Greekness and Uniqueness
The Cult of the Senate in the Greek East
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 3939049 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Andrew Erskine (0000-0003-4715-3779, Institute of History and Archaeology, corresponding author) |
| Year | 1997 |
| Volume | 51 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 25 |
| Publication date | 1997-01-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Phoenix (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0031-8299 • E-ISSN: 1929-4883 |
| Publisher | JSTOR (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.2307/1192583 |
| OpenAlex | W1976457100 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 2 |
| References cited | 9 |
ROMAN POWER GENERATED many different cults in the Greek east during the Republic, for instance of the goddess 'Ptcgl,1 of the Romans as benefactors and of the Roman demos. But there is one noticeable absence. Although there was a cult of the Senate in the imperial period, there is no evidence at all for it during the Republic. Thus when the power of the Senate is at its height it generates no cult honours but, paradoxically, once it has little significant power it does become the object of cult. This needs explanation. The following examination of cults of Roman power will suggest that they focus on those aspects of Rome that are recognisably Greek and familiar, such as the demos. The Greeks select these aspects in order to make Rome intelligible to themselves, but, because Rome's power renders them abnormal, they are elevated to cult status. The Senate, on the other hand, is unique; there is no parallel to it in the Greek world. This gives it immunity to cult, at least until the period of the empire. But, as the Senate becomes more familiar to the Greeks and the Greek boule more like a senate, so that immunity wears off. Although the Senate may not be as powerful as it once was, it can still have the aura of power through association. Furthermore, the development of the cult in the East coincides with the emperors' attempts to promote the prestige of the Senate
Ancient history · Cult · Political science · Uniqueness · Classical Antiquity Studies · Historical and Literary Studies · Historical, Religious, and Philosophical Studies · History · Law
Augustus and the Greek world
Continuity and change in Roman religion
Greek Embassies and the City of Rome
The Role of the Senate in the Augustan Regime
The Senate of Imperial Rome
The Emperor, The Senate and the Provinces
Hellenistic Monarchy and Roman Political Invective
Théophane de Mytilène à Constantinople
| Unique citing works | 2 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0,09 |
| Citation span | 2003 - 2011 (9) |
| Citation velocity | historical |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 2 |