Roman Cult Images

In this book, Philip Kiernan explores how cult images functioned in Roman temples from the Iron Age to Late Antiquity in the Roman west. He demonstrates how and why a temple's idols, were more important to ritual than other images such as votive offerings and decorative sculpture. These idols were seen by many to be divine and possessed of agency. They were, thus, the primary focus of worship. Aided by cross-cultural comparative material, Kiernan's study brings a biographical approach to explore the 'lives' of idols and cult images - how they were created, housed in temples, used and worshipped, and eventually destroyed or buried. He also shows how the status of cult images could change, how new idols and other cult images were being continuously created, and how, in each phase of their lives, we find evidence for the significant power of idols.

• Using a biographical approach and cross-cultural models, the book presents a picture of cult image and idol use in temples from the Iron Age to late antiquity
• Makes important artworks and sites accessible that have hitherto only been published in languages other than English, while providing a good summary of Iron Age and Roman provincial religious art
• Examines evidence of Roman provincial images of the gods as well as how statues were staged inside Romano-Celtic temples