Julius Caesar's Living Deification Established Roman Imperial Taboo
In 44 BC, the Roman state proclaimed Julius Caesar a living deity, granting him divine accolades such as state-sponsored sacrifices, temple statues, and plans for a temple dedicated to the goddess Clemencia. This declaration, highlighted by historians Appian, Cassius Dio, and Cicero, created an "anti-precedent" for future rulers. Following Caesar's murder, Augustus decreed that emperors could only be deified after death, facilitating Caesar's posthumous recognition in 42 BC. His temple was inaugurated on August 18, 29 BC. These honors were deeply rooted in Roman customs, referencing figures like Scipio Africanus. The prohibition against living deification remained until the emergence of Christianity, with emperors typically adhering to Augustus's precedent.
Key facts
- Julius Caesar was declared a living god by the Roman state in early 44 BC
- He received divine honors including state sacrifices, temple statues, and a priestly college
- Caesar's living deification created an "anti-precedent" for future Roman emperors
- Augustus established that emperors could only be deified after death
- Caesar was officially recognized as Divus Julius in 42 BC following his assassination
- The Temple of Divus Julius in the Roman Forum was dedicated on August 18, 29 BC
- Caesar's honors drew on Roman traditions rather than purely Hellenistic influences
- The taboo against living imperial worship persisted throughout Roman imperial history
Entities
Artists
- Julius Caesar
- Augustus
- Mark Antony
- Octavian
- Cicero
- Seneca
- Scipio Africanus
- Lucius Brutus
- Marius
- Sulla
- Pompey
- Cato
- Lucius Aemilius Paullus
- Tiberius
- Livia
- Caligula
- Domitian
- Antoninus Pius
- Faustina
- Lysandros
- Antigonus I Monophthalmus
- Demetrius I Poliorcetes
- Philip II of Macedon
- Alexander the Great
- Andrea di Pietro di Marco Ferrucci
- Vincenzo Camuccini
- Apollonio di Giovanni
- Marco del Buono Giamberti
Institutions
- Roman Senate
- Vestal Virgins
- Museo di Antichita
- Metropolitan Museum of Art
- British Museum
- Art Institute of Chicago
- Museo Nazionale
- Museum of the Royal Tombs at Aigai
- Museu Arqueológico Nacional
- National Museum of Antiquities and Islamic Arts
- Musee du Louvre
- Kilgore Gallery
- Classical Numismatic Group
- Wikimedia Commons
- Research Gate
Locations
- Rome
- Italy
- Athens
- Greece
- Ankara
- Turkey
- Lugdunum
- Gaul
- North Africa
- Britain
- Asia
- Samians
- Sparta
- Macedonia
- Versailles
- France
- Algiers
- Espanha
- Chicago
- Torino
- Aigai