On Greek Intellectuals and the Roman Emperor Cult
The stance of Greek intellectuals towards the idea and the practice of Roman emperor cult has been often examined, with the main result that the complacent, conformist attitude of these subjects of the Empire has been ascertained (thus in a still basic study by G.W. Bowersock, 1973). A new scrutiny...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | Italian |
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Salvatore Sciascia Editore
2020-12-01
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| Series: | Mythos |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://journals.openedition.org/mythos/2151 |
| _version_ | 1797852650309419008 |
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| author | Kostas Buraselis |
| author_facet | Kostas Buraselis |
| author_sort | Kostas Buraselis |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The stance of Greek intellectuals towards the idea and the practice of Roman emperor cult has been often examined, with the main result that the complacent, conformist attitude of these subjects of the Empire has been ascertained (thus in a still basic study by G.W. Bowersock, 1973). A new scrutiny of the available evidence, however, spots also serious reserves in that circle towards the real content of emperor worship at least since the Antonine age, while outright and conscious flattery as driving force and quintessence of the imperial cult appears even earlier. After the proper analysis, cultic acceptance of a real benefactor-emperor, refined flattery or careful, direct or indirect, rejection appear as the three poles around which the attitudes of Greek intellectuals towards the imperial cult circled. Essentially, all three variant stances continued threads of reaction to the practice of ruler-cult beginning already in Hellenistic times, thus pointing to an underlying continuity between the ideological picture of the ruler in this period and the Roman Empire. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-09T19:36:36Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-61d4ab3de7044c5a93a3ab404b656efe |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1972-2516 2037-7746 |
| language | Italian |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-09T19:36:36Z |
| publishDate | 2020-12-01 |
| publisher | Salvatore Sciascia Editore |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Mythos |
| spelling | doaj.art-61d4ab3de7044c5a93a3ab404b656efe2023-04-04T09:49:25ZitaSalvatore Sciascia EditoreMythos1972-25162037-77462020-12-011410.4000/mythos.2151On Greek Intellectuals and the Roman Emperor CultKostas BuraselisThe stance of Greek intellectuals towards the idea and the practice of Roman emperor cult has been often examined, with the main result that the complacent, conformist attitude of these subjects of the Empire has been ascertained (thus in a still basic study by G.W. Bowersock, 1973). A new scrutiny of the available evidence, however, spots also serious reserves in that circle towards the real content of emperor worship at least since the Antonine age, while outright and conscious flattery as driving force and quintessence of the imperial cult appears even earlier. After the proper analysis, cultic acceptance of a real benefactor-emperor, refined flattery or careful, direct or indirect, rejection appear as the three poles around which the attitudes of Greek intellectuals towards the imperial cult circled. Essentially, all three variant stances continued threads of reaction to the practice of ruler-cult beginning already in Hellenistic times, thus pointing to an underlying continuity between the ideological picture of the ruler in this period and the Roman Empire.http://journals.openedition.org/mythos/2151Ruler-Cult (HellenisticRoman imperial)Greek Intellectuals of the Roman imperial periodPausaniasKrinagorasPlutarch |
| spellingShingle | Kostas Buraselis On Greek Intellectuals and the Roman Emperor Cult Mythos Ruler-Cult (Hellenistic Roman imperial) Greek Intellectuals of the Roman imperial period Pausanias Krinagoras Plutarch |
| title | On Greek Intellectuals and the Roman Emperor Cult |
| title_full | On Greek Intellectuals and the Roman Emperor Cult |
| title_fullStr | On Greek Intellectuals and the Roman Emperor Cult |
| title_full_unstemmed | On Greek Intellectuals and the Roman Emperor Cult |
| title_short | On Greek Intellectuals and the Roman Emperor Cult |
| title_sort | on greek intellectuals and the roman emperor cult |
| topic | Ruler-Cult (Hellenistic Roman imperial) Greek Intellectuals of the Roman imperial period Pausanias Krinagoras Plutarch |
| url | http://journals.openedition.org/mythos/2151 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT kostasburaselis ongreekintellectualsandtheromanemperorcult |