Imperial cult

Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - Cite This Source

An Imperial cult is a kind of religion in which an Emperor, or a dynasty of emperors (or rulers of another title), are worshiped as messiahs, demigods or deities. "Cult" here is used to mean "worship," not in the modern pejorative sense. The cult may be one of personality in the case of a newly arisen Euhemerus figure or one of national identity (e.g. Ethiopia or Japan) or supranational identity in the case of a multi-ethnic state (e.g. China, Rome).

Historical

Ancient China

In ancient China, an emperor was considered the Son of Heaven. The scion and representative of heaven on earth, he was the ruler of all under heaven, the bearer of the Mandate of Heaven, his commands considered sacred edicts. A number of legendary figures preceding the proper imperial age of China also hold the honorific title of emperor, such as the Yellow Emperor and the Jade Emperor.

Ancient Egypt

The Ancient Egyptian male Pharaohs were believed to be incarnations of the god Horus, derived by being the son of the sun deity, Hathor (or later, Isis), or the sky deity, Nut. Pharaohs, both female and male, traced their lineage directly through the matrilineality of the royal women. Some women who were Pharaoh, such as Hatshepsut, went to great lengths to trace their lineage to the most ancient of goddesses, such as Mut. Egyptian Pharaohs were considered deified only upon their death.

Ancient Rome

In the Roman Empire the Imperial cult was the worship of the Roman emperor as a god. This practice began at the start of the Empire under Augustus, and became a prominent element of Roman religion.

The cult spread over the whole Empire within a few decades, more strongly in the east than in the west. It was gradually abandoned when the emperor Constantine I started supporting Christianity.

Japan

Before the end of World War II, the Japanese Emperor made similar claims to deity; see:

Shinto - general article about Japan's religion.
Arahitogami - the concept of a god who is a human being applied to Emperor Hirohito, up till the end of World War II.
Ningen-sengen, the declaration with which Emperor Hirohito, on New Year's Day 1946, (formally) declined claims of divinity, keeping with traditional family values as expressed in the Shinto religion.

Fictional

Science fiction and games

In the novel Dune by Frank Herbert, Paul Atreides rises to power among the native Fremen of the planet Arrakis (Dune), who call him "Muad'Dib" and worship him as a Prophet, a Messiah, and even a God. By gaining exclusive control of the single most valuable resource in the Imperium — melange — Paul subverts Padishah Emperor Shaddam Corrino IV and becomes Emperor of the Known Universe, cementing his position. Paul's son Leto Atreides II is later worshipped as a deity to an even greater level, thanks to his transformation into a human/sandworm hybrid, which grants him further superhuman powers and longevity — his reign lasts over 3,500 years and only ends with his self-planned assassination. The Fremen elders are convinced he is the unique Supreme God Himself. Both father and son also possess powerful (though flawed) prescience.

In the game Warhammer 40,000, the Emperor of Mankind is worshipped as a god by trillions of his subjects, though he clearly states he is not a god ("I want warriors, not worshippers").

Imperial cult appears in a fictional Empire of Tamriel from The Elder Scrolls games, which has much resemblance to the historical Roman Empire. In Tamriel, Imperial Cult is an organization worshipping the Nine Divines, one of whom is Talos, the first Emperor of the Septim dynasty and founder of The Third Empire of Tamriel.

Fictionalized History

The cable television series Rome dramatizes the origins of the Roman Imperial cult.

Robert Graves depicts the early decay of the Roman Imperial cult through most of its first dynasty from the high point of Augustus' reign until the accession of Nero in his work I, Claudius.

External links

Role of the Roman Imperial Cult During the Augustan Age

Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia © 2001-2006 Wikipedia contributors (Disclaimer)
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.
Last updated on Monday March 10, 2008 at 16:37:58 PDT (GMT -0700)
View this article at Wikipedia.org - Edit this article at Wikipedia.org - Donate to the Wikimedia Foundation