History glossary
Cult
an organized system of worship, ritual service, offerings, and temple activity.
- Category
- Religion
What it means
In ancient history, a cult means the organized worship of a deity, ruler, or sacred figure. Egyptian cults involved temples, priests, offerings, ritual calendars, land, labor, and economic resources, not simply private belief.
Related terms
Stories using this term
The Rise of Islam
From Muhammad's first revelations to the early caliphates, Islam grew from a Meccan message into a civilisation spanning Africa, Asia and Europe.
Nazi Germany
From Weimar collapse to WWII, Nazi Germany imposed totalitarian rule, expansion, and genocide.
The Roman Empire
From Augustus to the fall of the Western Empire, Rome built a vast imperial system whose law, cities, armies and ideas shaped the ancient and medieval worlds.
The Aztec Empire
From migrants to empire, the Aztecs built a powerful civilisation before collapsing after Spanish conquest.
The Kim Dynasty
North Korea’s Kim dynasty built a nuclear-armed regime, maintaining power through crises and control.
The Korean War
A Cold War conflict that divided Korea, ending in stalemate and a lasting unresolved border.
The Soviets
From revolution to superpower, the Soviet Union rose, struggled internally, and collapsed in 1991.
The Rise of Christianity
From Jesus in Roman Judea to medieval Europe, Christianity grew from a persecuted movement into an imperial and civilisational force.
