Cult Economy in the Eastern Provinces of the Roman Empire

Abstract

Abstract Roman colonists and Roman legionaries took an active part in the spread of Roman cult outside Italy. Both intermediaries did not play a major role in Imperial Greece and Asia Minor. Rather, Greek cities and eastern provinces invested into the new cults of Roma and the senate, of Roma and Augustus and later the Imperial cult. It is often presumed that these new cults rivalled the traditional (civic) cults and that by consequence these politically motivated choices created a redirection of resources spend for cult and ritual in Greek cities. This chapter investigates the impact of Roman rule on cult economy in the Eastern provinces in the imperial period. Two aspects of cult economy will be looked at: firstly, the economic conditions and basis of the various cults in a city (the income of leases of landed or other property of the deities, fees of worshippers, priestly obligations and benefactions, other civic funds); and secondly, the quality (wealth) and quantity of the demographic basis of those attested as having invested in and contributed to a cult. Both aspects are addressed with a focus on well documented cities like Athens, Miletus, Ephesus and a few other cities in Greece and Asia Minor.