The East was well used to ruler worship and the deification of living people long before the involvement of the Roman Empire in their government. Greece, particularly, was practiced in the art of ruler worship as it had, for several centuries, a series of rulers of different dynasties in quick succession. It was common practice as a legitimate way of showing gratitude and devotion towards a living benefactor to worship them as a god. The Roman inhabitants of Hellenistic Greece were quite used to being worshipped in this manner by their provincials however, their Roman ideals still rejected anyone who tried to put themselves forward. The urge to worship, to show their gratitude, to Augustus seems to have been the strongest ever shown towards a Roman official. It is understandable however, for he brought with him peace after several centuries of war throughout the Empire.

In Asia, a fellowship of Greek cities existed which were responsible for business such as sending ambassadors to the Roman Republic Senate. However, early in the reign of Augustus, this fellowship was strongly linked with the imperial cult for in 29 B.C. they requested permission from Augustus to build a temple in his honour. Nevertheless, either because he wished to avoid resentment, or because he genuine disliked the un-Roman practice, Augustus was very cautious in accepting these divine honors. When the Roman population of two provinces made the same request, Augustus refused them, telling them instead to worship Rome. This did not stop the spread of the imperial cult however, and soon the worship of Augustus was widely diffused in East.

In Egypt, another eastern province, the imperial cult was expressed in slightly different terms. After the death of Cleopatra, Augustus was declared the Pharaoh and therefore he was ex officio a god. By taking this title Augustus was giving his permission for the Egyptians to worship him as was their tradition. His position of Roman Emperor would have been acknowledged within Egypt however, there his first and most recognised title was that of Pharaoh, and it was this title above all others, that gave him his link to the heavens.

On the other hand, the establishment of the imperial cult in the West was pushed more by Augustus than it was by the native people of the provinces. Perhaps Augustus came to see the value of the imperial cult in stimulating loyalty to Rome and himself, for he promoted emperor worship in the western provinces where there had been no previous tradition. To promote his worship and divine right to rule, Augustus and his advisers developed a set of images that were capable of conveying the ideals of the renewed Roman Empire to the Western population. These images often showed his connection to the Roman gods through garlands, wreaths and sacrifices. In 12 B.C the sixty Western tribes of the Celtic gathered at Rhone and elected their first high priests of the imperial cult within their area. Gaius Julius Vercundaris Dubius was elected and eventually rewarded, by Augustus, with Roman citizenship. This was the highest honour a provincial elite could hold. The famous Roman poet Ovid wrote, “under the leadership of Augustus both east and west are Roman soil”.

Despite that, Augustus was not the only Roman trying to promote Emperor worship in the West. Many of the elites living in Africa would have wanted to assert their statues as Romans on the native population. This was done through the introduction of temples and the worship of Roma and the Emperor Augustus. Not only were these monuments erected around the city, but also in private homes. Many families were given Roman citizenship as a reward for their loyalty to the Roman empire.

For further reading see “The Imperial Cult in the Latin West” four volumes by D. Fishwick.
About the Author
Charlotte Gardner, a guest blog writer, is currently studying archaeology at the Australian National University. In her spare time she likes to read and write about eccentric historical moments. Her love of old buildings and older stories was sparked when she visited Italy. One of Charlotte’s greatest wishes is that in a few thousand years her skeleton will be dug up by an archaeological investigation team and put on display in a national museum. You may contact Charlotte via email at: charlotteg86@gmail.com.

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