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Becoming a God
1. Origins and Models
Gods and Humans
Greeks had intermediaries between gods and
humans: i.e. heroes and nymphs
 Romans had very few –: the dead (as category,
not individuals), as Manes (the gods manes) or
divi parentes (deified ancestors) cult at festivals:
Parentalia and Lemuria
 Men did not usually become gods in legends –
three exceptions: Aeneas, Romulus, Latinus
 These were lready identified with other
divinities: Aeneas with Indiges, Romulus with
Quirinus, Latinus with Jupiter Latiaris
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Aeneas becomes a god
(Ovid, Metamorphoses)
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Aeneas’s virtues had compelled all the gods, even Juno herself,
to bring to an end their ancient feud, and since his young son
Julus’s fortunes were firmly founded, Cytherea’s heroic son was ripe
for heaven. Venus had sought the opinion of the gods, and throwing
her arms round her father’s neck, had said ‘You have never been
harsh to me, father, now be kindest of all, I beg you. Grant my
Aeneas, who claims you as his grandfather through my bloodline,
some divinity, however little - you choose - so long as you grant him
something! It is enough that he once gazed on the hateful kingdom,
once crossed the steams of Styx.’ The gods agreed, and Juno, the
royal consort, did not display her severe expression, but consented
peacefully. Then Jupiter said: ‘You are worthy of this divine gift, you
who ask, as is he for whom you ask it: my daughter, possess what
you desire!’
Aeneas continued
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The word was spoken: with joy she thanked her father, and
drawn by her team of doves through the clear air, she came
to the coast of Laurentum, where the waters of the River
Numicius, hidden by reeds, wind down to the neighbouring
sea. She ordered the river-god to cleanse Aeneas, of
whatever was subject to death, and bear it away, in his silent
course, into the depths of the ocean. The horned god
executed Venus’s orders, and purged Aeneas of whatever was
mortal, and dispersed it on the water: what was best in him
remained. Once purified, his mother anointed his body with
divine perfume, touched his lips with a mixture of sweet
nectar and ambrosia, and made him a god, whom the
Romans named Indiges, admitting him to their temples and
altars. Ovid, Metamorphoses XIV. 581-608)
Romulus becomes a god
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Tatius died, and you, Romulus, gave orders equally to both
peoples. Mars, removing his helmet, addressed the father of
gods and men in these words: ‘The time has come, lord, to
grant the reward (that you promised to me and your
deserving grandson), since the Roman state is strong, on firm
foundations, and does not depend on a single champion: free
his spirit, and raising him from earth set him in the heavens.
You once said to me, in person, at a council of the gods
(since I am mindful of the gracious words I noted in my
retentive mind), ‘There will be one who you will raise to azure
heaven.’ Let your words be ratified in full!’
Romulus continued
Omnipotent Jupiter nodded, and, veiling the sky with dark
clouds, he terrified men on earth with thunder and lightning.
Mars knew this as a sign that ratified the promised ascension,
and leaning on his spear, he vaulted, fearlessly, into his
chariot, the horses straining at the blood-wet pole, and
cracked the loud whip. Dropping headlong through the air, he
landed on the summit of the wooded Palatine. There he
caught up Romulus, son of Ilia, as he was dealing royal
justice to his people. The king’s mortal body dissolved in the
clear atmosphere, like the lead bullet, that often melts in midair, hurled by the broad thong of a catapult. Now he has
beauty of form, and he is Quirinus, clothed in ceremonial
robes, such a form as is worthier of the sacred high seats of
the gods.”
 Ovid, Metamorphoses Bk XIV: 805-828 The deification of
Romulus
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Some divine and human interactions
Mars had sex with the vestal virgin Rhea
Silvia
 King Numa joked with Jupiter and had sex
with the nymph Egeria
 Faunus and Inuus raped women in the
woods
 Castor and Pollux appeared in times of
peril
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God for a Day
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Roman triumph greatest achievement for a Roman noble
The general became god for a day – triumphant general
dressed up like Jupiter: all in red – cloak and crown, face
painted red; procession of general, his troops, captives,
loot through city to centre. Temporary reversal of
things: normally army prohibited from entering Rome
Some sources claim a slave stood next to general,
whispering into his ear: “remember you are a man.”
Soldiers were allowed to shout insults and obscenities at
general in order to prevent jealousy of gods
Politics and the gods
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Roman magistrates were closer to the gods than
ordinary Romans
It was their duty to communicate with gods by carrying
out sacrifices on behalf of the community to maintain
the pax deorum
Magistrates and gods cooperated to ensure the wellbeing of Rome, success of state dependent on common
purpose of human and divine leaders
until last century BCE – magistracies were limited to
one-year positions – no monopoly on close relationship
of one individual to the gods
In the Imperial period, the emperor had monopoly on
most important priesthoods
The Late Republic:
political and religious change
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Rome’s success was success of gods
Divine allegiance important for successful Roman politician;
connection with gods, alienation of gods from rivals had to be
constantly paraded (i.e. Octavian with the support of Apollo,
in his capacity as healing god), versus Antony (who had
support of Dionysos by now representing all the decadence
and luxuria of the east)
Military and political success brought men into close
association with gods
Status of successful politician moved increasingly closer to the
status of the divine
Iulius Caesar, who was declared a god after his death,
represents culmination of that trend
Divus Iulius
or how to become a god
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Several honours were granted to Iulius
Caesar before his death which suggest he
had received, in some form, status of a god
or something close to it:
1. Right to have a priest (flamen) of his cult;
2. right to adorn his house with a pediment
(like a temple),
3. right to place his own image in formal
procession of images of the gods
Iulius Caesar becomes a god
After his death received other marks of
divine status: altars, sacrifices, temple
 In 42 BCE formal decree of deification
issued by senate and Roman people Iulius Caesar was now now officially
 divus Iulius (the divine Iulius)
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Roman concept of deification of a
human being
1. Rooted in Roman conception of a deity and
the strong relationship between political leaders
and the gods?
 2 Modelled on Hellenistic Ruler cult?
 Some honours Caesar received such as: public
celebration on his birthday; renaming of
calendar month, naming an electorial tribe in his
honour all have precedents in honours granted
to some Hellenistic monarchs
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Political Change in the late
Roman Republic
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New pattern of political dominance
Great leaders managed to extend or repeat offices and received special
commands that gave them power for long periods
They now claimed long-term association with the gods
Symbolized by: triumphs, displaying themselves (or had them treated by
others) as favourites of gods, or even like gods
Clear elevation of powerful figures: Scipio Africanus (late 2nd century BCE)
is accused of having claimed a close association with Jupiter Optimus
Maximus
Aemilius Paullus after defeating Macedonian king Perseus in 168 BCE was
granted a triumph and allowed to wear triumphal dress at all Circus games
The same honours were given to Pompey in 63 BCE,
Iulius Caesar was given even further extensions of this –he was allowed to
wear the triumphal costume on all public occasion
This was a serious break with tradition
continued
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Marius (7 times consul, was given triumph for victory over African
king Jugurtha and over the Germans ) his achievements matched by
religious elevation
Entered the Roman senate in triumphal outfit
Offended senators but was loved by populace
Association with gods could also be seen as a form of protection or
favour politicians claimed they received from an individual deity