Tanrılar Gibi: Roma İmparatorluğu’nda İmparator Kültündeki Bazı İfadeler

Abstract

When Augustus died, the imperial cults were wide spread all over the Mediterranean. Considering that point, it is important to recall how the divine and divinizing words were produced to the princpeps and the imperial family, and, if these words can be seen as a sincere expression of divinity (even in life) or just a mere adulation form. This is an interpretative study of some Greek and Latin inscriptions, that seeks to establish various elements that make some differences and bring new suggestions to the concept of imperial cults because this religious manifestation was not the only one form of cult with continuations and additions. In fact, it had some marked differences that the evidences could demonstrate with the other ruler-cult forms. The importance of words is unique: they can show literally and figurative the expressions of one person and some individuals. In this point it is important to note that inscriptions can even be exaggerating individuals’ rhetoric and it cannot be forgotten the language-game as Wittgenstein pointed out. Furthermore, the geographical locations and the cultural manifestations are important to note because depending the place, usually it can be found more or less powerful words to the imperial cult. Using the religious and political epigraphical monuments and the literature of the period some ideas can be tracked about the titulature of the imperial cult and the problems that still arise. Keywords: Imperial Cults, Divinity of Roman Emperors, Greek Inscriptions, Latin Inscriptions, Interpretations.