As a political issue, the divinity of the Roman emperor has been mostly studied in terms of its constructive (i. e. rule-stabilising) effects. In contrast, this study offers different perspectives bringing its inner conflicts and contradictions to light. Aiming for deification, the ruler remained bound to the senate, which officially had to decide in this matter. The negotiations that come into focus in this context can contribute to a better understanding of power and domination in the Roman principate of the first two centuries AD.