A Study on the Local Character of the Cult of the Roman Emperors in Asia Minor: The Sebasteion of Aphrodisias

Abstract

The local imperial cult temple, unsanctioned by Rome, was a prominent urban characteristic of medium-sized cities in Roman Asia Minor. However, it is often overshadowed in modern scholarship that emphasizes official cult centers sanctioned by Rome. Constructed by families with no formal connection to Rome, the Sebasteion at Aphrodisias in modern Turkey is a unique imperial cult complex. Through its architectural and sculptural programs, the Sebasteion displays the Carian city's complicated relationship with Rome . The primary goal of this thesis is to situate the Sebasteion complex within the framework of imperial cult scholarship as established by Burrell and Friesen. I will begin with a discussion of previous scholarship regarding the origins theories of imperial cult and provincial rivalry in Asia Minor, followed by an analysis of the two distinct cults that form the basis for worship. I will then analyze the Sebasteion complex as a whole, including a general introduction to the site and its excavation history, its architecture, sculpture, and epigraphy, which illuminate the presence of Roman imperial propaganda through the Greek perspective of a medium-sized city in rural Caria. The conclusion will discuss the Sebasteion as a local imperial cult center and how the complex reflects Aphrodisias' relationship with Rome and its need to compete with other prominent cities in Asia Minor.