The Imperial Cult in Cities of the Decapolis, Caesarea Maritima and Palmyra. A Note on the Development of Imperial Cults in the Roman Near East (original) (raw)

Between tradition and innovation: cults for Roman emperors in the province of Achaia

A. Kolb, M. Vitale (eds.), Kaiserkult in den Provinzen des Römischen Reiches. Organisation, Kommunikation und Repräsentation, Berlin – Boston, 2016

Cults for the Roman emperors in Greece were widespread. Their focus was the living emperor, yet they soon came to be addressed to the whole of the Sebastoi, a cultic 'ensemble' including also the past emperors and the other living or dead members of the imperial family. In the present paper I shall discuss the main evidence on priests, festivals and sanctuaries for the emperors from the cities of mainland Greece (province of Achaia). The evidence shows that the emperors were often worshipped in combination with traditional gods. although the text from Gythium does not mention the koinon of the Eleutherolakones, it refers three times to the ethnos of the Eleutherolakones (ll. 9-10, 19-22). 120 The koina Asias, for example, which were organized by the koinon of Asia, were celebrated in at least two cities every year; cf.

The Roman State Cult Outside the Cities of Thrace

The Journal of Southeastern European Studies 40, 2023

While almost all evidence about emperor worship in Roman Thrace originates from the urban context, little is known about state religion outside the cities. The paper explores the attestation of veneration practices in the cities' territories and in non-urban structures by examining data from such things as road stations, emporia, komai, sanctuaries, recreational facilities, and domains. The sites are classified according to their primary or most probable identification. Some of these had multiple functions that challenge their interpretation. Most evidence comes from inner Thrace, the area between Philippopolis and Augusta Traiana. Perhaps this can be explained by the economic resources of these two cities and the more advanced archaeological research. The data from the Aegean coast and the Via Egnatia is limited to inscriptions about roadworks and border marking. This picture probably is due to the frequent imperial journeys through Via Diagonalis and the multiple occasions for central authorities' direct involvement in local matters. Imperial veneration practices in most non-urban contexts, such as setting up statues and using special formulae, are linked to practical and economic reasons. The emporia present a more city-like organization, with more versatile instances of emperor worship practices.

A methodology for the study of religions and cults of the Late Antiquity. a new perspective.doc

The study of the religions and cults of the Late Antiquity was based mostly by the Theological Schools on the characteristics of Gods, the theological teachings, the rituals or the ethnic tradition. Those elements werent always helpful in order to understand the development and the institution of the several religious traditions in the provinces and the social groups of the Roman Empire. We can find a lot of studies about the cult of Isis, Mithras, the Christianity and Judaism that are completely isolated by the social and religious context and as a result of this the researchers conclusions are generalities. Im going to present a different methodology for depicting the religious development of Roman Empire by categorizing the cults of this era according to a) the expansion of the religious community, b) the methods of promotion and establishment in several areas of the Roman Empire, and c) how a cult or a religious tradition is depended on a topos (religious place); especially, the topic/utopic depiction of the world (ecumene) can give us a lot of answers about the formation and mobility of these new cults. Those theoretical characteristics can help us form a new taxonomy for the cults of this particular era based not only on the factor of mobility but also on how people adapt and act after they have settled down on a new place.

The Imperial Cult During the Reign of Domitian

An unpublished Master's Diploma Thesis, which deals with the Imperial cult and propaganda during the reign of Roman emperor Domitian (I apologise for little mistakes (mostly grammar/spelling and numbering of pictures), which were not fully edited out).