Board Thread:Lore Discussion/@comment-18016240-20131125000510/@comment-121511-20150418234409

ShinMorita wrote: where did u see the confirmation in game? o-o

cuz i dont remember anything confirming that, aside from nords talking that he became a god. but then again  it still doesnt proove that they are correct.

It's not simply someone telling you "Talos is a God" (although they do), it's that the games reference texts that reinforce the notion that he apotheosized (Heimskr quite literally quoting one of these, detailing how Talos retroactively changed Cyrodiil from jungled to temperate), their treatment of Talos is built on the fact that he is a God and not a dead mortal, and that while he was still considered a Divine, he provided boons of equal caliber to those of the Aedric Aspects of the Imperial Cult (and indeed, the Knights of the Nine questline shows that defeat of Umaril is dependent on Talos' blessing, in addition to those of the other Eight Divines). If you delve into out-of-game sources (some of which are referenced in the games), Talos' apotheosis isn't just strongly supported, it's one of few concrete facts.

Talos is a God. It's both commonly accepted and intended by the developers: this is why the Thalmor narrative is meant to seem so unreasonable.