Roman imperial cult
E581576
The Roman imperial cult was a state-sponsored system of religious veneration of the emperor and his family, blending politics and religion to reinforce loyalty and unity across the Roman Empire.
Observed surface forms (4)
| Surface form | Occurrences |
|---|---|
| Imperial cult | 2 |
| Imperial Roman state cult | 1 |
| Imperial cult of Rome | 1 |
| Roman Imperial cult | 1 |
Statements (72)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
Roman religion
ⓘ
religious institution ⓘ state cult ⓘ |
| administeredBy |
local civic elites
ⓘ
priests of the imperial cult ⓘ provincial councils (koinon) NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| associatedWith |
Augustus
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
Domitian NERFINISHED ⓘ Julius Caesar NERFINISHED ⓘ Severan dynasty NERFINISHED ⓘ Trajan NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| conflictedWith |
early Christianity
ⓘ
some Jewish communities ⓘ |
| declinedInCentury | 4th century CE ⓘ |
| declinedUnder | Constantine the Great NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| developedFrom |
Hellenistic ruler cults
ⓘ
Roman civic cult practices ⓘ traditional Roman ancestor worship ⓘ |
| developedIn | Roman Empire NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| emergedInCentury | 1st century BCE ⓘ |
| flourishedInCentury |
1st century CE
ⓘ
2nd century CE ⓘ |
| flourishedUnder |
Antoninus Pius
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
Augustus NERFINISHED ⓘ Claudius NERFINISHED ⓘ Hadrian NERFINISHED ⓘ Marcus Aurelius NERFINISHED ⓘ Tiberius NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| hasCenter |
Ara Pacis Augustae
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
Temple of Divus Julius NERFINISHED ⓘ Temple of Roma and Augustus at Pergamon NERFINISHED ⓘ provincial temples to Roma and Augustus ⓘ |
| hasCharacteristic |
ceremonial loyalty to the emperor
ⓘ
political-religious syncretism ⓘ public cult ⓘ state-sponsored ⓘ |
| hasDeityType |
Roma (personification of Rome)
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
divinized emperor ⓘ imperial family members ⓘ living emperor as semi-divine figure ⓘ |
| hasMainSubject |
veneration of the Roman emperor
ⓘ
veneration of the imperial family ⓘ |
| hasPurpose |
legitimation of imperial authority
ⓘ
promotion of unity across the Roman Empire ⓘ reinforcement of political loyalty ⓘ |
| includesPractice |
dedication of altars and temples to emperors
ⓘ
games and spectacles ⓘ oaths of loyalty to the emperor ⓘ prayers for the health and safety of the emperor ⓘ processions ⓘ public festivals in honor of the emperor ⓘ sacrifices to the emperor ⓘ |
| influencedBy |
Eastern mystery cults
ⓘ
Greek religious traditions ⓘ |
| linkedTo |
Roman citizenship
ⓘ
imperial ideology ⓘ imperial propaganda ⓘ |
| partOf | religion in ancient Rome ⓘ |
| practicedIn |
Asia Minor
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
Egypt NERFINISHED ⓘ Gaul NERFINISHED ⓘ Greece NERFINISHED ⓘ Hispania NERFINISHED ⓘ Italy NERFINISHED ⓘ North Africa NERFINISHED ⓘ Roman provinces ⓘ Rome NERFINISHED ⓘ Syria NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| replacedBy | Christian imperial ideology ⓘ |
| suppressedBy | Christian emperors ⓘ |
| viewedAs |
expression of loyalty to the emperor
ⓘ
instrument of imperial integration ⓘ |
Referenced by (15)
Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.
subject surface form:
On the Embassy to Gaius
this entity surface form:
Roman Imperial cult
this entity surface form:
Imperial cult
subject surface form:
Caesar’s Comet
this entity surface form:
Imperial cult of Rome
this entity surface form:
Imperial Roman state cult
subject surface form:
Personified Roma
subject surface form:
Roma
this entity surface form:
Imperial cult