ΑΠΟΘΕΩΣΙΣ

Definition

According to the Liddell-Scott-Jones Lexicon, ἀποθέωσις is "deification, the making into a god." The word derives from the verb ἀποθεόω, meaning "to deify, to proclaim as a god," and is a compound of ἀπό (here denoting separation from the human condition and transition to another) and θεός. The concept of ἀποθέωσις is deeply rooted in ancient Greek thought, initially with the recognition of heroes and city founders as demigods or gods after death, due to their extraordinary deeds or divine lineage.

In the Hellenistic period, ἀποθέωσις acquired a political dimension, as rulers like Alexander the Great and his successors (Ptolemies, Seleucids) began to be worshipped as living gods, often to consolidate their power and legitimacy. This practice was adopted and further developed by the Romans, who established the imperial cult, deifying deceased emperors (consecratio), such as Augustus, Trajan, and others, through the erection of temples and the institution of cultic rites.

Christian theology rejected the pagan concept of ἀποθέωσις as hubris and an affront to the One and Only God. However, the concept of "theosis" (without the ἀπο-) emerged in the Eastern Christian tradition, describing the process by which humanity, through God's grace, can become "god by grace," participating in the uncreated energies of God, without losing its human nature. This Christian theosis differs radically from ancient ἀποθέωσις, as it does not concern elevation to godhood, but participation in God's holiness.

Main Meanings

1. The proclamation of a mortal as a god — The primary meaning, the formal act of deifying a human, usually posthumously, or during their lifetime for rulers.
2. The cult of heroes and founders — The recognition and worship of exceptional personalities (e.g., Heracles, Asclepius) as gods or demigods.
3. Imperial cult — The politically motivated deification of Roman emperors, especially after Augustus, as a means of strengthening imperial authority.
4. The transformation into divine essence — The philosophical concept of the transformation of human nature into divine, as in some Pythagorean or Platonic ideas concerning the soul.
5. Supreme honor/exaltation — Metaphorical use for bestowing the highest honor or exaltation upon someone or something, without necessarily religious content.
6. Christian "theosis" (differentiation) — Although not identical, the concept of the deification of man by grace in Orthodox theology, as participation in the uncreated energies of God.

Word Family

theo- (root of the noun θεός, meaning "god, divine")

The root theo- forms the core of an extensive family of words in the Greek language, all related to the concept of the divine, gods, and religion. Originating from the oldest stratum of Greek, this root has generated both simple and compound words, describing deities, divine attributes, religious practices, and philosophical concepts. Each member of the family develops a specific aspect of the divine idea, from the naming of the deity to the act of deification or the study of the divine.

In Ancient Texts

Three significant passages referring to ἀποθέωσις or related concepts:

The 18 Methods

Applying the 18 traditional lexarithmic methods to the word ΑΠΟΘΕΩΣΙΣ:

Sources & Bibliography

• Liddell, H. G., Scott, R., Jones, H. S. — A Greek-English Lexicon. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1940.
• Arrian — Anabasis Alexandri. Edited by A. G. Roos, Teubner, 1907.
• Plato — Symposium. Edited by K. Dover, Cambridge University Press, 1980.
• Price, S. R. F. — Rituals and Power: The Roman Imperial Cult in Asia Minor. Cambridge University Press, 1984.
• Bremmer, J. N. — The Rise and Fall of the Afterlife. Routledge, 2002.
• Lossky, V. — The Mystical Theology of the Eastern Church. St Vladimir's Seminary Press, 1976.
• CIL — Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum. Berlin: Walter de Gruyter, various dates.