Incense in Hellenistic Ruler Cult

The paper explores the textual and visual evidence from the Hellenistic Eastern Mediterranean concerning the use of incense in the ritual practice for Hellenistic political leaders. Focus is placed on the role played by incense in the construction of the religious experience of cults for human beings, with particular attention to 1) the interaction between incense burning and other ritual actions; 2) the role of incense in articulating the relationship between old (host) and new (guest) recipients of cult in specific contexts, and 3) the role of incense in Greek and non-Greek contexts of cult for rulers.