as one or claim divinity while he was alive

·  Later emperors

o  Better ones refused to allow worship in Rome while alive but accepted it was good politics for their successors if they were deified after death

o  Tiberius’ son – Caligula – insisted on being called a living god – killed by own guards (was also insane)

Domitian – insisted on being called ‘Lord and God’ – murdered in conspiracy formed inside his own palace

POETS

·  Uneducated had continued traditional practices in countryside especially

·  Educated – few who believed in the old gods but not many objected to others worshiping as they pleased.

·  Religious tolerance meant philosophy and religion could co-exist

·  Augustus had backing of poets – Virgil and Horace

·  Horace – not particularly religious but appreciated the peace that Augustus had brought

·  Virgil – religious man – not perhaps in the gods but he did believe in religious power, Fate, Destiny

ARA PACIS

·  13 BC Augustus consecrated – Altar of Peace

·  Survived and rebuilt

·  Four walls enclose the altar

·  Divinities

o  Tellus Mater relaxing amid symbols of plenty and peace

o  Aeneas sacrifices to the gods

o  Members of Augustus’ family with magistrates and senators make procession to altar to offer sacrifice

DECLARING AN EMPEROR DIVINE AFTER HIS DEATH

·  Julius Caesar – although not Emperor – was declared divine by Augustus

·  Augustus – in AD 14 after his death was declared divine by the Senate

This became the pattern for saner emperors to follow by exceptions are:

·  Nero

·  Caligula

·  Domitian

·  Commodus

All declared themselves to be gods and demanded worship in their lifetimes.

CONNECTING THE EMPEROR WITH OTHER DIVINITIES

·  Julius Caesar established the practice of tracing his line back to Iulus – Aeneas – Venus and Anchises

Augustus had personal devotion Apollo – God of Peace and Peaceful Arts

·  Believed the god protected him

·  Built a magnificent temple to Apollo on Palatine Hill

·  Included Apollo in prayers to the great gods

·  Made known his attachment to Apollo

Also Mars – God of War promoted

People worshipped Apollo and in so doing would consciously connect Augustus with Apollo in their minds

Augustus was also considered a demigod because of his adopted father’s divine with status

RITUAL OFFERINGS TO THE GENIUS OF THE EMPEROR

·  Cult of the Genius Augusti – guardian spirit of Augustus

·  Libations poured to his genius at every banquet

·  Worship of his genius by freedmen and slaves on his birthday (like paterfamilias) – in later times by all citizens

·  Worship at the Compitalia festival with the lares

·  In Italy but not in Rome – temples set up to Genius Augusti

Promoted unity of worship in the Empire. Most gods tribal or belonging to local places – worshipping the Emperor’s genius a unifying form of religion.

JULIUS CAESAR

“He died at the age of 55 and was declared a god; and this declaration was not mere words, for the common people really believed it. In fact, at the first games given by his heir Augustus in honour of the new god a comet was visible from about the eleventh hour over a period of seven consecutive days and was believed to be the soul of Caesar now resident in heaven. This is why statues of Caesar now include a star on top of his head.”

(Suetonius: Julius Caesar)

AUGUSTUS

“And so for all these excellent reasons you made him your leader as Father of the People, honoured him with (amongst other things) a lengthy series of consulships, and finally proclaimed him a demigod and declared him to be immortal. So it behoves us not to weep for him, but forthwith to give his body back to nature and forever glorify his soul as a god’s.”

(Dio Cassius)

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