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

JS 3 THE ORIENTAL RELIGIONS
and frivolous Greeks of Antioch or Alexandria, but they ap
pealed much more to Roman gravity. At Rome the rigorous
mysteries of Mithra had paved the way for reform. SL
Augustine, Epist. f gi [202] ^Migne, p. L., XXXIII, col. 315),
c. 408 A. D.. relates that moral interpretations of the old myths
were told among the pagans during his time : "Ilia omnia quae
antiquitus de vita deorum moribusque conscripta sunt. longe
aliter sunt intelligenda atque interpretanda sapientibus. Ita
vero in templis populis congregatis recitari huiuscemodi salu-
bres interpretationes heri et nudiustertius audivimus." See
also Cir. Dei. II, 6: "Xec nobis nescio quos susurros pz tsimorum
auribus anhelatos et arcana velut religione traditos
iactent (pagani). quibus vitae probitas sanctitasque discatur."
Compare the epitaph of Praetextatus (CIL. VI. 1779 = Des
sau. Inscr. seL, 1259) : "Paulina veri et castitatis conscia |
dicata templis." etc. Firmicus Maternus (Mathcs. II. 30) de
mands of the astrologer the practice of all virtues, "antistes
enim deorum separatus et alienus esse debet a pravis illecebris
voluptatum . . . . Itaque purus.
castus esto. etc"
24. This is clearly asserted by the verses of the epitaph
cited (v. 22 fH: "Tu me. marite. disciplinarum bono ! puram
ac pudicam SORTE MORTIS EXIMENS. in templa ducis ac famulam
divis dicas: | Te teste cunctis imbuor mysteriis." Cf. Aug..
Epist.. 234 (Migne. P. L.. XXXIII. col. 1031. letter of a pagan
to the bishop.) : "Via est in Deum melior. qua vir bonus, piis,
puris iustis. castis. veris dictisque factisque probatus et deo
rum comitatu vallatus. .. .ire festinat: via est inquam. qua
purgati antiquorum sacrorum piis praeceptis expiationibusque
purissimis et abstemiis observationibus decocti anima et cor-
pore constantes deproperant" St. Augustine ( Ch. . Dei. VI.
i and VI. 12) opposes the pagans who assert "deos non prop-
ter praesentem vitam coli sed propter aeternam."
-5. The variations of this doctrine are set forth in detail
by Macrobius, In Somn. Scip., I, u. 5 ff. According to some,
the soul lived above the sphere of the moon, where the im
mutable realm of eternity began: according to others, in the
spheres of the fixed stars where they placed the Elysian Fields
(supra, ch. V. n. 65; see Martian. Capclla. II. 209"). The Milky
Way in particular was assigned to them as their residence