Nemesis, the Roman State, and the Games

424 Pages·1993·40.902 MB·English

by  Michael B. Hornum

NEMESIS, THE ROMAN STATE,
AND THE GAMES
RELIGIONS IN
THE GRAECO-ROMAN WORLD
FORMERLY
ETUDES PRELIMINAIRES
AUX RELIGIONS ORIENTALES
DANS L'EMPIRE ROMAIN
EDITORS
R. VAN DEN BROEK HJ.W. DRIjVERS
H.S. VERSNEL
VOLUME 117
NEMESIS, THE ROMAN STATE,
AND THE GAMES
BY
MICHAEL B. HORNUM
EJ. BRILL
LEIDEN • NEW YORK • KOLN
1993
TIe series Religions in the Graeco-Roman World presents af orum for studies in the social and cultural
function of religions in the Greek and the Roman world, dealing with pagan religions both in their own
right and in their interaction with and influence on Christianity and Judaism during a lengthy period of
fundamental change. Special attention will be given to the religious history of regions and cities which
illustrate the practical workings of these processes.
Enquiries regarding the submission of works for publication in the series mqy be directed to Professor
H.]. W Drijvers, Faculty of Letters, University of Groningen, 9712 EK Groningen, The Netherlands.
The paper in this book meets the guidelines for permanence and durability of the
Committee on Production Guidelines for Book Longevity of the Council on Library
Resources.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Hornum, Michael B.
Nemesis, the Roman state and the games / Michael B. Hornum
p. cm.-(Religions in the Graeco-Roman world, ISSN
0927-7633; v. 117)
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN 9004097457 (hard)
1. Nemesis (Roman deity) 2. Rome-Religion. 3. Religion and
state-Rome. 4. Games-Rome. I. Title. II. Series.
BL820.N48H67 1993
292.2'114-dc20 93-726
CIP
Die Deutsche Bibliothek - CIP-Einheitsaufnahme
Hornum, Michael B.:
Nemesis, the Roman state and the games / by Michael B.
Hornum. - Leiden; New York; Ki:iln: Brill, 1993
(Religions in the Graeco-Roman world; Vol. 117)
ISBN 90-04-09745-7
NE:GT
ISSN 0927-7633
ISBN 90 04 09745 7
© Copyright 1993 by E.]. Brill, Leiden, TIe Netherlands
All rights reserved. No part of this publication mqy be reproduced, translated, stored in
a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic,
mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written
permission of the publisher.
Authorization to photocopy items for internal or personal
use is granted by E.]. Brill provided that
the appropriate .foes are paid directly to Copyright
Clearance Center, 27 Congress Street, Salem MA
01970, USA. Fees are subject to change.
PRINTED IN THE NETHERLANDS
To Meetzy and Shiva

CONTENTS
Acknowledgements .........................................................................I X
Abbreviations .......................................................................... " ....X I
xm
Acknowledgements of the Plates .....................................................
Introduction ............................................................................. '" .... 1
Chapter One: Nemesis Prior to the Roman Imperial Period .................... 6
The Origins and Meaning of Nemesis ........................................ 6
Pre-Roman Cults of Nemesis ................................................. 10
Chapter Two: Nemesis and the Roman State ...................................... 15
Nemesis and the Emperor ...................................................... 15
Nemesis and Imperial Structures ......................................... 19
Nemesis and the Griffin ..................................................... 24
Nemesis Trampling on a Prostrate Figure ............................. 32
Nemesis Augusta ............................................................. 36
Nemesis and the City ............................................................ 41
Chapter Three: Nemesis and the Games ............................................ 43
Chronology of the Association ............................................... 44
Types of Games ................................................................... 50
Character of the Cult Remai~s ................................................ 56
Nemesis Iconography and Epithets .......................................... 62
Worshippers of Nemesis ........................................................ 70
Types of Worship ................................................................ 74
Analysis ............................................................................. 78
Conclusions ................................................................................. 89
Appendix One: Catalogue of the Literary Evidence .............................. 91
Appendix Two: Catalogue of the Epigraphic Evidence ........................ 153
Appendix Three: Nemesis and t~e Griffin: A Corpus of the Evidence .... 318
Appendix Four: Nemesis and the Scales, Wheel and Measuring Stick ... .321
Appendix Five: Examples of the "Smyrna" Nemesis Type .................. 328
CONTENTS VIII
Table 1. ..................................................................................... .331
Table 2 ...................................................................................... .332
Table 3 ...................................................................................... .333
Table 4 ...................................................................................... .336
Table 5 ...................................................................................... .339
Table 6 ...................................................................................... .342
Bibliography .............................................................................. .345
Epigraphic Index ......................................................................... .355
General Index ............................................................................... 366
Plates I-XXVIll
ACKNOWLEDGENrnNTS
This study represents a revised version of my dissertation (Nemesis, the
Roman State, and the Games, Bryn Mawr, 1991). During the course of my
dissertation research and in the subsequent preparation of the present book I
have received much assistance and excellent advice from many scholars to
whom I am very grateful. I would like begin by thanking my main
dissertation advisor, Professor Brunilde S. Ridgway of Bryn Mawr College,
for her aid in focusing my research, her useful references, and her ever
valuable comments. I would also especially like to thank Professor John G.
Gager of Princeton University for his helpful suggestions in the area of
ancient religion. In addition, I am grateful to Professor Russell Scott of
Bryn Mawr College for his invaluable advice on gladiatorial games, to
Professor Richard Hamilton of Bryn Mawr College for assistance with my
Greek, and to Bryn Mawr College graduate student Ippokratis Kantzios for
contributing several translations. I would further like to thank Professors
Charles Edwards of the American School in Athens and Christine Dunbabin
of McMaster University for sending me drafts of their articles on Tyche at
Corinth and the "vestigia" before these went to publication. Gratitude is
also due to Professors Paul Zanker of the Universitat Munchen and Ginette
Di Vita-Evrard of Ecole Normale Superieure for their helpful
correspondance.
I am grateful to the American Research Institute in Turkey for awarding
me a fellowship so that I could travel to Turkey in 1989 in order to examine
closely several of the objects in this study. I would like to extend a warm
thank you to the various persons who assisted me in my research at the
Izmir, Seljuk and Antalya Museums, and to thank Professor Jale Inan for
providing me with information concerning Nemesis images which I had not
seen.
Finally, I would like to end with thanks to my wife Helene and my
parents, Finn and Barbara Hornum, for their support. It would have been
impossible to finish without them.