The Imperial Cult and the Development of Church Order: Concepts and Images of Authority in Paganism and Early Christianity Before the Age of Cyprian (Supplements to Vigiliae Christianae, V. 45)

Cover......Page 1
Contents......Page 8
Abbreviations......Page 10
List of Plates......Page 16
Introduction......Page 20
I. Christian and Pagan Cultus by the Third Century......Page 24
A. Cyprianic Hierarchy and Decius Trajan......Page 25
B. Christian and Imperial Cult: Parallels Before Cyprian......Page 27
C. Church Order as Apologia: The Reactive Thesis......Page 31
D. Imperial and Christian Order: Contra-Cultural Relations......Page 34
II. The Foundations of the Imperial Cult......Page 40
A. Republican Antecedents of the Imperial Cult......Page 42
1. The political and constitutional significance of divination......Page 43
2. Stoic justifications for the validity of cultic acts......Page 45
3. Augury and divination: Imperial Cult as sacrament......Page 47
4. Livy and Lucan: Augury as political sacrament......Page 49
4.1. Livy, augury and the pax deorum......Page 51
4.2. Augustus' Early prefiguration: 8,6,9 and 5,23,4-11......Page 55
4.2.1. Augustus: 1,19,1-3, 28,2,2 and the lost ending......Page 56
4.2.3. Dio Cassius 37,24,1 and (Epitome) 51,20,4......Page 61
4.2.4. Livy and Augustus: portents and auspicia......Page 64
4.3. Lucan's Stoic theology and haruspicium......Page 67
4.3.1. Lucan's Pharsalia and the pax deorum......Page 69
4.3.2. Lucan's explanation of the ira deorum......Page 71
5. Ausustus, the pax deorum, and the ius augurium......Page 73
6. Augustus' Messianism and the pax deorum......Page 77
B. The Inauguration and Reception of the Imperial Cult......Page 82
1. The Ara Pacis and the pax deorum......Page 83
2. Lares and Penates: From Manes to Genius......Page 84
3. The cultic deification of virtues......Page 87
4. The reception of the Imperial Cult in the East......Page 90
5. Implications of the Imperial Cult for early Christianity......Page 94
III. Imperial Ideology and the Origins of Church Order......Page 96
1. Mark and the primitive kerygma......Page 101
2. Matthew's heightened apocalypticism: a hope frustrated......Page 103
3. Luke's transformation of the apocalyptic tradition......Page 104
B. Luke-Acts in the Context of Imperial History......Page 105
1. The Augustan census of Lk. 2,1-2......Page 106
2. Cultic background of the altar of incense in Lk. 1,5-2,52......Page 111
3. Eschatological promise and the reformed Jewish Cult......Page 113
3.1.  ειρηνη, σωτηρ and the pax deorum in Luke-Acts......Page 114
3.2. Virgin Birth and Jesus as Son of God (Lk. 2,26-35)......Page 118
3.3. Victoria and the Magnificat (Lk. 1,46-55)......Page 121
1. The imperial banquet (Lk. 1,52-53; 3,1)......Page 124
2.1. The interpretation of Acts as apologial......Page 129
2.2. Modifications of the apologetic thesis......Page 131
2.3. Acts and the existence of the Imperial Cult......Page 132
2.3.1. Tertullus' case against Paul; Acts 24,1-9......Page 135
2.3.2. Felix, Agrippa and the pax dei (Acts 22-23)......Page 137
2.3.2.1. The Last Supper and the reformed Jewish cultus......Page 139
2.3.2.2. The pax dei and the early community in Acts......Page 140
2.3.2.3. Paul in Ephesus (Acts 19,21-40)......Page 143
2.3.3.1. The death of Herod Agrippa (Acts 12,21-22)......Page 145
2.3.3.2. Acts 17,7 and 18,13......Page 147
2.3.3.3. Legal Obligation and Custom: Acts 16,20-21......Page 148
D. Church Order and Imperial Society......Page 153
1. The introduction of the apostolic college......Page 155
3. Fratres Arvales: apostolic college as contra culture......Page 158
E. In Conclusion: Theophilus and His Circle......Page 160
IV. Clement of Rome and Domitian's Empire......Page 163
1. Pagan evidence: Dio Cassius 67, 14,1-3......Page 164
2. Cimiterium Domitillae and Eusebius' claim......Page 165
3. Evidence from Pliny Ep. X, 96,1......Page 166
B. Clement: Church Order and Imperial Peace......Page 167
1. Metaphysics of ecclesial peace: society reflects nature......Page 168
1.1. Order is secured through cultic authority......Page 169
1.2. The apostolic succession as the foundation of the cult......Page 171
1.2.2. Clement Cor. 60,4-61,3: the prayer for imperial pax......Page 174
2. Clement's concept of Order: legitimation not apologetic......Page 176
2.1. Parallels between Luke-Acts and Clement Corinthians......Page 178
2.2. Apocalyptic cataclysm replaced by imperial peace......Page 179
3. The character of the group responsible for the στασις......Page 180
C. Clement's Construction of Contra-Culture......Page 184
A. Domitian's Cult and the Date of the Apocalypse......Page 187
1.1. Domitian's edict on the vineyards......Page 188
1.2. Domitian and Domitia: the divine child: Apoc. 12,1-6......Page 189
1.4. Jewish-Christian reliations......Page 191
2. The Imperial Cult under Domitian......Page 192
2.1. Domitian's divine titles: dominus, praesens deus, tonans......Page 193
2.2. Theological significance of Domitian's changes......Page 194
2.2.1. Jovian ideology and Domitian's changes in the cult......Page 196
2.2.2. Domitian's changes in ritual......Page 197
B. The Domitianic Backcloth to the Apocalypse......Page 200
1.1. Apoc. 2,6 παραδεισος and the ξυλον ζωης......Page 201
1.2. Apoc. 2,10-11 στεφανος της ζωης......Page 202
1.3.1. θρονος του Σατανα......Page 203
1.3.3. ψηφος λευκη......Page 205
1.5. Apoc. 3,4-5 ιματια λευκα and η βιβλος της ζωης......Page 209
1.6. Apoc. 3,12: το ονομα . . . της πολεως του θεου μου......Page 211
1.7. Apoc. 3,21: καθισαι μετ’ εμου εν τω θρονω μου......Page 212
2. Contra images of Imperial Cult in Apoc. 4-19......Page 213
2.2. πρεσβυτεροι and εικονες: theatre and mysteries......Page 216
2.2.1. Apoc. 13-14: εικων του θηριου......Page 219
2.2.2. Apoc. 6 and 8: τας ψυχας των εσφαγμενων......Page 220
2.2.3. Apoc. 4,4; 7,14: angels, υμνωδοι  and πρεσβυτεροι......Page 221
2.2.4. Apoc. 4,4 πρεσβυτεροι καθημενοι and προεδριαι......Page 224
2.2.5. στεφανοι χρυσοι, πρεσβυτεροι and στεφανηφοροι......Page 225
3. Imperial ideology in Apoc. 4,10 and 7,10......Page 228
3.2. σωτηρια......Page 229
3.4. πλουτος......Page 230
C. In Conclusion: Apocalypse and the Imperial Cult......Page 231
VI. Ignatius of Antioch and the Martyr's Procession......Page 233
A. Ignatian Typology and Domitian's Iconography......Page 234
1.1.1. Ignatius and Apocalypse: The heavenly liturgy......Page 236
1.1.2. Typology of representation......Page 241
2. Ignatian typology and the Imperial Cult......Page 243
2.1. τυπος as statue, and as εικων......Page 246
2.2. θεοι Σεβαστοι προκαθημενοι as επισκοποι and μαρτυρες......Page 247
2.3. Domitian's corona aurea and Ignatian τυποι......Page 249
B. The Martyr Procession and Cultic Ambassadors......Page 251
1. The αντιθυχον at the θυσιαστηριον ετοιμον......Page 254
2. The χορος and the αγων μυστικος......Page 256
2.1. μιμησις in the Isis mysteries and imperial extensions......Page 258
2.2. Image bearers in the Imperial Mysteries......Page 259
2.3. θεοφορος and τυπος in pagan cultic imagery......Page 261
2.4. Ignatius' procession and ομονοια and the pax deorum......Page 263
3. The role of the πρεσβεια in the martyr-procession......Page 264
C. Order in Clement, Ignatius and the Apocalypse......Page 271
VII. Pagan and Christian Monarchianism......Page 274
1. The recognition of Eastern cults before the Severans......Page 278
1.1. Isis and Sarapis......Page 279
1.1.2. The reception of Isis and the pax deorum......Page 281
1.1.3. Isis and the official iconography of imperial divinity......Page 283
1.2. Cybele and Magna Mater......Page 284
1.2.1. Imperial adoption of Cybele's iconography......Page 286
1.3. The cult of Sol Invictus......Page 287
2. The Severan Reformation......Page 288
2.1. Unity in diversity as a comprehensive imperial ideal......Page 289
2.1.1. The recasting of icons by the Severans......Page 290
2.1.2. A philosophy justifying the religious synthesis......Page 293
1. Stoic monism, Platonic dualism, and Gnosticism......Page 294
1.2. Individual immortality: the art of the Vatican Mausolea......Page 296
1.3. Gnosticism as a rejection of political collectivism......Page 297
2. Plotinus, the One: imperial unity as Sol Invictus......Page 298
3.1. Plotinus' predecessors: μοναρχια and the De Mundo......Page 300
3.2. Plutarch's Platonism in De Iside et Osiride......Page 304
C. Social Order and the Doctrine of the Trinity......Page 308
1. Irenaeus and Pseudo-Hippolytus: διαδοχαι αποστολων......Page 309
1.1. Diogenes Laertius and philosophical origins......Page 310
1.2. Historiography within the circle of Julia Domna......Page 312
2. Monarchian theology, Gnosticism and Imperial Order......Page 313
2.1. Irenaeus and the κοσμοκρατορες......Page 314
2.2. Ignatius of Antioch: nascent Monarchianism......Page 319
2.3. Monarchianism: Athenagoras, Justin and Tatian......Page 323
2.3.1. μοναρχια and the Godhead in Justin and Tatian......Page 324
2.3.2. Political structure and the Trinity in Athenagoras......Page 326
2.3.3. Theophilus and the pagan quest for the μοναρχια......Page 330
VIII. The Emergence of Imperial and Catholic Order......Page 333
A. Elagabalus and Universal Monotheism......Page 334
1. Callistus' revolution in Church Order......Page 336
1.1. The charges against Callistus......Page 338
1.1.1. Calistus' broader justification......Page 340
1.1.2. Calistus and Elagabalus' reformation......Page 341
1.3.1. Pontifex Maximus and episcopus episcoporum......Page 342
1.1.2.3. Social values of Callistus and Pseudo-Hippolytus......Page 345
1.1.2.4. Callistus' martyrdom and the fall of Elagabalus......Page 348
C. In Conclusion: The Legacy for Decius and Cyprian......Page 351
Bibliography......Page 354
Indices......Page 368
1. Biblical Citations......Page 370
2. Ancient Christian and Jewish Writers......Page 374
3. Ancient Pagan Writers......Page 377
4. Inscriptions and Coins......Page 382
5. Greek Vocabulary......Page 385
Plates......Page 394