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

288 THE ORIENTAL RELIGIONS.
of the pagan theology to Christianity was strongly brought
out by Arnobius, II, 13-14. Likewise in regard to the Orient,
de Wilamowitz has recently pointed out the close affinity unit
ing the theology of Synesius with that of Proclus (Sitsungsb.
Akad. Berlin, XIV, 1907, pp. 280 ff.) he has also indicated
how philosophy then led to Christianity.
30. M. Pichon (Les derniers ecrivains profanes, Paris, 1906)
has recently shown how the eloquence of the panegyrists un
consciously changed from paganism to monotheism. See also
Maurice, Comptes Rendus Acad. Inscriptions, 1909, p. 165.
The vague deism of Constantine strove to reconcile the op
position of heliolatry and Christianity (Burckhardt, Die Zeit
Constantins, pp. 353 ff.) and the emperor s letters addressed
to Arius and the community of Nicomedia LXXXV, col. 1343 ff.) are, as
(Migne, P. G.,
shown by Loeschke (Das Syn
tagma des Gelasius [Rhein. Mus., LXI], 1906, p. 44), "ein
merkwiirdiges Produkt theologischen Dilettantismus, aufgebaut
auf im wesentlichen pantheistischer Grundlage mit Hilfe
weniger christlicher Termini und fast noch weniger christlicher
Gedanken." I shall cite a passage in which the influence
of the astrological religion is particularly noticeable (col. 1552
D): Ifiov "yap 6 /cder/zof p.op<pij
XapaitTfipas 7rpo6(>fojvTai
elToin* o^ij/aa rvy^dvei &v /cat oi aareps^ye
/cat fi/lwf TO Trvevfia rov a<paipoei6ov TOVTOV
Km/low, el6of T&V oviuv rvyxdvei ov, /cat &G7Tp ju6p<(njfta
Travraxov Trdpeari.
/cat