Deification
(noun)
- The act, process, or result of making someone or something a god, or of regarding someone or something as a god or divine.
- The act, process, or result of idealizing or worshiping someone or something as a god or divine.
Origin:
From the latin verb deificare, meaning to make a god, and the suffix -ation, meaning a process or a result.
Examples:
- The ancient Egyptians believed in the deification of the pharaohs, who were regarded as the gods who ruled over the land and the afterlife.
- The Greeks and the Romans deified some of their heroes, such as Hercules and Julius Caesar, who were honored as divine beings with special powers.
- The Hindu religion deified many of its gods, such as Vishnu and Shiva, who were worshipped as the protectors and providers of life and the universe.
- The emperor worship was a form of deification in the Roman Empire, where the emperor was seen as a divine figure who ruled with divine authority and power.
- The deification of money and wealth was a common phenomenon in many cultures, where wealth and power were seen as signs of divine favor and blessings.