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

230 THE ORIENTAL RELIGIONS.
prior to the Empire, but all probabilities are in favor of a
more ancient origin, and the mysteries were undoubtedly
connected with the ancient Egyptian esoterism. See infra,
n. 78.
5. Diogenes Laertius, V, 5, 76 : "Ofav nai rove Tratavas iroiT/aat
-ovsfjiixP 1- vw ctfopevove. The L ^XP vij v Diogenes took undoubtedly
from his source, Didymus. See Artemidortis, Onirocr., II, 44 (p.
M3> 25 Hercher). This information is explicitly confirmed
by an inscription which mentions *] iepa rdi-if ruv Traiaviaruv
(Inscr. Graec., XIV, 1034).
6. Kaibel, Epigr. 1028 Abel, Orphica, p. 295, etc. See
supra, ch. I, n. 14. According to recent opinion, M. de Wilamowitz
was good enough to write me, the date of the Andros
hymn cannot have been later than the period of Cicero, and it
is very probably contemporary with Sulla. See supra, ch. I,
n. 14. On other similar texts, see Gruppe, Griech. Mythol.,
P- 1563-
7. Amelung, Le Serapis de Bryaxis (Revue archeol , 1903,
II), p. 178.
8. P. Foucart, Le culte de Dionysos en Attique (Mem. Acad.
des Inscr., XXXVII), 1904. On the Isis cult in ancient
Greece, we can now refer to Gruppe, Griech. Myth., pp. 1565
ff. ; Ruhl/ De Sarapide ct Iside in Graecia cultis (Diss. Berlin)
1906, has made careful use of the epigraphic texts dating
back to the time before the Roman period.
9. The only exception is the Zeus Ammon, who was only
half Egyptian and owed his very early adoption to the Greek
colonies of Cyrene; see Gruppe, Griech. Myth., p. 1558. The
addition of other goddesses, like Nephtis or Bubastis to Isis
is exceptional.
10. Concerning the impression which Egypt made on trav
elers, see Friedlander, Sittengesch.,
8
II , 144 ff. ; Otto, Priester
und Tempel, II, p. 210.
11. Juvenal, XV, 10, and the notes of Friedlander on these
passages. The Athenian comic writers frequently made fun
of the Egyptian zoolatry (Lafaye, op. cit., p. 32). Philo of
Alexandria considered the Egyptians as the most idolatrous
heathens and he attacked their animal worship, in particular