The Cult of the Roman Emperors

For more than three centuries, the Roman emperors were worshipped as gods. But did the Romans really believe that their emperors were divine?
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Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
1:09 Prehistory of the Imperial Cult
2:19 Worshipping Augustus
3:09 The Imperial Cult in action
4:40 Factor
5:40 The emperor's divine power
6:17 Political functions of the imperial cult
6:54 The issue of belief
8:06 Emperors as gods
8:35 Antinous / Osiris

[@maximiliand2544]

Oddly enough you could be labeled a God but never could you call yourself a King.

[@optimusprinceps3526]

👍

[@user-rl3iv2jk9q]

Good point . I overlooked that . Thank you .

[@TheRealForgetfulElephant]

Can I be T-Rex?

[@kerngezond6953]

⁠​⁠@@TheRealForgetfulElephantI doubt you can biologically be a real T. rex, but if you are dangerous and can slaughter a goat with ease, does it really make a difference?

[@Maphisto86]

@@kerngezond6953 Gotta run that by the senate to be legit.

[@SirBallsDeepOfHouseManthrust]

I’ve always had a hard time understanding exactly how the Imperial Cult worked, but after I started to read about the concepts of “genius” and “numen”, it started to make a lot more sense.

[@optimusprinceps3526]

Tiberius Claudius Drusus Germanicus Augustus Caesar numen

[@TehFlush]

​@@supreme.wizardseriously, OP just throws out these cool words and doesn't explain them

[@SirBallsDeepOfHouseManthrust]

@@supreme.wizard It’s a really strange concept to understand, and I’m not a professional historian by any means, but there were cults dedicated to a persons “genius” which was in very very basic terms, it’s sort of like a persons guardian angel or spiritual “soul.” From what I understand, in the early days of his reign, Augustus had a couple of temples dedicated to his genius (guardian angel type concept) which was a distinct way to venerate the man Augustus without outright accepting a cult of his living person (which the early Emperors where hesitant to do) However, from what I understand, these cults dedicated to his genius were in fact different to the ones after his death, those cults where dedicated to “The Divine Augustus” which was literally meant to be himself the man in the presence of the Gods. The concept had been used for a while, and every individual was said to be led by their genius since birth, but in the Emperor’s case, I suspect ones like Augustus allowed the veneration of his genius as a way to more slowly introduce the concept of apotheosis and ready the population for actual godhood. It’s a fascinating concept and again, I’ll say I’m in no way an expert and maybe what I said is completely wrong, but if your interested in the imperial cult, I would look into the concept yourself, it’s extremely fascinating and I believe a concept that isn’t covered as much as it should be and no doubt a big aspect of the imperial cult.

[@SirBallsDeepOfHouseManthrust]

@@TehFlush What do you mean? Why is it my job to do a write up on a term? I’m not saying I’m an expert bro, I’m just saying it’s an interesting concept I was recently reading about, trust me you wouldn’t want me to explain it. And even if I did, I can tell your such a prick you’d correct everything is try to explain that I know. I do however encourage people to look up the subject because it’s a really interesting idea that I never heard of until recently.

[@teathpaste3301]

@@SirBallsDeepOfHouseManthrustThe patriarch of every family had their own genius to be revered. Similarly, the Greeks believed in the agathodaemon (originally the agathos daimon), the household protector god of the kyrios, or “lord” of the family.

[@ArturdeSousaRocha]

Damn, Vespasian looked like a mafia boss. 😆

[@KingoftheProfane]

Yeah he does. I have an Italian friend that sort of looks like his family.

[@markolson4660]

And if you want a modern analog of Roman Republican and early Imperial politics, think of the Mafia. Julius Caesar, for example, fought to be capo de capo. Augustus -- as happens with the next generation -- put a polite face on it all.

[@joseluisalvarez3325]

Just to be sure, they put him to the test 👽

[@funfact8660]

More than one was put to the test ✓ all failed miserably

[@JenksAnro]

Loooool

[@DeneF]

You are really good at what you do. Proper facts, clearly spoken, factually correct, not dumbed down but just the right amount of detail without being dry. I think you would be great at longform documentary?

[@CorollaLvr2000]

You'd probably enjoy Mary Beard's presentation style as well, and she's done a few long form documentaries about the Roman Empire.

[@JayCeaupes]

Also hilarious

[@JadenGregg-su9no]

@@JayCeaupes 3 REPLIES

[@michaelporzio7384]

Similar to the Catholic Church practice of declaring pious persons Saints after death. Once declared a Saint, one could request that beatified soul pray and intercede with the Almighty on behalf of the petitioner. The practice of praying to Saints instead of directly to the Almighty, is still controversial among the various sects of Christianity.

[@flyingisaac2186]

That's a very vague and distant connection. The Greek Rite, Syriac Rite, Copts in Egypt, Ethiopia, southern India, all acknowledge the intercession of saints. Only a portion of Protestants do not. Anglicans vary on their role. The Pope only canonised a saint in 993, and it only became a Papal monopoly vis á vis in the 13th century. Hitherto saints only arose from local or regional renown which took hold in a wider area. The Emperor Constantine, I think, did permit a city or two to erect a temple to his genus, albeit without bloody sacrifice.

[@michaelporzio7384]

@@flyingisaac2186 I appreciate the thoughtful response, I learn a lot from this channel and its followers.

[@Uruz2012]

Not similar, literally the same. The Catholic Church is more or less the last part of Imperial Rome that still exists. Caesar (Pontifex Maximus) was basically the Pope.

[@nicktamer4969]

@@Uruz2012 Yes, in the imperial times, only an emperor could became saint, early roman christianity open this poissibility to everybody.

[@funfact8660]

@@Uruz2012 Yes, until the Emperor Constantine no longer thought himself, or any other new Emperors unworthy of the title of Pontificus Maximus

[@phlogistanjones2722]

Thank you for the vidja. I was unaware that "religion" could be so readily described as simply transactional. That very much clarifies quite a few things for me. I had the gist of it but you description crystalized it for me. Cheers.

[@faithlesshound5621]

The acolytes of the Big Daddy religions may reserve their big man's right to welsh on any deal, but not all believers are so abject. Some people in both India and Italy make it clear to their cult objects that they expect specific performance, failing which they may be relegated.

[@trvst5938]

Romans knew their religion was a power structure to be manipulated. Now people believe those fiction stories as truth. 🤡

[@kipkipper-lg9vl]

​@@trvst5938all religion before abrahamics functioned this way

[@sid2112]

Oh lovely timing! I was wanting something historical!

[@funfact8660]

Better than watching those uneducated, overly emotional, brainwashed College Students and Faculty, babbling nonsensical gibberish and crybabying about thing's they obviously know nothing about...

[@optimusprinceps3526]

​@@funfact8660Palestina delenda est !

[@SobekLOTFC]

Thanks for all you do, Garrett 👍

[@tryfryingmikejones]

awesome and illuminating. thank you!

[@noaht7000]

Fascinating video! Also, I'm happy that taught me the words antecedent and munificent.

[@Aginor88]

Interesting as per usual from this channel.

[@callenclarke371]

Fantastic content. You have confirmed here much of my thinking about Greco-Roman beliefs, cults, and religiosity.

[@mm-yt8sf]

the title got me thinking of the variables involved...people not raised among the religions of an omnipotent/omniscient god might have a different idea of the attributes of a god and it might not require being able to create or destroy the universe. i thought about the shinto with its many gods who varied greatly in power and role but all deserved a bit of respect even if not full on groveling and even in the extreme framework of monotheism, there were saints who didn't have to display immortality and yet people long after their death would invoke their names for favors and i thought perhaps the deified emperors were some mix of these non-infinite things.

[@cjbridges9]

I just listened to your new guest ep on forehead fables and I’ve been watching your vids for over a year now I love the vids and I hope they invite you back to the podcast again on the future the juxtaposition between you and them is hilarious

[@1Stevencat]

Your efforts show through your great content. You should be more famous!

[@Yardboss]

This type of video make my "journey" through Manfredis books so much more captivating, Thank you so very much!

[@user-rl3iv2jk9q]

Thank you for your presentation , I watched all of it .

[@bonto117]

Fav modern history author / youtuber. Keep it up man. Its noticed!

[@dhammapalatan360]

Imperial cults also existed in East Asia regions, but only a handful of good and well-known rulers are still worshiped and invoked with deities of the folk religions. I have seen the name of Tang Taizong, second Emperor of Tang dynasty inside a Taoist talisman. He was one of the deities that was invokes for protection inside the talisman. Tang Xuanzong, another Emperor of Tang dynasty is still worshipped as the patron deity of certain Chinese opera traditions among the Chinese diaspora and China.

[@manugarcia995]

I will forever think about the roman empire daily

[@appelflapdrol]

Intonation getting better 👌

[@galloe8933]

I enjoy these videos, it’s why I watch them, and why I’m subbed, so even though it’s hardly the topic of this channel 9:30 Looks like he removed his waist cloth and flashed the emperor before flying away, smirking the whole time. He could be tempting them.

[@barrymoore4470]

A topic of great interest, introduced with clarity and concision. Addressing the cult of Antinous underscores how even the relations and favorites of the ruler often became objects of worship, both in their lifetimes in the provinces and by posthumous Senatorial decree, such as was often the case with the consorts of the emperors. The convention of consecrating dead emperors as 'divus' lingered well into the era of Christian dominion, with the last known example being that of the Eastern Roman emperor Anastasius I being declared such upon his death in 518.

[@johnfassler4135]

Love your content need to start doing Shorts

[@BlazeTheGamer1]

Can't wait to buy the second book!

[@paulkoza8652]

Thanks for the insight into Roman religion.

[@DeneF]

Many thanks.

[@maxmacdonald4440]

Would you be able to upload these as podcasts on spotify as well? Love to listen even without the images to accompany your narration

[@funfact8660]

Nightmares huh ?

[@stellarmonk]

Can you speak more on the subject of the Lar/Larem?

[@IvorTheEngine]

I'd pay good money to have you do the narration of your audiobooks, alas I'll have to purchase the physical copy and read it in your voice 😅

[@Sarnarath]

Can you make a video about the “Esunertos'' gold coin that was found?

[@optimusprinceps3526]

Que ?

[@melissahalle8398]

Have you read the memoires of Hadrian by maguerite yourcenar ? I wonder what you thought of Hadrian's depiction in that book

[@optimusprinceps3526]

Pales in comparison to anything written by Gaius Julius Caesar

[@Kenan-Z]

I think it is one of the best books ever written. I like that book so much. The portrait of melancholy youth Antinous has been engraved on my mind in high relief ever since I read the book. I also wonder how much of Hadrian's depiction in that book corresponds to historical facts.

[@JadenGregg-su9no]

3 REPLIES

[@huntertrum3658]

He may not have been a God, but his name lives on as if he always was.

[@optimusprinceps3526]

👍🌿😆🌿

[@funfact8660]

Hail Caesar

[@funfact8660]

@@Clown_In_Town He wasn't a Roman Emperor

[@zoinomiko]

omg I got so excited about an entire video on Antinous but the old video just got renamed!! ;___; Any plans to do a Antinous-feature?

[@alexyo2440]

It's pretty clear that they were more commemorated rather than worshipped, seemingly as if it was for superstition. Judging what was happening up to the dark ages, there have been many ruler assassinations in europe from a chosen cult which had a habit of deifying those rulers in compromise as saints, or also commonly making their little sons as saints by bloo!d l!bel. They seem to be connected since the chosen cult appears to be thousands of years older

[@LevisH21]

Trajan was probably the BEST Roman emperor after Augustus. and Aurelian was the 3rd because he seriously saved the entire Roman civilization from collapse.

[@willkiecana3413]

Part of the reason why I love this channel, is because I can look at the title and be like “The hell is this man on about? Huh let’s see how he explains this one” It feels gratifying at the end of the video now understanding your outlandish titles. And you do always explain it so well 🤌🏻

[@ZuckFukerberg]

Great video!

[@YT_Eros]

To simply put it, information is key. In ancient Rome, most news was word to mouth so you believed what you heard.

[@qwaz67]

One thing you sort of touched on, but I think is more important than you recognized is that Divos and Devs are two SIGNIFICANTLY different concepts in the geographical middle of the Roman Empire. A Deus was a perpetual God from the times of Numa, while a Divos was a Divinely inspired individual. This is very much similar to how our contemporary Roman Catholic Church views Saints. While the Saints are considered to be divinely inspired, and are often prayed to, they are in no way Gods.

[@faithlesshound5621]

Some of the saints are ex-gods, such as St Brigid of Ireland, whose previous existence was as the goddess Brigid. Her Traveller acolytes may call her "Kali." Others have fallen further, such as Hob, the old British god, whom the Christians reclassified as a demon.

[@thomasjamison2050]

@@faithlesshound5621 Hob? Would that be the God of the kitchen?

[@QuantumHistorian]

Excellent video that addresses a genuinely difficult topic: what did the ancients think a god was, and how did they perceive the act of worshipping? It's so fundamentally different from what we think of as divinity and religion that it's hard to bridge the gap. A useful view into this comes from the processional hymn written for the king Demetrios Poliorketes when he marched (with a relief army) into Athens during the wars following Alexander the Great's death: _How the greatest and dearest of the gods have come to the city! For the hour has brought together Demeter and Demetrios; she comes to celebrate the solemn mysteries of the Kore, while he is here full of joy, as befits the god, fair and laughing. His appearance is majestic, his friends all around him and he in their midst, as though they were stars and he the sun. Hail son of the most powerful god Poseidon and Aphrodite.[...] For the other gods are either far away, or they do not have ears, or they do not exist, or do not take any notice of us, but you we can see present here; you are not made of wood or stone, you are real. [...] And so we pray to you: first bring us peace, dearest; for you have the power. And then, the Sphinx that rules not only over Thebes but over the whole of Greece, the Aitolian sphinx sitting on a rock like the ancient one, who seizes and carries away all our people, and I have no defence against her (for it is an Aitolian habit to seize the property of neighbours and now even what is far afield). Most of all punish her yourself; if not find an Oedipus who will either hurl down that sphinx from the rocks or reduce her to ashes._ There's a lot to unpack, much of it hidden between allusions to myths and literatures, but the inherent tension and contradictions that come with a man being a god are still apparent.

[@faithlesshound5621]

That's a lot more adulatory than "Fridericus Rex," whose unique selling point was paying his troops regularly, and more than the "Kaiserhymne" which was written for the last Holy Roman Emperor: it's still sung, but with different words.

[@broadh2o980]

I remember my Roman history professor telling our class that at funerals for people of significance who would enter into the cult there would be someone there waiting to release pigeons to fly up at a certain time which people then took as the man rising to become a god Imagine having that job 😂

[@Ch0ckl8]

I wonder what this context tells us about another god-fella from the time. Thanks for making us think.

[@spankflaps1365]

🎶What if God was one of us? Just a knob like one of us?

[@optimusprinceps3526]

🌿😆🌿 Caligula would have snickered

[@kalrandom7387]

The picture at 6:49, did anyone else notice the donkey in the bottom right hand corner of it? My question there is which one of those women were about to do a donkey show?

[@jasonmuniz-contreras6630]

Divinity/god is not something separate from our reality but operates within it. This is what I am now understanding.

[@HebaruSan]

Always get a kick out of people believing that earthly human institution like the Roman senate have authority over the divine!

[@alukuhito]

That's western culture in general. Even religious people think they are the ones, not God, who creates their lives, particularly if they're doing well.

[@kipkipper-lg9vl]

​@@alukuhitobecause Europeans are born from an ancient warrior culture, not an agrarian one

[@profdc9501]

This is not unlike the media cult surrounding the symbols of power in the presidency/executive or other powerful military or political institutions, which tend to elevate the workings of these remote and often arcane and mysterious institutions into a omniscient and omnipotent form that can only be placated by being correctly addressed and respected in their particular and peculiar forms. So I don't think this has necessarily disappeared, just changed to suit modern notions.

[@michaeldunne338]

Aside from North Korea, would politely and respectfully disagree. What the Macedonians/Greeks/Romans cooked up was very different.

[@profdc9501]

@@michaeldunne338 The commander in chief of the United States has awesome power that is completely beyond the comprehension of any Roman Emperor. The person who holds that office can literally order attack any place on the planet within minutes or hours. This person has ultimate authority over a destructive power that could results in the deaths of millions or billions. It is not difficult for the media to worship this awesome power, because in fact, it is even frequently beyond the comprehension of those who wield this power, and implemented with resolute machinery rather than fickle divinity. How many of us have grown up knowing that the world could end in brief fiery horror in an hour? It is natural for one, who realizes they are so powerless over their fate, to try to bargain with this notion, appeal to the genius of one's leaders, and pray that their wisdom is guided. The modern world has created its own gods which may be just as mercurial as those of Olympus and the present generations feel just as powerless to placate.

[@cutekoala5492]

Notice how much the world is fascinated by American presidents?

[@michaeldunne338]

@@cutekoala5492 There maybe some fascination, but certainly not of the same nature of an Imperial Cult, aiming to entrench power for a despot, within a specific empire. And not sure that fascination has extended to every president equally, with different societies during their terms (the world is not homogenous/uniform in opinions). Otherwise, the role of head of state and executive are combined in the US's Federal system, presenting differences from leaders of other parliamentary systems/representative democracies; and the position presides over a country with a large economy, military and other stores of political power. So yeah, news around the world would have reason to give coverage at different times to whoever occupies that office.

[@viktorgadany7595]

I’m sure Caesar thought himself as a God.

[@bigfatchubbybritboy9445]

Julius Caesar...the narcissist to end all narcissists. Except for maybe Big-H.

[@funfact8660]

Gaius Julius Caesar Germanicus Augustus (Caligula) surely did....

[@robertgiles9124]

You would too if you had half his talent and bravery.

[@robertgiles9124]

Oh get real; his men loved him and he survived the most dangerous battles. What did YOu survive? Thanksgiving Dinner? Narcissist is the favorite word these days of Losers. @@bigfatchubbybritboy9445

[@metalrocker627]

What wildly different times then. But than again, not so much…

[@harrisonshone7769]

Fun fact, in the capital rotunda there is a huge painting of George Washington being granted godhood by the Olympians.

[@thedudefromrobloxx]

I mean my parents have a small stature/ figure ofa general that was very important for my country that was given as a birthday gift to my dad so I don't necessarily think having statues means worship

[@LordTelperion]

A relic of this apotheosis process, it appears, is echoed in Roman Catholic sainthood. Saints aren't worshiped, they are "venerated", being merely heroes of the Church, helped and accompanied by the divine, but not divine themselves as such. And not every hero is made a saint, you have to be really awesome to get the final "upliftment".

[@davidpnewton]

They're prayed to by Catholics. That's worship.

[@AJWRAJWR]

​@davidpnewton No, it isn't. Learn a thing or two before spouting ignorance.

[@faithlesshound5621]

Padre Pio was seen in the sky pushing back allied bombers threatening his town in Italy during the war. That was while was still alive, and well before he became a saint. That sounds pretty divine to me.

[@davidpnewton]

@@AJWRAJWR I know quite well what I'm talking about thankyou. Relics are carried around in festivals as idols. As for prayer? "O Mary, Virgin most powerful and Mother of mercy, Queen of Heaven and Refuge of sinners, we consecrate ourselves to thine Immaculate Heart. "We consecrate to thee our very being and our whole life; all that we have, all that we love, all that we are. To thee we give our bodies, our hearts and our souls; to thee we give our homes, our families, our country. "We desire that all that is in us and around us may belong to thee, and may share in the benefits of thy motherly benediction. And that this act of consecration may be truly efficacious and lasting, we renew this day at thy feet the promises of our Baptism and our first Holy Communion." That prayer contains worship. It's part of a Marian cult prayer.

[@davidpnewton]

@@AJWRAJWR I quoted a Marian cult prayer which clearly contains phrases amounting to worship. I have proven my point.

[@sidtovey]

Are there any garum flavoured Factor meals? If so sign me up

[@Pierluigi_Di_Lorenzo]

And later on we would have a 'Holy Roman Emperor of the German Nation' were the word "holy" emphasized the idea of the Emperor's divine appointment and the idea that his rule was ordained by God.

[@jandrews6254]

And now we see the American version, of an ex president who considers himself above the law and impervious to censure. Never mind that silly “pledge” he took to protect the Constitution

[@trvst5938]

And that’s why Europe had so many succession wars. Very backwards. WW1 was a succession war. 🤡🤦‍♂️

[@TheRealTomahawk]

One part of being a god was reading every script, and scroll in the library. There was the library of Ephesus? However, the library of Alexandria was greater. And there was another two other libraries, and one would not provide papyrus Egyptians would not provide papyrus because he was afraid that the other library would be greater in the end it was great because he created and perfected parchment on animal skin. The other part of being a god was being a priest, or priestess of a god who are the descendants of like Athena, Heracles, Dionysus, Apollo, Demeter, Persephone, and people like that. The Romans had an emperor who was a priest and descendent of the moon God, his name was Elagabalus, Cesar was a priest of one of these gods, and he had more of the peoples loyalty than the other emperors like Pompeii who he defeated in war.

[@optimusprinceps3526]

" He was a Consul of Rome ! "

[@faithlesshound5621]

Heliogabalus was the priest of Helios, the sun, not the moon. The priesthood Caesar held was that of the Pontifex Maximus, head of the college of pontiffs, which made him the fifth highest priest in Rome.

[@nicktamer4969]

Romans emperors were never deified or considered as gods; some were sanctified, wich makes a huge difference. The words are clearly different in Latin linguage: for exemple, the temple of caesar in Rome was named: "Aedes Divi Iulii" wich means: "temple of sanctified (or sacred, or saint) caesar"; it's not "Aedes Dei Iulii" (temple of god Caesar). It's exacly the same concept we see in catholicicsm. A saint is not a god, a saint is a mortal human who has been sanctified after its death. And for the concept of the imperial cult wich sanctified Rome and its regime, we can see a lot of similarity with the USA where the flag is sacred in the law and all the children salute it at school every day.

[@funfact8660]

I'm betting Emperor Caligula would have seen thing's different

[@nicktamer4969]

@@funfact8660 Betting is not knowing.

[@funfact8660]

@@nicktamer4969 According to both Suetonius and Tacitus, I am correct, so I shall raise my bet...

[@nicktamer4969]

@@funfact8660 The problem is that Suetonius, Ticitus and the other sources about roman emperors life are written by people who hated them and attribut to them insane and megalomaniac comportement we don't find any proof elsewhere. Nero is a good exemple of that.

[@jfjoubertquebec]

I wonder what in those traditions continued with the papacy...

[@kipkipper-lg9vl]

alot of Christian practice in European was curated specifically to genocide the native traditions so much of it has a basis in the old gods

[@silverchairsg]

It must have been the greatest ego boost ever to be called a God. Until you stub your toe against a door.

[@Fanaro]

What was the range of worshipping?

[@kipkipper-lg9vl]

what does that mean

[@markolson4660]

Good job, but I think you should have emphasized even more just how different the Roman (and Greek) concept of religion and divinity was from our own. Until one realizes that in this respect the past was a *very* different country, deifying the emperors can only generate an incredulous "How could *anyone* fall for that??"

[@LordWyatt]

A better question is why are you changing the title every time I look at it?😂

[@SkyFly19853]

Well, he was one of the greatest statements as well as one of the greatest generals in history. And... People loved him while they feared Sulla...

[@jasonmuniz-contreras6630]

Hercules, the son of god, was always the standard for Roman emperors.

[@garlicbreathandfarts]

I live down the street from Butrint in Albania. Julius Caesar used to hang out here and reward many of his generals with homes here. He is hardly mentioned here now. He was probably a jerk.

[@funfact8660]

There's always Tito

[@garlicbreathandfarts]

@@funfact8660 Tito was the ass of former Yugoslavia. The former ass of Albania was Hoxha. I get your point though.

[@funfact8660]

@@garlicbreathandfarts A couple nobody's

[@garlicbreathandfarts]

@@funfact8660 They were serious dicks in the Balkans a while ago. They are dead now, thankfully.

[@_hench__5251]

Not everyone can get the people to throw their jewelery on Ones funeral pire RNN nice

[@hsserry5289]

Of course no.! Roman’s had their own solid beliefs is an array of Gods, from Apollo to Zeus to Afroditi. The religions of their subordinates were considered somewhat inferior to their own.

[@optimusprinceps3526]

Caligula would have blushed....

[@pandaman-hz1wp]

I have him tattooed on my arm!

[@Whurlpuul]

Vespesian didnt die laying down though

[@WeirdMagnus]

Yes

[@optimusprinceps3526]

Palestina delenda est ! 👎

[@funfact8660]

​@@optimusprinceps3526I absolutely agree 👍

[@WeirdMagnus]

@@funfact8660why can’t I see his message

[@optimusprinceps3526]

​@@WeirdMagnusit says Palestina delenda est

[@funfact8660]

​@@WeirdMagnusNow I can't...it said something like -Palestine must be destroyed in Latin

[@mfaizsyahmi]

Vespasian: "I'm beginning to feel like a Roman god, Roman god."

[@JAdams-jx5ek]

"gods by the loose standards of Olympus" Looking for a lightning bolt, eh?

[@khalidalali186]

Did this influence Saints Feasts in Catholicism and Orthodox Christianity, by any chance? The celebration of the emperors’ birthdays, I mean.

[@MessiKingofKings]

Do we know if Agrippina the Elder was a beauty like ther sculptures seems to indicate it? None of the sources (Suetonius, Tacitus) mention it. Tacitus even mention "feminine defects" even thought this was most likely a nod to her sex in general.

[@barbiquearea]

Alexander's choosing to proclaim himself a god-king was more or less a symptom of his conquest of Persia, as the Persians unlike the Greeks did deify their monarchs. In fact a lot of Middle Eastern and North African cultures (such as the Egyptians and Babylonians) at the time did the same, whereas kingship in Macedonia did not contain any spiritual or divine significance. In Macedonia, the king was treated as the first among equals. There were no divine cult of personality for the head of state before Alexander started the trend.

[@kipkipper-lg9vl]

the greek lack of divine kingship was itself modern deviation from their own history

[@kipkipper-lg9vl]

the greek lack of divine kingship was itself modern deviation from their own history

[@jayuno3009]

There were imperial cults in Ancient Egypt, India, China, and Persia too, right? I assumed that’s where the Hellenes and Romans took the practice from.

[@wheeloftime-hl7pb]

emperors inherited the bridgehood to divinity, it was through them that rome got its godly blessings or punishments

[@stevenleslie8557]

Logically, only a god should be able to create a god.

[@truthinesssss]

👍

[@optimusprinceps3526]

Dominus et Deus 🌿😆🌿

[@funfact8660]

Dominus Demogorgon numen

[@KingoftheProfane]

Oh Domitian

[@funfact8660]

@@KingoftheProfane Titus Flavius Domitianus

[@rolledtacoswithguac4233]

you never metioned Diocletian!!!?

[@t2av159]

Who says he isn't a god now?

[@optimusprinceps3526]

🌿🤣🌿

[@perceivedvelocity9914]

Well, I doubt that he's a God but I know for sure that he's a tasty salad dressing.

[@zoinomiko]

Any video that includes Antinous is a video that gets my like!

[@reeyees50]

This is an ancient idea that would later be repurposed by european monarchies called the divine right of kings. It lasted until 1789 with the French Revolution

[@kompo1012]

I think they were treated as heroes like Hercules rather than Gods and and them being called Gods probably came from some mistranslation or misinterpretation. Alexander wasn't worshiped as a God but as a revered hero who might have some divinity in him. If the emperors weren't seen as heroes then who were the heroes of the Romans? Gods can't be heroes since they are divine and beyond mortals. Heroes are meant to be humans to inspire because they are just like you and you can be like them.

[@user-qz1pc2pm1b]

i do take umbrage in your small comment on Hadrian and Antinous. While commonly held today that they were lovers, We don't really know. There are no definitive sources on that subject in framing them as lovers. Cassius Dio does not comment either way. It is only from later commentaries like the historia augusta and De Caesaribus (both from the 4th century) were these rumors is more well formed, both of which are understood by even those authors to be scandalous. Its is only due to modern interest in the subject, and fantastical works of historical fiction like the Memoirs of Hadrian, that this commentary on their relationship is maintained as a known fact.

[@petrapetrakoliou8979]

what about ordinary people? weren't ancestors revered often as gods?

[@kipkipper-lg9vl]

they where placated and revered but they are not gods

[@SubTroppo]

Later: Oh, when the saints...

[@Tracequaza]

"unlike christianity, islam, the roman gods were not founded on belief; that they existed was taken for granted" if someone questioned the existence of the roman gods, would they be seen as needing to be punished in some way or more similar to how we view conspiracy theorists today (for example if someone claimed that butterflies didn't exist today)? i find this interesting as i've heard the romans adopted gods of other religions and generally believed they were real and could have a tangible effect on the world (e.g. the superstition around the events before boudicca's uprising on britain), which seems to be a consequence of the time it took for information to travel. i'm also interested in how the concept of a god would come into existence in the first place, thought I doubt that question is easy to answer when most records took their existence for granted (and if there isn't a central divine text(s) to base that god on!)

[@faithlesshound5621]

The Romans seem to have taken a structuralist view of foreigners' religions. So if the Greeks had a god like Athena that seemed to have a similar role to their Minerva, they were regarded as one and the same. Thus Jupiter = Zeus, or Artemis = Diana. A useful member of a foreign pantheon could be adopted and Romanised, as in the Egyptian Ma'at, whom Augustus added to the pantheon as Justitia. She still reigns over courthouses as "Lady Justice."

[@megazuna2107]

damn, i thought of rome this month. again.

[@zainmudassir2964]

I believe in the One God but it was interesting

[@Psiber_Syn]

To me Augustus would've been deified purely for the reason for closing the Gates of Janus. The commoners that worshiped the Emperors simply just didn't know better.

[@funfact8660]

Caligula would have blushed, ranted, and had someone sent to the Circus Maximus, as a participant, not a spectator

[@Diogenes_43]

Trick question, Caesar was a God.

[@wildmen5025]

Hail to the Roman Imperial Divii!

[@alanstrong55]

Ceaser instilled so much fear in the Roman citizens. If one did not bow down and worship Caeser, those same people faced death. It was wicked to the bone what happened to those same victims. Nero was likely the worst of em all.

[@madderhat5852]

I wholly expect to be worshipped after I die. For those who don't, 'ware my wrath!

[@pandoraeeris7860]

How do you think Christianity got started? 🤔

[@KingoftheProfane]

Maybe has something to do with a certain destruction of a temple, and a certain general doing miracles like healing the blind and lame? Naaaaaaah, couldn’t be…..

[@Kotofalk40]

The question is, did the romans actually believe in gods. Because: First of all, there was our type of priest in roman society, the role of priests were given to the local authorieties. The great analogy to understand this would be someone dad wearing the costume of Santa Clause at family or corporate christmas, whereas christian type of priest would be the dynasty of people working full time as Santas. Imagine the difference in seriousness of the abovementioned situation (it's immersuarable) Second of all, roman cult had many-many gods. Pardon me for another analogy but this makes it easier to understand my thought process. The paganism allows for a much more democratic system, imagine the difference between the classic multi-party state such as France and mono-party state such USSR. In France you can easily switch from one party to another while in USSR they asked you "Are you a party member?" andif you answered "Which party" you'd literally went to jail. And again imagine the difference in seriouness with such approaches

[@kipkipper-lg9vl]

simple answer yes, everyone knew about the gods

[@Kotofalk40]

@@kipkipper-lg9vlthe question is not about knowledge rather believing

[@kipkipper-lg9vl]

@@Kotofalk40 no it's not about believing it's about practice, abrahamics center their religion on feelings and belief Indo European religion did not no one in ancient Rome gave a shit what you "believe" in the privacy of your own mind, all that matters is your dutifully perform the rituals and sacrifices

[@Kotofalk40]

​@@kipkipper-lg9vlI can agree on the matter that nobody cared about you private beliefs but cannot agree that roman was not centralised since the leader of the cult was the a set by order of the emperor secular bureaucrat Pontifex Maximus (similar to how it was with Russian Church before revolution)

[@JRussellDay]

Me mum's boyfriend said it prolly hadn't somethin' to do with his taxes