In the first century AD, the Roman Empire was not merely a political powerhouse; it was also a stage for a deeply intertwined system of civic loyalty and religious devotion. One striking example of this is what appears to be the pedestal of a statue in the upper gymnasium of Priene, an ancient Ionian city in Asia Minor. This pedestal, originally inscribed with praises to an emperor as “ΘΕΟΝ ΑΝΙΚΗΤΟΝ” (“God Invincible” in the accusative case) and “ΚΤΙΣΤΗΣ ΤΗΣ ΠΟΛΕΩΣ” (“Founder of the City” in the genative case), reveals how emperor worship permeated daily life and posed a profound challenge for early Christians.
Caligula’s Divine Ambitions in Asia Minor
The pedestal’s dedication likely originated during the reign of Caligula (AD 37–41), a ruler infamous for his self-deification. Caligula funded monumental projects such as the completion of the Temple of Apollo at Didyma, intending it to be a sebasteion (a temple dedicated to emperor worship). He also granted nearby Miletus the prestigious title of neokoros, marking the city as a custodian of the imperial cult. Priene’s proximity to these sites and its cultural ties to Miletus suggest that this pedestal was part of a regional network promoting emperor worship.
The inscription’s use of the epithet “God Invincible” aligns with Caligula’s divine self-presentation. However, his assassination in AD 41 and the subsequent damnatio memoriae—the Senate’s condemnation of his memory—led to the erasure of his name from inscriptions like this one. Such edits reflect the political and religious tensions that permeated the empire, as cities sought to balance loyalty to Rome with shifts in imperial favor.
A Challenge to Early Christians
While we do not know much about early Christianity in Priene, we do know of its presence through the numerous graffiti and two early churches. One such church appears to have been a synagogue and later adapted for Christian use presumably as the Jews of Priene came to understand Jesus as their Messiah.
For early Christians, pedestals like this one symbolized more than political allegiance—they embodied a direct confrontation with their faith. The imperial cult demanded acts of devotion, including sacrifices and public declarations of loyalty, that equated the emperor with a god. To Christians, whose allegiance was to Christ alone, such practices were idolatrous and non-negotiable.
This refusal to participate in emperor worship often brought severe consequences. Christians were labeled as subversive, risking social ostracism, economic hardship, and even martyrdom. In cities like Priene, where civic and religious life were deeply intertwined, standing apart from these rituals would have been both conspicuous and perilous.
A Testament to Cultural and Religious Tensions
The pedestal in Priene serves as a tangible reminder of the cultural and religious dynamics of the first century. While it reflects the widespread veneration of emperors as divine, its altered inscription also tells a story of shifting power and contested memory. For early Christians, it represents a symbol of the profound challenge they faced in navigating a world where civic loyalty often clashed with their exclusive devotion to Christ.
As we explore the remnants of such pedestals and inscriptions, we gain a deeper appreciation for the courage and conviction of early Christians who, in the face of immense pressure, held fast to their faith and proclaimed, “Jesus is Lord”—a declaration that stood in stark defiance of the emperor’s claims to divinity.
Adapted from Dr. Cooper’s forthcoming book, Mind the Gap: Filling Missiological Voids with the Archaeological Evidence of Asia Minor (Wipf and Stock). Follow him on Facebook.
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