The cult of the genius of the Roman emperor. Roman religion: the genius of the emperor

Technique and Internet 26.12.2021

EMPERORS' CULT

one of the forms of state religions in Dr. Rome. In Rome, I. k. took shape in the reign of imp. Augustus Octavian (63 B.C. - A.D. 14). Traditionally, I. k. is associated with the cult of good luck (Latin felicitas) of the commander established by the Senate in the republican era; at the same time, some Roman. politicians such as Marcus Furius Camillus, Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus, Lucius Cornelius Sulla, Quintus Sertorius, Gaius Julius Caesar and Mark Antony were hailed by the people as God's chosen ones; in the east the provinces of Rome deified the Hellenistic kings and local dynasts, sometimes Rome was revered there. commanders and governors as saviors and benefactors (for example, the cults of Titus Quinctius Flamininus, Marcus Claudius Marcellus, Lucius Licinius Lucullus and Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus); in the west of the Roman state, “friends and allies of the Roman people” were deified (for example, the kings of Masinissa, Mitsipsa, Bokh II, Yuba I and Yuba II in Numidia and Mauritania). In the 1st century BC, the cults of "charismatic" politicians (Lukullus, Pompey, Caesar) in Rome became ubiquitous.

Gaius Julius Caesar (100-44 BC) was revered during his lifetime in the East (SIG 3.760; SEG. XIV 474), and later in Rome. After Caesar became dictator (49 BC), his statue was installed in the sanctuary of Quirinus. Caesar received his own priest (Flamina Julius) (Suet. Iulius. 76. 1), the month of quintiles (July) was named after the emperor. After the death of Caesar, a temple was built in his honor in Rome, to which a special priest was assigned, namely Mark Antony (Cicero. Phil. 2. 110). However, official The cult of Caesar was established by Augustus Octavian in the beginning. Jan. 42 BC, and the temple to the "divine Julius" was consecrated only in 29 BC. Researchers distinguish between Caesar's lifetime divinization and posthumous deification. Caesar's deification procedure became a model for the deification of the emperors of Rome: the act of deification (consecratio) required evidence that the soul of the deceased emperor had left the funeral pyre in the form of an eagle ascending into the sky. After the death of Caesar, another event took place, which convinced the army and the people that he was a deity. During the first games established by Augustus Octavian in his honor, a comet was visible in the sky for 7 days.

Under Augustus Octavian, the temple of Mars the Avenger in Rome, erected in memory of the death of Caesar, became the center of I. k. in the eyes of the army and the people, Augustus joined the “charisma” of his adoptive father and, even during his lifetime, began to receive divine honors on the basis of being the son of “divine Julius”. In Egypt, he was called "a god from God" (POxy. 1453; OGIS. 655) and was revered as a pharaoh and the god Ra; in Alexandria, the temple of Caesarion was dedicated to him. Numerous temples in honor of Augustus (sometimes together with the goddess Roma (Dea Roma): for example, the temple of Roma and Augustus at Ephesus, 29 BC) were erected in M. Asia. Augustus was revered in the East as a savior, a liberator (Zeus Eleutherius), a giver of blessings and the father of the human race (in Rome he was called the "father of the fatherland", Pater Patriae). Religious events in honor of the founder of the principate were strictly regulated. In the temples of Roma and Augustus, solemn services were held annually with the participation of representatives of the provincial communities, which were led by the high priest of the province. In 27 BC, the Senate proclaimed Octavian "August", i.e. "divine", "exalted", "sacred", (Greek σεβαστᾷός - worthy of the highest reverence). The cult of Augustus also spread widely in the west of the empire: in the provinces, at the initiative of the local nobility and veterans, altars, temples, statues, and inscriptions were dedicated to Augustus and his successors. Following Caesar, Augustus led the priests of Rome, becoming the supreme pontiff in 12 BC. By that time, he was already a member of a number of priestly colleges - augurs, quindecimvirs, epulons, the Arval brotherhood, as well as colleges of titii and fetials. Altars of the goddess Roma and Augustus were erected in the Gallic provinces (for example, the altar in Lugdun (now Lyon), built in a sacred forest and surrounded by statues, which personified 60 Gallic communities), and after several. years - in a number of cities in the provinces of Germany and Asia. Sometimes the cult of Augustus merged with the cults of other gods, in particular Hercules and Mercury. In Rome, Augustus was not a direct object of worship. During the life of the emperor, only his genius was deified (genius - personal guardian deity), whose cult became part of the cult of domestic gods - mans, lars and penates, and numen (numen - divine power). From 12 BC, in the oath formula, the genius of Augustus was mentioned immediately after Jupiter and before the penates. In the quarters of Rome and in the cities of Italy, under Augustus, compital colleges were organized to worship the Lares and the genius of the emperor. This cult was in charge of annually changing flamens, chosen from among the most influential decurions, etc. representatives of the provincial elites. The sacral collegiums of the Sevir-Augustals, where freedmen played a prominent role, also became widespread. In A.D. 14, Augustus died and was deified. On gems and reliefs, Augustus was depicted in the form of his officers. the patron of Apollo (Suet. Aug. 70. 1; 94. 4), in the pose of Jupiter with a scepter and an eagle sitting at his feet, as well as in the company of Roma and Venus. Sacralization extended to all members of the imp. at home. Thus, the daughter of Augustus Julia the Elder was portrayed as Diana, the wife of the emperor, Livia, as the deities of Piety (Pietas), Peace (Pax), Justice (Iustitia) or the goddess Ceres.

Imp. Tiberius (14-37) approved the order of deification of Augustus and consistently spread and supported his cult. It is known that 11 temples in Asia Minor were dedicated to Tiberius, but it is not clear whether they were erected to him during his lifetime or posthumously. For a long time it was believed that Tiberius and Claudius had a negative attitude towards their own divine veneration, but in recent years this opinion has been challenged by researchers.

With imp. Vespasians (69-79) I. to. became universal and obligatory. Colleges of imp. larov. Wealthy plebeians and freedmen joined the collegiums of the Sever-Augustals and spent considerable funds on the construction of temples, the organization of holidays, games, and feasts. In the provinces, the local nobility was involved in worship. Participation in I. to. was evidence of loyalty and trustworthiness, evasion - criminal sacrilege (in accordance with the law "on lese majesty"). Greek orator Aelius Aristides argued that none of the subjects of the emperor “is not so impudent as not to flinch at the name of the sovereign: he gets up, he reverently praises him and offers two prayers at the same time: one to the gods for his well-being, and the other to him about his own” (Or. 26, 32). The oath by the genius of the emperor was considered sacred. The reason for the intensive policy of spreading the veneration of the emperors of the Julio and Claudian dynasties under Vespasian is associated with his desire to legitimize his own power.

The symbols, images, and mottos related to I. k. were minted on coins and medallions, depicted in churches, in private houses, in squares and triumphal arches, and, therefore, were constantly in front of the eyes of the inhabitants of the empire. Emperors became members of all the main priestly colleges, and sometimes appropriated the attributes of the gods. So, Caligula (37-41), declaring himself "lord" (dominus) and "god" (deus), appeared in public in the form of Jupiter, with a gilded beard and lightning bolts in his hand, with the trident of Neptune, in silks and on cothurns, with the caduceus of Mercury or even in the vestments of Venus. "Lord" and "God" ordered himself to be called and imp. (81-96), under Krom I. k. acquired an incredible scope: in Rome, gold and silver statues of the emperor were installed on the Palatine Hill, and the months of Sept. and Oct. renamed in his honor. Imp. Commodus (180-192), who received the name Felix (happy) from the Senate and joined all the priestly colleges, ordered to honor himself as Rome. Hercules (for example, on coins he was depicted as Hercules, in a lion's skin, with a cornucopia and apples of the Hesperides), but immediately after the assassination of the emperor, the cult was canceled. Imp. Alexander Severus (222-235) was often depicted as Hercules, and the empresses of the 2nd-3rd centuries were depicted with the attributes of Juno, Venus and Ceres. Hercules and Dionysus became officers. patrons of the imp. houses of the Severes (193-235).

Beginning with Trajan, Rom. emperors were officially called "sovereigns" (dominus). With imp. Adrian (117-138), the veneration of "eternal Rome" (Roma Aeterna) was included in the I. k. In an effort to draw the attention of the population of the empire to the traditions. Rome. religion and weaken the influence of Christianity, imp. Trajan (249-251) in 250 issued a series of coins with portraits of deified emperors. At the same time, a decree was published obliging all the inhabitants of the empire to participate in the cult of the genius of the emperor. Last even Christian emperors were deified, such as (364-378) and Theodosius I the Great (379-395).

Sacrifice in I. k. was of an Olympic nature, that is, the sacrifice during the feast was divided among its participants - this is what distinguished I. k. from the cult of "heroes" (sacrifice of a chthonic nature) and brought it closer to the cults of the Hellenistic rulers. At the same time, the cult of the deceased emperor and the living one were clearly distinguished. In the latter case, the sacrifices were made not directly to the divine princeps, but for his sake. The image of the emperor occupied a central place in the I. k. In front of the statue of the emperor, sacrifices were made, it was decorated with wreaths and walked around in a solemn procession. Celebrations in honor of the emperor, which were accompanied by sacrifices, solemn processions, feasts, sports and music. competitions took place on the birthday of the sovereign, on the anniversary of his accession to the throne, on the day of the founding of I. k. in this city. A special case is the visit of the emperor (parousia, adventus), on the day of his arrival, a procession of the best residents of the city with olive or palm branches, with candles and torches went outside the city walls to meet their sovereign. The solemn reception of the emperor continued with sacrifices and games inside the city walls. Temples dedicated to I. k. had special calendars for the whole year, an example of which is the calendar of the temple of Augustus, the so-called. Feriale Cumanum (ILS. 108).

In addition to priestly and civil religions. unions with I. k. also associated with some forms of mystery cults. For example, in the Ephesian mysteries of Demeter, Augusti and members of the imp. surnames (IEph. II. 213), and in Eleusis, the hierophant, along with other sacred objects, showed images of emperors. The emperor was perceived as a living embodiment of overcoming death and achieving divine immortality.

Lit.: Heinen H. Zur Begründung des römischen Kaiserkultes // Klio. Lpz., 1911. Bd. 11. S. 129-177; Melikhov V. A. Cult of Rome. emperors and its significance in the struggle between paganism and Christianity. Kh., 1912; Boissier G. Roman Religion from Augustus to the Antonines. M., 1914; Taylor L. R. The Divinity of the Roman Emperor. Middletown, 1931; idem. The Divinity of the Roman Emperor. Phil., 1975; Etienne R. Le Culte impérial dans la péninsule ibérique d "Auguste à Dioclétien. P., 1958; Shtaerman E. M. Moral and religion of the oppressed classes of the Roman Empire. M., 1961; she is the same. The social foundations of the religion of Ancient Rome. M. 1987; Pleket H. W. An Aspect of the Emperor Cult: Imperial Mysteries // HarvTR. 1965. Vol. 58. No. 4. P. 331-347; Gesche H. Die Vergottung Caesars. Kallmnüz, 1968; Weinstock S. Divus Julius. Oxf., 1971; Hesberg H., von Archäologische Denkmäler zum römischen Kaiserkult // ANRW. R. 2. 1978. Bd.16. H. 2. S. 911-995; 1981. Bd. 17. H 2. S 1032-1199; Herz P. Bibliographie zum römischen Kaiserkult (1955-1975) // Ibid. S. 833-910; idem. Kaiserfeste der Prinzipatszeit // ibid. S. 1135-1200; Römischer Kaiserkult / Hrsg. A. Wlosok Darmstadt, 1978; Price S. R. F. Between Man and God: Sacrifice in the Roman Imperial Cult // JRS. 1980. Vol. 70, pp. 28-43; idem. Gods and Emperors: The Greek Language of the Roman Imperial Cult // JHS 1984 Vol 104 pp 79-95 idem Rituals and Power: The Roman Imperial Cult in Asia Minor. Camb.; N.Y., 1984, 1987r; Hänlein-Schäfer H. Veneratio Augusti: Eine Studie zu den Tempeln des ersten römischen Kaisers. R., 1985; Pekary T. Das römische Kaiserbildnis in Staat, Kult und Gesellschaft, dargestellt anhand der Schriftquellen. B., 1985; Fishwick D. The Imperial Cult in the Latin West. Leiden, 1987-2005. 3 vol. in 8 pt.; Fears J. R. Herrscherkult // RAC. 1988. Bd. 14. S. 1047-1093; Abramzon M. G. Coins as a means of official propaganda. politics of the Roman Empire. M., 1995; Harland P. A. Honors and Worship: Emperors, Imperial Cults and Associations at Ephesus // Studies in Religion. Sciences Religions. Toronto, 1996. Vol. 25. No. 3. P. 319-334.

A. V. Belousov, V. O. Nikishin

Orthodox encyclopedia. - M.: Church-Scientific Center "Orthodox Encyclopedia". 2014 .

See what "EMPERORS CULT" is in other dictionaries:

CULT OF PERSONALITY- Initially, the deification of representatives of spiritual and secular authorities, endowing them with superhuman virtues and strength; consecration of the power of emperors, kings, kings, representatives of the clergy - high priests, popes, etc.; in modern ... ... Philosophical Encyclopedia

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Under Augustus Octavian, the temple of Mars the Avenger in Rome, erected in memory of the death of Caesar, became the center of I. k. in the eyes of the army and the people, Augustus joined the “charisma” of his adoptive father and, even during his lifetime, began to receive divine honors on the basis of being the son of “divine Julius”. In Egypt, he was called "a god from God" (POxy. 1453; OGIS. 655) and revered as a pharaoh and the god Ra, in Alexandria, the temple of Caesarion was dedicated to him. Numerous temples in honor of Augustus (sometimes together with the goddess Roma (Dea Roma): for example, the temple of Roma and Augustus at Ephesus, 29 BC) were erected in M. Asia. Augustus was revered in the East as a savior, a liberator (Zeus Eleutherius), a giver of blessings and the father of the human race (in Rome he was called the "father of the fatherland", Pater Patriae). Religious events in honor of the founder of the principate were strictly regulated. In the temples of Roma and Augustus, solemn services were held annually with the participation of representatives of the provincial communities, which were led by the high priest of the province. In 27 BC, the Senate proclaimed Octavian "August", i.e. "divine", "exalted", "sacred", (Greek σεβαστᾷός - worthy of the highest reverence). The cult of Augustus also spread widely in the west of the empire: in the provinces, at the initiative of the local nobility and veterans, altars, temples, statues, and inscriptions were dedicated to Augustus and his successors. Following Caesar, Augustus led the priests of Rome, becoming the supreme pontiff in 12 BC. By that time, he was already a member of a number of priestly colleges - augurs, quindecimvirs, epulons, the Arval brotherhood, as well as colleges of titii and fetials. Altars of the goddess Roma and Augustus were erected in the Gallic provinces (for example, the altar in Lugdun (now Lyon), built in a sacred forest and surrounded by statues, which personified 60 Gallic communities), and after several. years - in a number of cities in the provinces of Germany and Asia. Sometimes the cult of Augustus merged with the cults of other gods, in particular Hercules and Mercury. In Rome, Augustus was not a direct object of worship. During the life of the emperor, only his genius was deified (genius - personal guardian deity), whose cult became part of the cult of domestic gods - mans, lars and penates, and numen (numen - divine power). From 12 BC, in the oath formula, the genius of Augustus was mentioned immediately after Jupiter and before the penates. In the quarters of Rome and in the cities of Italy, under Augustus, compital colleges were organized to worship the Lares and the genius of the emperor. This cult was in charge of annually changing flamens, chosen from among the most influential decurions, etc. representatives of the provincial elites. The sacral collegiums of the Sevir-Augustals, where freedmen played a prominent role, also became widespread. In A.D. 14, Augustus died and was deified. On gems and reliefs, Augustus was depicted in the form of his officers. the patron of Apollo (Suet. Aug. 70. 1; 94. 4), in the pose of Jupiter with a scepter and an eagle sitting at his feet, as well as in the company of Roma and Venus. Sacralization extended to all members of the imp. at home. Thus, the daughter of Augustus Julia the Elder was portrayed as Diana, the wife of the emperor, Livia, as the deities of Piety (Pietas), Peace (Pax), Justice (Iustitia) or the goddess Ceres.

Lit.: Heinen H. Zur Begründung des römischen Kaiserkultes // Klio. Lpz., 1911. Bd. 11. S. 129-177; Melikhov V. A. Cult of Rome. emperors and its significance in the struggle between paganism and Christianity. Kh., 1912; Boissier G. Roman Religion from Augustus to the Antonines. M., 1914; Taylor L. R. The Divinity of the Roman Emperor. Middletown, 1931; idem. The Divinity of the Roman Emperor. Phil., 1975; Etienne R. Le Culte impérial dans la péninsule ibérique d "Auguste à Dioclétien. P., 1958; Shtaerman E. M. Moral and religion of the oppressed classes of the Roman Empire. M., 1961; she is the same. The social foundations of the religion of Ancient Rome. M. 1987; Pleket H. W. An Aspect of the Emperor Cult: Imperial Mysteries // HarvTR. 1965. Vol. 58. No. 4. P. 331-347; Gesche H. Die Vergottung Caesars. Kallmnüz, 1968; Weinstock S. Divus Julius. Oxf., 1971; Hesberg H., von Archäologische Denkmäler zum römischen Kaiserkult // ANRW. R. 2. 1978. Bd.16. H. 2. S. 911-995; 1981. Bd. 17. H 2. S 1032-1199; Herz P. Bibliographie zum römischen Kaiserkult (1955-1975) // Ibid. S. 833-910; idem. Kaiserfeste der Prinzipatszeit // ibid. S. 1135-1200; Römischer Kaiserkult / Hrsg. A. Wlosok Darmstadt, 1978; Price S. R. F. Between Man and God: Sacrifice in the Roman Imperial Cult // JRS. 1980. Vol. 70, pp. 28-43; idem. Gods and Emperors: The Greek Language of the Roman Imperial Cult // JHS 1984 Vol 104 pp 79-95 idem Ritual s and Power: The Roman Imperial Cult in Asia Minor. Camb.; N.Y., 1984, 1987r; Hänlein-Schäfer H. Veneratio Augusti: Eine Studie zu den Tempeln des ersten römischen Kaisers. R., 1985; Pekary T. Das römische Kaiserbildnis in Staat, Kult und Gesellschaft, dargestellt anhand der Schriftquellen. B., 1985; Fishwick D. The Imperial Cult in the Latin West. Leiden, 1987-2005. 3 vol. in 8 pt.; Fears J. R. Herrscherkult // RAC. 1988. Bd. 14. S. 1047-1093; Abramzon M. G. Coins as a means of official propaganda. politics of the Roman Empire. M., 1995; Harland P. A. Honors and Worship: Emperors, Imperial Cults and Associations at Ephesus // Studies in Religion. Sciences Religions. Toronto, 1996. Vol. 25. No. 3. P. 319-334.

A. V. Belousov, V. O. Nikishin

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Work description

The Roman cult of emperors raises many questions to which a very significant historiography is devoted. Among them is the problem of the place of worship in the religious system of the Empire, the combination of personal and power factors in it, the correlation of the cult of the emperor with the cults of other gods. The most important question is also the extent to which the tradition of honoring was rooted in the Roman past. The works of domestic and foreign researchers present a wealth of material on various issues of the history of Roman religion and, in particular, highlight the problems of the emergence of the imperial cult, although the latter are paid less attention to. Of the latest works devoted to this problem, related issues are dealt with in the collection "The Roman Imperial Cult".

Introduction……………………………………………………………………………3
Chapter I. The origins of the cult of the emperor:
Sacred veneration of rulers in antiquity outside Rome……….4
Roman traditions of the sacralization of power and the cult of personality……………….12
Chapter II. The formation of the cult of emperors:
2.1 The origin of the imperial cult in the era of civil wars. Cult of Caesar…………………………………………………………………………...15
2.2 The formation of the imperial cult under Octavian Augustus…………19
Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………23
List of used literature…………………………………………..24

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After the funeral of Caesar, a comet appeared, which was considered the soul of the dictator ascended to heaven, and now all the statues began to depict a star. On all the statues of the god - Caesar, Augustus ordered to depict a star, and he himself wore a star on his helmet. According to Suetonius, he was ranked among the gods "not only by the words of decrees, but also by the conviction of the crowd." The official deification of Caesar took place on January 1, 42 BC.

Caesar's attempt to spread the honors of his own person more widely led to his death. According to Karl Krist, the introduction of the cult of the divine Julius, as well as the reckoning of himself (Caesar) to the gods, surpassed all boundaries.24

Cult of Mark Antony

After the death of Caesar, Antony tried to use the idea of the divinity of an outstanding commander and ruler. In an effort to strengthen his power in the East, he demanded that the Greek cities show him the same honors as once the Hellenistic kings: in an inscription from Ephesus, he is called a “revealed deity” (like the Syrian king Antiochus IV Epiphanes - i.e. “The Appeared” ), "the savior of mankind." At the same time, he not only proclaimed himself a god, but also portrayed him: Plutarch in the biography of Antony describes his entry into Ephesus in the form of Dionysus, accompanied by Bacchantes, boys in the guise of pans and satyrs. Anthony's attempt to establish his own cult did not lead to even temporary success, because it was based on the arbitrariness of the Roman commander and had no support in the deep perception of the population of the eastern provinces. The hopes of the population, tired of endless wars and robberies, focused on the personality of Octavian Augustus, who defeated his rivals.

Thus, the cult of the bearers of sole power was formed both on the Greek (in the East) and on the Roman basis - but not just a cult of outstanding people.

2.2 Formation of the imperial cult under Octavian Augustus

As a result of the victory at Cape Actions over Antony and Cleopatra in 31 BC. e. Octavian becomes the sole ruler of the Roman state. The Senate gave him the honorific title of Augustus. Then he was given the title of “father of the fatherland”, and the honorary title “emperor”, which was awarded during the period of the republic to victorious commanders, turned into his permanent title. He received the right to be the first to speak in the Senate (i.e. became the Princeps of the Senate)25. In contrast to his foster father Caesar, he did not seek, at least openly, to establish a monarchy of the Hellenistic type and did not assume either the royal title, which aroused the disgust of the Romans, or the extreme unlimited dictatorial power, like Lucius Cornelius Sulla. From the reign of Emperor Augustus, the formation of the cult of the emperor begins, and this cult was perceived differently in Rome and in the eastern provinces. He did not introduce anything fundamentally new: the deification of Roman statesmen was already planned, in the eastern provinces the cult of kings was common, and the deification of leaders and kings was well known in a number of western provinces (monuments of such a cult are known in pre-Roman Spain, pre-Roman Gaul, in Numidia and Mauritania , where the kings Masinissa, Mitsips, Yuba, Guluss, Giempsal were deified. As we have seen, the cult of the Genius of the head of the family and his transformation into a god after death were very ancient. Having come to power, Augustus contributed to the reckoning of his late adoptive father to the gods: Caesar received the epithet divus (lat. "divine"). Augustus became the son of the divine Julius. But this was not enough to strengthen the authority of the emperor. As already mentioned above, the deification of a living concrete person, and not the power itself, was alien to Roman traditions proper, therefore it was the cult of the Genius Augustus was established: the personal spirits-patrons of each Roman were called geniuses, but Genius Augustus she was declared equal to the deities. During the oaths, the Genius of Augustus was mentioned immediately after Jupiter the Most Benevolent Greatest; in Rome, sanctuaries of the Genius were founded by quarters. The cult of the Genius Augustus was associated not only with the Lares, but also with Fidesz. This cult was especially widespread in Italy and in the West. In other provinces, the cult of August arose spontaneously, but needed official sanction.26 Associations (colleges) of people organizing the cult of the Genius of the Emperor appeared - in the West they were called Augustals, among them freedmen and, in general, people from the social lower classes played a large role27. Rome was divided into districts and quarters, and in each quarter there was a sanctuary where the cult of the guardian gods went, and among them the Genius of Augustus occupied his place. These circumstances show that the cult of the Genius Augustus had to be deeply rooted in the minds of the broad masses of the people, to unite them around Augustus and become the ideological foundation of his power. Such colleges made it possible to feel attached to the emperor along with representatives of the upper strata of society. In the East, oaths similar to the oaths of the Genius of the emperor were also used - they swore by his Fate, although very few such oaths came to light. But in addition to the official veneration of his Genius, legends developed around Augustus himself, emphasizing the supernatural properties of the emperor himself. These legends were directly or indirectly connected with the personality of Alexander the Great. According to the legend, transmitted by Asklepiades of Mendet, Octavian was born nine months after Atia, who had fallen asleep in the temple of Apollo, was visited by the god himself in the form of a snake. Having learned about the hour of Octavian's birth, Nigidius Figulus announced the birth of the ruler of the entire circle of lands, and this prediction, along with numerous signs, was confirmed by the astrologer Theogenes. Subsequently, Octavian, believing in his fate, published the horoscope; on coins and gems, along with the images of Fortune and the cornucopia, the lucky sign of the constellation Capricorn was placed, under which, as it was believed, he was born. So, Suetonius writes that, according to the stories, Octavian's mother Atia conceived him from a snake (like Alexander's mother Olympias in her time), which appeared to her when she spent the night in the temple of Apollo (Divine August, 94.2). In connection with this version, it can be noted that the origin of the Julius clan from the descendants of Venus turned out to be insufficient in the process of the deification of Augustus: there was a need to believe in his personal, and not dynastic connection with the gods. A direct analogy between Augustus and Alexander is also drawn in another legend, also transmitted by Suetonius (Divine Augustus, 94, 6): Octavian's own father, while in Thrace, made fortune-telling about the fate of his son. When he poured the wine on the altar, the flames shot up over the roof. A similar sign was received at this altar only by Alexander. Augustus himself, according to the testimony of the same Suetonius, sealed his letters with a seal with the image of Alexander.

A religious halo is created around the personality of the first emperor. Back in 30 BC. the senate decreed that Augustus should be prayed for as the savior of the state, and libations should be made at banquets in his honor. His name was included in the litany of the Salii, in his honor sacrifices were made and vows were made. Octavian himself received the right to replenish the college of priests. According to Mezheritsky, the first manifestations of the imperial cult are found in the eastern provinces, as well as the fact that the cult of Augustus became a continuation of millennial ancient Eastern and Hellenistic traditions. Already in the days of the Republic in Greece and a number of cities in the Middle East, cults of victorious Roman generals were established together with the goddess Roma.28 The real perception of Augustus as a god began immediately after the victory over Antony in the cities of Asia Minor, which suffered from the actions of Anthony. The first sanctuaries of Augustus, with his permission, were erected as early as 27 BC. in Pergamon and Nicomedia. It is characteristic that the Romans, who lived in the province of Asia, built at about the same time not a temple to Augustus, but, in accordance with the official position of the Roman government, to the divine Julius and Roma. The lifetime worship of Augustus as a deity (albeit, together with the goddess Roma) also took place in a number of western provinces: for example, in Gaul, in Lugudun (Lyon), an altar to Roma and Augustus was erected, which was surrounded by statues of the patron gods of the Gallic tribes; a special priest made sacrifices there. Although state propaganda did not call Augustus a god, the glorification of Augustus and the introduction of a kind of “visual” idea of him as a ruler and at the same time a deity were served by his images: in the famous statue from Prima Porta (Italy), Augustus is depicted as a commander addressing troops, and on his shield are “cosmic” images: the departing Moon and the rising Sun, which marks the beginning of a bright future. At the feet of Augustus is Cupid, reminiscent of the connection between the house of Augustus and Venus. And one more symbolic detail - Augustus is depicted barefoot, and not in military shoes, as most Greek deities were usually depicted29. Another statue from the city of Qom (kept in the Hermitage) shows a seated Augustus in the form of Jupiter (an imitation of the famous statue of Zeus by Phidias). The idea of Augustus' connection with the world of the gods permeated all the literature and fine arts of the Principate's time. Suffice it to name two examples: a statue from Qom depicting Augustus in the form of Jupiter with his attributes, and erected in 13-9 years. Altar of Peace (Ara Pacis), where the princeps is depicted surrounded not only by lictors, family, senate and people, but also by Aeneas, Romulus and Remus and the goddesses Roma and Mother Earth. So, during his lifetime, the status of Augustus approached the status of a deity, but his final official deification occurred only after the death of the emperor. When Augustus died and was declared a god, his cult became even more widespread. In addition to the official temples and colleges, private associations were created among the highest nobility for the administration of his cult. Cities have also been the initiators in this regard. So, in the decree adopted in the city of Forum Kledia in 18, the order was established for sacrificing and treating the people at the altar of Augustus on the birthdays of him, Livia Augusta and Tiberius, on the anniversary of the election of Tiberius as great pontiff. The construction of the altar, the statues, and the arrangement of meals for the people were done at the expense of the decurions (CIL, XI, 3303). The number of temples of Augustus also multiplied in the provinces, where, by special, requested permission, they were built during his lifetime. one, severely punished. After the death of Livia, the cult began to be paid to her. Under the successors of Augustus, some (those whom the Senate opposition considered "tyrants") already claimed divine honors during their lifetime, others were content with the cult of their Genius and Rome in anticipation of a posthumous apotheosis. The latter, however, was the lot of only those who deserved the approval of their successor and the Senate, who approved the apotheosis. But while the emperor ruled, he was considered, if not a god, then a divine being, the chosen one of the gods. Dio Chrysostom, in his speeches on royal power, argued that a good king is sent to earth by Zeus in order to rule over people and take care of them (I, 12). Zeus himself chooses him as his son and teaches the art of government (IV, 18; 31). He compared the position of the king with the position of the Sun, the most beautiful of all gods (III, 81-82). Subsequently, the identification of the emperor with the Sun became one of the elements of the official ideology. 3rd century emperors depicted in a crown of rays, solar cults enjoyed their special patronage, and Aurelian tried to make the cult of the Sun the Invincible the main cult of the state: images of this god were minted on the coins as a “companion” and “guardian” of the emperor, “as the lord of the Roman Empire” (dominus imperii romani ). Accordingly, the version (especially fully presented in the Saturnalia by Macrobius) about the identity of all gods with the Sun gained popularity.

Thus, the cult of Augustus is born as a cult of the bearer of sole power. The sacralization of him as a person is necessary to justify a new form of government - the principate - which is charismatic in its basis.

Conclusion

The imperial cult has come a long way of development and reflected the political and ideological changes that took place in a particular state. As for the Roman religion, the Roman religion, with its clear separation of divine and human rights, with the idea that it is possible to communicate with the gods only through the sacred rites of auspices, signs, was alien to the idea of a god-man as an incarnated deity or son of a god. The attempts of some emperors and their wives to identify themselves with the gods and goddesses did not find a response. The imperial cult was a political cult beyond the power of the princeps, influencing people's lives as the forces of nature affect them. He came from the bottom rather than from the "top", and, as most scholars believe, it is wrong to consider him to have come from the East. Emperors, like Heroes once, were to deserve apotheosis as a reward for their activities; thus political and ethical tendencies merged. In general, the imperial cult can be considered the result of the refraction of a new social system in the minds of the inhabitants of the Empire. The imperial cult combined the cult of the hero and the cult of the ruler, the cult of personality and the cult of power, but there was something more to it. Having appeared as a heroic and messianic cult of Caesar (here one can sometimes find striking parallels with Christianity), it was turned by Augustus into a cult of the Roman superpower, becoming the embodiment of the imperial idea. Until the end of the 2nd century AD. this synthesis of ideology and religion, coexisting with the official Olympic pantheon, was quite self-sufficient. A new stage of development began in the 3rd century AD. in an era of crisis and the restoration of imperial statehood.

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, Ethiopian emperor, Japanese emperor), and supra-ethnic, if we are talking about a multi-ethnic state (Chinese emperor, Roman emperor). divine king (English)Russian is a monarch who has a special religious significance for his subjects, and serves as the head of state and incarnate deity or chief religious figure. This form of government combines theocracy and absolute monarchy.

Story

Ancient Egypt

Ancient China

In imperial China, the monarch was called the Son of Heaven. As belonging to a heavenly family and its representative on Earth, the Chinese emperor was the legislator of the Celestial Empire and the bearer of the heavenly mandate, and his will was considered a sacred instruction. Such, for example, were the Yellow Emperor and the Jade Emperor.

Ancient Rome

As the Roman Empire developed, the cult of the emperor was gradually established, which expressed itself in the worship of the Roman emperor as a god, then became a natural part of the Roman religion. Octavian Augustus laid the foundation for this.

The cult spread throughout the empire within a few decades, with a stronger presence in the east than in the west of the country. Diocletian strengthened the cult of the emperor by introducing proskynesis and establishing sacred everything that in one way or another related to the personality of the emperor.

The deification of emperors in the Byzantine Empire ended with the introduction of Christianity by Constantine the Great.

ancient japan

In ancient Japan, it was customary for each clan to build its family tree to one of the gods (ujigami (English)Russian), and the imperial family or a particular clan usually defined their kami as the most important and important of all. Later it became a custom in noble families, whose heads, including the emperor, were not deified.

Arachitogami (English)Russian- the concept of "a god who became like a man", applied to Emperor Hirohito after the end of World War II and the signing of the Ningen Sengen.

Ancient Southeast Asia

Tibet

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Notes

Literature

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Rick Effland. . Buried Cities and Lost Tribes(Spring 1997).
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F. A. Marglin. Wives of the God-King. The Rituals of the Devadasis of Puri. - New Delhi: Oxford University Press, 1989. - ISBN 0-19-561731-2.
Sharer, Robert J. The Ancient Maya. - 6th (fully revised). - Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press (English)Russian, 2006. - ISBN 0-8047-4817-9.

An excerpt characterizing the Cult of the Emperor

- Ah, mon ami, oubliez les torts qu "on a pu avoir envers vous, pensez que c" est votre pere ... peut etre a l "agonie." She sighed. - Je vous ai tout de suite aime comme mon fils. Fiez vous a moi, Pierre. Je n "oublirai pas vos interets. [Forget, my friend, what was wrong against you. Remember that this is your father... Maybe in agony. I immediately fell in love with you like a son. Trust me, Pierre. I will not forget your interests.]
Pierre did not understand; again it seemed to him even more strongly that all this must be so, and he obediently followed Anna Mikhaylovna, who had already opened the door.
The door opened into the back entrance. In the corner sat an old servant of the princesses and knitted a stocking. Pierre had never been in this half, did not even imagine the existence of such chambers. Anna Mikhailovna asked the girl who overtook them, with a decanter on a tray (calling her sweetheart and dove) about the health of the princesses and dragged Pierre further along the stone corridor. From the corridor, the first door to the left led to the living rooms of the princesses. The maid, with the decanter, in a hurry (as everything was done in a hurry at that moment in this house) did not close the door, and Pierre and Anna Mikhailovna, passing by, involuntarily looked into the room where, talking, the elder princess and Prince Vasily. Seeing the passersby, Prince Vasily made an impatient movement and leaned back; the princess jumped up and with a desperate gesture slammed the door with all her might, shutting it.
This gesture was so unlike the princess’s usual calmness, the fear expressed on the face of Prince Vasily was so unusual for his importance that Pierre, stopping, inquiringly, through his glasses, looked at his leader.
Anna Mikhailovna did not express surprise, she only smiled slightly and sighed, as if to show that she had expected all this.
- Soyez homme, mon ami, c "est moi qui veillerai a vos interets, [Be a man, my friend, I will look after your interests.] - she said in response to his look and went even faster down the corridor.
Pierre did not understand what was the matter, and even less what it meant veiller a vos interets, [observe your interests,] but he understood that all this should be so. They went down a corridor into a dimly lit hall that adjoined the count's waiting room. It was one of those cold and luxurious rooms that Pierre knew from the front porch. But even in this room, in the middle, there was an empty bathtub and water had been spilled over the carpet. To meet them on tiptoe, paying no attention to them, a servant and a clerk with a censer. They entered the reception room, familiar to Pierre, with two Italian windows, access to the winter garden, with a large bust and a full-length portrait of Catherine. All the same people, in almost the same positions, sat whispering in the waiting room. Everyone, falling silent, looked back at Anna Mikhailovna, who had come in, with her weepy, pale face, and at the fat, big Pierre, who, with lowered head, meekly followed her.
Anna Mikhailovna's face expressed the consciousness that the decisive moment had arrived; she, with the receptions of a businesslike Petersburg lady, entered the room, not letting go of Pierre, even bolder than in the morning. She felt that since she was leading the one whom she wanted to see dying, her reception was assured. With a quick glance at everyone in the room, and noticing the count's confessor, she, not only bending over, but suddenly becoming smaller in stature, swam up to the confessor with a shallow amble and respectfully accepted the blessing of one, then another clergyman.
“Thank God that we had time,” she said to the clergyman, “all of us, relatives, were so afraid. This young man is the son of a count,” she added more quietly. - Terrible moment!
Having spoken these words, she approached the doctor.
“Cher docteur,” she told him, “ce jeune homme est le fils du comte ... y a t il de l "espoir? [this young man is the son of a count ... Is there any hope?]
The doctor silently, with a quick movement, raised his eyes and shoulders. Anna Mikhailovna raised her shoulders and eyes with exactly the same movement, almost closing them, sighed and moved away from the doctor to Pierre. She turned especially respectfully and tenderly sadly to Pierre.
- Ayez confiance en Sa misericorde, [Trust in His mercy,] - she said to him, showing him a sofa to sit down to wait for her, she silently went to the door at which everyone was looking, and following the barely audible sound of this door she disappeared behind her.
Pierre, deciding to obey his leader in everything, went to the sofa, which she pointed out to him. As soon as Anna Mikhaylovna disappeared, he noticed that the eyes of everyone in the room were fixed on him with more than curiosity and sympathy. He noticed that everyone was whispering, pointing at him with eyes, as if with fear and even servility. He was shown respect that had never been shown before: a lady unknown to him, who spoke with clerics, got up from her seat and invited him to sit down, the adjutant picked up the glove dropped by Pierre and gave it to him; the doctors fell silent respectfully as he passed them, and stepped aside to make room for him. Pierre wanted to first sit down in another place, so as not to embarrass the lady, he wanted to pick up his glove himself and go around the doctors, who did not even stand on the road; but he suddenly felt that it would be indecent, he felt that on this night he was a person who was obliged to perform some kind of terrible and expected by all ceremony, and that therefore he had to accept services from everyone. He silently accepted the adjutant's glove, sat down in the lady's place, placing his large hands on symmetrically exposed knees, in the naive pose of an Egyptian statue, and decided to himself that all this should be exactly like that and that he should not to get lost and not to do stupid things, one should not act according to one’s own considerations, but one must leave oneself completely to the will of those who led him.
Less than two minutes later, Prince Vasily, in his caftan with three stars, majestically, carrying his head high, entered the room. He seemed thinner in the morning; his eyes were larger than usual when he looked around the room and saw Pierre. He went up to him, took his hand (which he had never done before) and pulled it down, as if he wanted to test whether it was holding tight.