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Seven - Conclusion

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 May 2020

Philip Kiernan
Affiliation:
Kennesaw State University, Georgia
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Summary

The final chapter returns to the distinction between idols and other cult images that was proposed in the introduction. In each of the book’s main sections, clues have been observed that confirm a functional distinction between idols and other cult images. The status of both idols and cult images was also found to be flexible, with new images existing side-by-side with old ones in virtually all Roman temples. Since it was largely human interactions that transformed a cult image into an idol, it is rarely possible to identify individual objects as an idol on the basis of archaeological or art historical evidence alone. We never have the full biography of any surviving cult image, just glimpses and hints into particular moments in its life. The fact that idols were continually created, used, and destroyed in the ways discussed in this book for hundreds of years is itself an indication of their important role in Roman religion. So too is the continued use of specific strategies to retain agency for idols. The encounter with a temple’s idol was surely the most important reason for individuals to visit Roman temples.

Type
Chapter
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Roman Cult Images
The Lives and Worship of Idols from the Iron Age to Late Antiquity
, pp. 272 - 280
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2020

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  • Conclusion
  • Philip Kiernan, Kennesaw State University, Georgia
  • Book: Roman Cult Images
  • Online publication: 15 May 2020
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108766555.007
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  • Conclusion
  • Philip Kiernan, Kennesaw State University, Georgia
  • Book: Roman Cult Images
  • Online publication: 15 May 2020
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108766555.007
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.

  • Conclusion
  • Philip Kiernan, Kennesaw State University, Georgia
  • Book: Roman Cult Images
  • Online publication: 15 May 2020
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108766555.007
Available formats
×