A family of gods : a diachronic study of the cult of the divi/divae in the Latin West
This thesis examines the establishment and development of the worship of the emperor and his family members in the Latin West, tracing specifically the cult of those who were officially deified at Rome and received the title of divus or diva. It seeks to answer three questions: 1. Does uniformity of cult practices and priestly titles increase or decrease over time 2. What prompted change in cult practice (reflected in priestly titles) and how was this change managed? 3. What factors influenced the choices made by communities throughout the Latin West concerning these cults? It addresses these questions through a number of specific case studies. It begins with a study of how the practice of deification (consecratio) was established and how it developed within the city of Rome. It then examines priestly titles associated with the cult of the divi/divae in three groups of provinces: the Gauls, the Spains, and the provinces of North Africa. Finally, it discusses the spread of the worship of the divi/divae throughout the empire by examining the Augustales (and other variations on this title) and the priests responsible for overseeing cult to individual divi/divae. The evidence discussed is primarily epigraphical
McIntyre, Gwynaeth
Rome - Religion ; Rome - Ruler cult ; Rome - Imperial family ; Rome - Provinces ; DG124.M56 ; Emperor worship--Rome ; Augustales ; Cults--Rome
A family of gods : a diachronic study of the cult of the divi/divae in the Latin West. This thesis examines the establishment and development of the worship of the emperor and his family members in the Latin West, tracing specifically the cult of those who were officially deified at Rome and received the title of divus or diva. It seeks to answer three questions: 1. Does uniformity of cult practices and priestly titles increase or decrease over time 2. What prompted change in cult practice (reflected in priestly titles) and how was this change managed? 3. What factors influenced the choices made by communities throughout the Latin West concerning these cults? It addresses these questions through a number of specific case studies. It begins with a study of how the practice of deification (consecratio) was established and how it developed within the city of Rome. It then examines priestly titles associated with the cult of the divi/divae in three groups of provinces: the Gauls, the Spains, and the provinces of North Africa. Finally, it discusses the spread of the worship of the divi/divae throughout the empire by examining the Augustales (and other variations on this title) and the priests responsible for overseeing cult to individual divi/divae. The evidence discussed is primarily epigraphical
family god diachronic_study cult latin west examine establishment development worship emperor family_member latin west trace specifically cult officially rome receive title seek_answer question uniformity cult_practice priestly title increase decrease time prompt change cult_practice reflect priestly title change manage factor_influence choice_make community throughout latin west concern cult address_question number specific_case study begin study practice deification establish develop within city_rome examines priestly title associate cult three_group province provinces north_africa finally discuss spread worship throughout empire examining variation title priests responsible cult individual evidence discuss primarily epigraphical