The Oriental Religions in Roman Paganism [1911] - Get a Free Blog

114 THE ORIENTAL RELIGIONS.
considerable, became propagators of their national re
ligion. We all know the audacious pronunciamento
of the year 218 that placed upon the throne the four
teen-year-old emperor Heliogabalus, a worshiper of the
Baal of Emesa. His intention was to give supremacy
over all other gods to his barbarian divinity, who had
heretofore been almost unknown. The ancient authors
narrate with indignation how this crowned priest at
tempted to elevate his black stone, the coarse idol
brought from Emesa, to the rank of supreme divinity
of the empire by subordinating the whole ancient pan
theon to it ; they never tire of giving revolting details
about the dissoluteness of the debaucheries for which
the festivities of the new Sol invictus Elagabal fur
nished a 26
pretext. However, the question arises
whether the Roman historians, being very hostile to
that foreigner who haughtily favored the customs of
his own country, did not misrepresent or partly mis
understand the facts. Heliogabalus s attempt to have
his god recognized as supreme, and to establish a kind
of monotheism in heaven as -there was monarchy on
earth, was undoubtedly too violent, awkward and pre
mature, but it was in keeping with the aspirations of
the time, and it must be remembered that the imperial
policy could find the support of powerful Syrian col
onies not only at Rome but all over the empire.
Half a century later Aurelian 2 7 was inspired by the
same idea when he created a new worship, that of the
"Invincible Sun." Worshiped in a splendid temple,
by pontiffs equal in rank to those of ancient Rome,
having magnificent plays held in his honor every fourth
year, Sol invictus was also elevated to the supreme
rank in the divine hierarchy, and became the special