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4 - Aquae Sulis and Empire

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 January 2020

Eleri H. Cousins
Affiliation:
Lancaster University
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Summary

This chapter examines the position of Sulis Minerva and her sanctuary within the wider networks of empire and how Roman imperialism was negotiated in different ways throughout the site’s history. It starts by arguing that the foundation of the sanctuary in the Flavian period should be read primarily as an imperialist act designed to proclaim ownership of an indigenous sacred site; this is supported by the iconography datable to this period, especially the pediment of the temple. While this emphasis on imperial domination faded in later periods, Aquae Sulis continued to be a place where individuals, especially soldiers, used the worship of Sulis, and in particular epigraphy linking the deity to the imperial cult, to structure their identity and relationship to the emperor specifically and broader conceptions of empire more generally. The possibility that some of the votives from the sacred spring reflect similar concerns is also explored. Comparative material from other sites in Britain and Gaul is woven into the discussion throughout, and used to argue for a broad understanding of the pervasiveness of emperor-worship and the imperial cult in provincial religion.

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Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2020

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  • Aquae Sulis and Empire
  • Eleri H. Cousins, Lancaster University
  • Book: The Sanctuary at Bath in the Roman Empire
  • Online publication: 07 January 2020
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108694735.004
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  • Aquae Sulis and Empire
  • Eleri H. Cousins, Lancaster University
  • Book: The Sanctuary at Bath in the Roman Empire
  • Online publication: 07 January 2020
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108694735.004
Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Aquae Sulis and Empire
  • Eleri H. Cousins, Lancaster University
  • Book: The Sanctuary at Bath in the Roman Empire
  • Online publication: 07 January 2020
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108694735.004
Available formats
×