La divinidad y el culto imperiales en la legislación romana desde el período constantiniano

Abstract

From 312 to 455, the cultus deorum, far from having been abroga­ted it tended to be transformed, without lacking its mainly customary character, in a religion whose centre was the prin­ces’ worship. Despite the progressive christianization of the Roman institu­tions, laws were referring to alive empe­rors in their condition of numina, while the deceased ones received the title of diui. Therefore, their dispositions had force of sacred norms, and their infrin­gement entailed to commit sacrilege. However, like in other matters, there was not a specific and exhaustive regu­lation on the Imperial Cult. The subjects that received normative attention were fundamentally three: the celebration of imperial feasts, the feasts’ calendar and the protocol of the ‘adoratio’.