To elevate someone or something to divine status or to exalt them to the highest degree.
From French 'apotheose' and Latin 'apotheosis,' derived from Greek 'apotheoun' (to deify), from 'apo-' (away/up) and 'theos' (god), meaning literally 'to make into a god.'
When Romans 'apotheosed' their emperors, they weren't just giving them a fancy promotion—they were literally declaring them divine, which was a way of securing absolute power.
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