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S.A. Kachan (Moscow) – Antinous as a Political Deity-Unifier of Egypt and the Roman Empire

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Abstract

The article discusses the cult of Osiris-Antinous, aimed at reconciliation and unifi cation of the multiethnic population of Egypt and the Roman Empire. In Egypt, the worship of Antinous was accompanied by the construction of a new city, Antinopolis, in which the adherents of the new cult – Roman citizens, Greeks, Jews (possibly Judeo–Christians) – were granted various privileges, including arable fi elds, which became a place of blissful existence for worshippers of the new god. This idea combined the Egyptian idea of a blissful life in the fi elds of Ialu, in which the traditional Osiris reigned, identifying with Antinous, as well as the Greek idea of a joyful life not in Hades, but on earth. Antinous acted as a just and ideal ruler, ensuring fertility and a just order of things. These functions corresponded to the image of Emperor Hadrian, who was seen as the legitimate ruler of Egypt, reconciling the diverse Egyptian population and bringing Pax Romana through the image of Antinous. The appearance of the cult of Osiris-Antinous caused migration processes both in Egypt and in the east of the Roman Empire.

Keywords

Osiris-Antinous, Emperor Hadrian, Antinopolis, imperial cult, Roman Egypt, Balkans.

Sergey A. Kachan

Independent Researcher, Moscow, Russia

E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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