Unit 19: Christianity and the Mystery Religions
Contents and layout ©1999 Joseph J. Hughes, Ph.D.
Revised 09 November 2000
Magna Mater curse tablets
Bacchics Decius
Mithras Valerian
Isis Edict of Milan (312 AD)
Jews Edict of Nicaea (325 AD)
superstitio Julian the Apostate (357-363 AD)
I. Review of Roman state religion
A. the traditional religion
1. Olympian pantheon
2. syncretism
B. problems
1. religion could be cynically manipulated
2. not intellectually satisfying
3. not emotionally satisfying
C. solutions
1. syncretism
a. Romans in general tolerant
1). example of their cultural genius
2). always saw gods everywhere
b. different forms of worship not mutually exclusive
1). don't want to offend any deity by exclusion
2). don't feel confident of picking out which one is right
2. philosophical religions
a. not for everyone
1). Romans not of a philosophical bent
2). only the educated upper class adhered to it
b. Epicureans: not really accepted
1). valued voluptas as ultimate good
2). believed that the gods were indifferent
3). believed that religion was evil
4). best spokesman: Lucretius
c. Stoics: more palatable to mos maiorum
1). valued virtus as ultimate good
2). believed that Reason ruled the universe
3). believed in a moral life
4). spokesmen: Cicero, Seneca, M. Aurelius
d. shortcomings of philosophy
1). strictly intellectual appeal
2). focused solely upon morals
3). by design, no emotional appeal
II. Foreign religions
A. Republican era
1. religious attitudes during Republican era
a. traditional religion still revered
1). imperium Romanum still on the move
2). times are not so skeptical
b. superstition pervasive
1). the universe is still full of gods
2). foreign gods are included in pax deorum
c. fine line between cult and legitimate religion
1). religion: jibes with mos maiorum
2). cult: does not jibe with mos maiorum
d. comparisons with modern society
1). New Age worship
2). Satanism
3). Wicca
2. Cybele (Magna Mater)
a. religion established in Rome 205 BC
1) response to Punic and Macedonian Wars
2). never caught on until 2d century AD
b. permutation of Near Eastern fertility cult
c. initiation through -taurobulium-
1). initiate got into a pit
2). baptized with blood of bvll
3). ritual mutilation of bvll
d. actually too wild for Roman tastes
1). Galli: eunuch priests
2). strictly limited to a few
3. Bacchic religion
a. imported to Rome 187 BC
b. considered wild by Greeks as well
1). Euripides, Bacchae
2). suffered from bad press
c. SC de Bacchanalibus
1). cult stamped out as violating -mos- -maiorum-
2). scores of executions
d. propaganda used by propaganda
1). drinking of wine
2). sacrifice of humans
3). orgies
e. eventually gained accepted status in Empire
1). inscriptions found
2). must have become sorta respectable
B. Imperial era
1. new religious attitude of Romans
a. traditional religion becoming extinct
1). mos maiorum losing some of its pop
2). Augustus' work a stopgap measure
b. Roman people losing interest
1). failed to serve Romans' emotional needs
2). adverse conditions also caused a lack of faith
c. Oriental cults provided the desired emotional fervor
1). Roman state tended to persecute them
2). Persecution enjoyed its usual success
2. Mithras
a. "Lord of Light": in conflict with forces of darkness
1). adaptation of Zoroastrianism; rather easy on the brain
2). especially popular among soldiers
a). Aurelian
b). Constantine
3). a/k/a Sol Invictus
b. Mithras' myth
1). sprang out of a rock
2). birthday: December 25
c. also used taurobulium
3. Isis/Serapis
a. disliked by state because of Egyptian origin
1). particularly hated by Augustus
2). won acceptance among all classes anyway
3). evocative mythology involving resurrection
b. Isis: "Mother of Mankind"
1). wise, merciful, loving; originally the wife of Osiris
2). consort: sacred bull Serapis
3). religion of tremendous antiquity
c. Apuleius belonged to this religion
1). sincere account of religious conversion
2). did not rule out philosophy, etc.
4. Judaism
a. disliked by state because of insular nature
1). refused to sacrifice to other gods
2). formed tightly-knit communities
3). peculiar dietary customs
b. victims of propaganda
1). drank wine
2). sacrificed human flesh
3). engaged in orgies
c. acquired a semi-recognized status
1). promised to pray for emperor's well-being
2). paid a special tax
5. superstitions
a. divination
1). augury (interp. of birds and flight patterns)
2). extispicium (interp. of organs of sacrifices)
3). fixation on other bizarre happenings
b. native Roman superstition
1). rituals (R 410)
2). curse tablets
c. Eastern astrological learning
1). punishable by death
2). quite popular anyway: Roman emperors liked it
3). still popular today
4). call the Psychic Friends Hotline!
III. Christianity
A. Christianity in 1st and 2nd centuries AD
1. origins in Judaea
a. Romans not originally concerned
1). regarded as a splinter sect of Jews
2). Pilate acted on local recommendations
b. vigorous proselytization
1). soon established in Rome
2). more popular in Greek East
2. appeal of Christianity
a. appeal to individuals
1). emphasis on morality
2). role played by women
3). appeal of Savior's intervention
4). emphasis upon good works
5). hopes for secure afterlife
b. objectionable to Roman state
1). refused to sacrifice to Roman gods
2). even the Jews disliked them
3). self-sufficient even if submissive
3. early Christian church in Rome
a. drew Roman ire from the beginning
1). association with Jews
2). refused to sacrifice to Roman gods
b. official persecution
1). Nero
2). Trajan
B. Reasons for renewed appeal during Crisis of 3rd Century
1. crisis of faith
a. old state religion defunct
b. emphasized stress on morality
1). justice no longer found in the world
2). appeal to other, higher sources
c. emphasis on spiritual happiness
1). forget about this life
2). happiness will come in the afterlife
2. appeal to women
a. previously boxed out
b. Christianity offered them a greater role
3. emphasis on good works
a. "welfare" in the empire very scanty
b. Christian communities took care of their own
C. Organized persecution of Christians
1. Willful misunderstanding of Christians
a. thought of as splinter group of Jews
b. popular anti-Jewish propaganda used against them
1). kill Roman children
2). services are just orgies
c. good deal of anti-Christian literature
2. Rationale for persecution
a. the Roman gods were angry
1). Christians refused to worship
2). hence the crisis in the Empire
3). stamping out the Christians was the only answer
b. Christians are bad citizens
1). refused to worship the Emperor
2). loyalty to a higher power offensive
3). concentrated on preparation for Second Coming
3. Emperor Decius (250)
a. ordered all Romans to make sacrifice
1). commission of three pagans made sure
2). cards awarded to those who sacrificed
b. non-sacrificers were arrested
1). jailed if Jewish
2). killed if Christian
4. Emperor Valerian (257)
a. ordered destruction of all Christian literature
b. confiscation of Christians' property
c. persecution of Christian clergy
D. Government acceptance of Christianity
1. Edict of Milan 312 AD
a. Christianity becomes official religion of Empire
b. paganism persecuted
2. Christians vs. Christians becomes a problem
a. schism present from the earliest times
b. more detail when we formally bring down the Empire
c. Edict of Nicaea 325 AD
3. Julian the Apostate (356-363)
a. would-be philosopher king
b. attempted to bring back old Pagan worship
c. failed utterly
4. Theodosius orders pagan temples closed 542 AD
a. convert or die
b. 80,000 pagans died
IV. Christianity and the "fall" of the Empire
A. rise of Christianity
1. survives persecutions of 3d century
a. important factor in life of the poor
b. closely-knit but small communities
2. established as state religion by Constantine
a. dynamic social movement
b. tool to control public
c. add to social stability
B. Christianity as state religion
1. schisms and disharmony
a. attempts to provide a unified creed
b. attempts to set up a unified hierarchy
1). patriarchs in big Eastern cities
a). Constantinople: first in East
b). more the clerical arm of Eastern Empire
2). bishop of Rome in the West
a). Petrine primacy
b). develops into Papacy
2. Christian church as social arm of state
a. provided for poor and ill
1). government had long since stopped caring
2). this became its recognized function
b. could also exercise power in secular affairs
1). sometimes more influential than government
2). Popes became powerful
3. Christian church as agent of decay
a. attracted able men
1). aided growth of Church
2). might otherwise have served State
b. was given huge amounts of money
1). aided Church and its programs
2). might otherwise have bailed out State
c. drew men's minds from the temporal to the spiritual
1). brought comfort to members of the Church
2). aided spirit of defeatism in West
C. effects of Christianity
1. not, as some have said, a weakening factor
a. Christians were willing to be good citizens
1). willing to take part in public life
2). not rebellious in any way
b. more accurately, a -different- lifestyle
2. schisms tended to foster regional differences
a. Constantine's family divided among Arians and Orthodox
b. Goths converted to Arian Christianity
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