The Cult of Agamanus
by Arsyn Thireloth, Mages Guild Scholar
3E 429
The Cult of Agamanus was a religious organization that started some time during Tiber Septim's reign. It is generally thought to be contemporary with the Cult of the Emperor Zero, although of course the Imperial-supported cult won out in the end.
It should be established that the Cult worshipped none other than Akatosh, which Agamanus was another name for. The reason for this is central to its belief system. To use the name "Akatosh" in any context other than one of reverence was considered an insult to the Dragon God, and the name "Agamanus" (believed to be an amalgam of the names of various petty kings of Cyrodiil, such as Agamemnon) was appropriated for use in said contexts.
The movement's founder has been given various names, with Malchezzar and Oren being some of the more widely accepted ones, but most scholars simply use the sobriquet "Prophet", as that was what his followers knew him as. The Prophet claimed to have been blind all his life before meeting Akatosh on the way to what is now modern Bruma, where the Dragon God cured his blindness and gave him the gift of divine revelation.
Akatosh's revelations are written down in a book titled simply Akatosh's Commands. Only a fragment has survived to this day. It is unknown if the commandments listed are the only commandments that members of the cult had to abide by, or if they were indeed the most important.
Do not worship gods other than Akatosh. Akatosh is the supreme-king of all the Aurbis, and His position shall not be taken from him by mean spirits.
Akatosh's name is sacred. Do not use His Holy Name outside of prayer and devotion. Alternatives are allowed for other purposes.
Do not cavort with the Daedra. Of all the mean spirits, the Daedra are the foulest of all. Stay away from them or your soul shall be flung into the waters of Oblivion, where you shall drown in agony forever.
The nonbeliever is to be shunned; the nonbeliever is to be ridiculed; the nonbeliever is to be put to death. All who follow the False Gods have sinned, and the wages of their sin is death.
Only priests shall be allowed to procreate. Sex was given to Man by Akatosh as a memento to Creation. Thus, only His chosen children shall be allowed the right to sex and childbearing.
The Elf is a blight upon the Earth. The Elf is a disgusting thing, forged by vile Daedra wearing the skin of Akatosh. [REST OF TEXT LOST]
It is easy to see how a cult as intolerant as this did not survive the ravages of time. Evidence points to several Emperors and Counts actively trying to stamp out the cult. By the time of the Eternal Champion (the last time the Cult of Agamanus would be mentioned in history), the Cult was reduced to one swiftly-crumbling Temple, and survived only in a heavily bastardized form.
On the other hand, some scholars dispute the validity of Akatosh's Commands. They claim that the text itself was written not by the Cult of Agamanus but by the Cult of Emperor Zero in an attempt to discredit its rival. Whatever the case, the Cult of Agamanus was purged from mainstream society almost as quickly as it was introduced.
The only other fragment we have from the Cult of Agamanus is this, and it contrasts so blatantly with the rest of what is said about it that most modern scholars write it off as a fabrication.
> No matter the race or place of birth or manner of worship, all who revere Akatosh as the Supreme God and believe in His Second Coming shall be saved and shall live on in His spirit forever.