ABSTRACT
Nock's view that prayers, whether public or private, were at no stage part of the imperial cult was repeated on various occasions through his writings. This chapter is concerned with the analysis of these and similar epigraphical texts, which on closer inspection may not prove as unequivocal or decisive as seems the case at first sight. Nock's verdict could in that case still stand, at least in regard to the living emperor. The fact that the name of Titus is in the accusative should indicate that in fulfilment of his vow (to some deity) the dedicant, having served as gymnasiarch, has honoured the emperor in setting up a statue to him or has erected a staute of the emperor. The key point to be made is that Salmon is both priest of Zeus and sacrificer of the Sebastoi; the genitive is ambigous but Price takes prothytes, correctly one would have thought, to indicate that he sacrified on behalf of the Sebastoi.
