A Source Book for Ancient Church History - Mirrors

§ 35. Religious Syncretism in the Third Century 169the Neo-Pythagorean philosophy in the first century, ob. A. D.97.Additional source material: Philostratus, Life of Apollonius(the latest English translation, by F. C. Conybeare, with Greektext in the Loeb Classical Library, 1912).Mithraic Prayer, Albrecht Dietrich, Eine Mithrasliturgie,Leipsic, 1903.The following prayer is the opening invocation of whatappears to be a Mithraic liturgy, and may date from a periodearlier than the fourth century. It gives, as is natural, noelaborated statement of Mithraic doctrine, but, as in allprayer, much is implied in the forms used and the spirit ofthe religion breathed through it. The combination has alreadybegun as is shown by the doctrine of the four elements. Itshould be added that Professor Cumont does not regard it asa Mithraic liturgy at all, but accounts for the distinct mentionof the name Mithras, which is to be found in some parts, to acommon tendency of semi-magical incantations to employ asmany deities as possible.First Origin of my origin, first Beginning of my beginning, Spiritof Spirit, first of the spirit in me. Fire which to compose mehas been given of God, first of the fire in me. Water of water,first of the water in me. Earthy Substance of earthy substance,first of the earthy substance, the entire body of me, N. N. sonof N. N., completely formed by an honorable arm and an immortalright hand in the lightless and illuminated world, in theinanimated and the animated. If it seem good to you to restoreme to an immortal generation, who am held by my underlyingnature, that after this present need which presses sorely upon meI may behold the immortal Beginning with the immortal Spirit,the immortal Water, the Solid and the Air, that I may be born[151]