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Caesar: The spell of Egypt
The ancient historians who wrote about Caesar and Cleopatra, in recounting their exploits and their tragic end, grasped and amplified from time to time some particular traits of his character and his work. The work of Caesar can be considered as a long path which, through the civil wars, led to the subversion of the ancient republican order.
The mirage of an oriental empire haunted the imagination of the gods
triumviri. The reign of Ptolemy XII laid the foundations of the philosophy of kingship that belonged to Cleopatra. Rome, which like Alexandria became a great cosmopolitan metropolis, was organized by Augustus in the likeness of the capital of the Ptolemies.
Everything that had been created in Alexandria was imitated as a sign of a luxurious living (luxuria) of the refined Hellenistic world.
Ptolemaic royalty prompted Egyptizing fashion (obelisks, Nilotic landscapes, jewels, Isis cult objects). and interest in Egyptian cults. Queen Cleopatra's influence on Roman matrons was even stronger during her time in Rome. The women of the Urbs were fascinated by the culture of Cleopatra, a symbol of female independence.
The myth of Cleopatra-Isis favors the spread of Isiac cults. The Romans seek a personal relationship with the gods, which would give them support and comfort during the civil wars. It is the Egyptian cults, through initiation rites, that offer the faithful a more intense closeness with the divinity.
The Isiac cult spreads in Rome and through the maritime and port cities of Ostia and Pozzuoli. On the initiative of the Collegia, associations of traders and professionals, real Isiac colleges are established. The priests take part in the processions in honor of the patroness of sailors Isis Pelagia.
The cult of Isis is present on the Capitoline Hill (Isis Capitolina) as a private cult since the last decades of the 2nd century BC. It was however a private sanctuary. The first example of official recognition by the Roman senate is probably the cult of Isis and Serapis in Campo Martio.
In any case, a central role in the reception of Egyptian cults must be recognized in Praeneste. The great sanctuary of Iside Fortuna Primigenia constitutes the final phase of the acculturation process in Italy. The propagation of the cult of Isis can be placed entirely in the cultural context of the Hellenistic world.
The mirage of an oriental empire haunted the imagination of the gods
triumviri. The reign of Ptolemy XII laid the foundations of the philosophy of kingship that belonged to Cleopatra. Rome, which like Alexandria became a great cosmopolitan metropolis, was organized by Augustus in the likeness of the capital of the Ptolemies.
Everything that had been created in Alexandria was imitated as a sign of a luxurious living (luxuria) of the refined Hellenistic world.
Ptolemaic royalty prompted Egyptizing fashion (obelisks, Nilotic landscapes, jewels, Isis cult objects). and interest in Egyptian cults. Queen Cleopatra's influence on Roman matrons was even stronger during her time in Rome. The women of the Urbs were fascinated by the culture of Cleopatra, a symbol of female independence.
The myth of Cleopatra-Isis favors the spread of Isiac cults. The Romans seek a personal relationship with the gods, which would give them support and comfort during the civil wars. It is the Egyptian cults, through initiation rites, that offer the faithful a more intense closeness with the divinity.
The Isiac cult spreads in Rome and through the maritime and port cities of Ostia and Pozzuoli. On the initiative of the Collegia, associations of traders and professionals, real Isiac colleges are established. The priests take part in the processions in honor of the patroness of sailors Isis Pelagia.
The cult of Isis is present on the Capitoline Hill (Isis Capitolina) as a private cult since the last decades of the 2nd century BC. It was however a private sanctuary. The first example of official recognition by the Roman senate is probably the cult of Isis and Serapis in Campo Martio.
In any case, a central role in the reception of Egyptian cults must be recognized in Praeneste. The great sanctuary of Iside Fortuna Primigenia constitutes the final phase of the acculturation process in Italy. The propagation of the cult of Isis can be placed entirely in the cultural context of the Hellenistic world.
59 pages, Paperback
Published September 26, 2022
About the author
Marco Carestia
25 books66 followersMarco Carestia is an anthropologist specialized in Culture of Japan with training in Japan Consolate of Milan,on the basis of his Diploma of Japanese.
He has focused his studies on food culture since Milan Expo 2015 by partecipating in Italian Taste Project by University of Milan. He's wine educator,author and teacher in Italy.
Marco Carestia, studi antropologici alla Alma Mater di Bologna, ha aderito al Progetto Italian Taste della Società di Analisi Sensoriale presso l'Università di Milano a Milano Expo 2015.Si definisce apprendista sensoriale , un percorso ereditato dai suoi antenati vignaioli del Lazio.Nella vita è autore, blogger e insegnante in Italia.
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