In Rome itself the official position was clear: the apotheosis of the emperor took place only after his death; this had to be officially recognized by the Senate, and only then did the emperor become a divus with an official cult.
As a former mortal who underwent apotheosis, Hercules was important to the emperors.
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Apotheosis — (from Greek ἀποθεόω, apotheoō to deify ), deification or divinization is the glorification of an individual to a divine level.AntiquityPrior to the Hellenistic period, imperial cults were known in Ancient Egypt (pharaohs) and Mesopotamia (since… … Wikipedia
Apotheosis — • Deification, the exaltation of men to the rank of gods Catholic Encyclopedia. Kevin Knight. 2006. Apotheosis Apotheosis † … Catholic encyclopedia
Apotheosis — Ap o*the o*sis (?; 277), n. pl. {Apotheoses}. [L., fr. Gr. ?, fr. ? to deify; ? from + ? to deify, ? a god.] 1. The act of elevating a mortal to the rank of, and placing him among, the gods; deification. [1913 Webster] 2. Glorification;… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
apotheosis — (n.) 1600s, from L.L. apotheosis deification, from Gk. apotheosis, from apotheoun deify, make (someone) a god, from apo special use of this prefix, meaning, here, change + theos god (see THEA (Cf. Thea)) … Etymology dictionary
apotheosis — ► NOUN (pl. apotheoses) 1) the culmination or highest point: science is the apotheosis of the intellect. 2) elevation to divine status. DERIVATIVES apotheosize (also apotheosise) verb. ORIGIN Greek, from apotheoun make a god of … English terms dictionary
apotheosis — [ə päth΄ē ō′sis, ap΄ə thē′ə sis] n. pl. apotheoses [ə päth΄ē ō′sēz΄, ap΄ə thēsēz΄] [LL(Ec) < Gr apotheōsis < apotheoun, to deify < apo , from + theos, god: see THEO ] 1. the act of raising a person to the status of a god; deification 2.… … English World dictionary
apotheosis — index exemplar Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 … Law dictionary
apotheosis — *paragon, nonpareil, nonesuch … New Dictionary of Synonyms
apotheosis — [n] glorification deification, elevation, idolization, immortalization; concepts 69,367 … New thesaurus
apotheosis — /euh poth ee oh sis, ap euh thee euh sis/, n., pl. apotheoses / seez, seez /. 1. the elevation or exaltation of a person to the rank of a god. 2. the ideal example; epitome; quintessence: This poem is the apotheosis of lyric expression. [1570 80; … Universalium
apotheosis — a|poth|e|o|sis [əˌpɔθiˈəusıs US əˌpa:θiˈousıs, ˌæpəˈθi:əsıs] n [singular] formal [Date: 1500 1600; : Late Latin; Origin: Greek, from apotheoun to make into a god , from apo ( APOCALYPSE) + theos god ] 1.) the best and most perfect example of… … Dictionary of contemporary English
