19. Ambrosiaster, _Comm. in Epist. Pauli_, p. 58 B: "Dicentes per istos
posse ire ad Deum sicut per comites pervenire ad regem" (cf. _Rev. his.
lit. rel._, VIII, 1903, p. 427).--The same idea was set forth by Maximus of
Turin (_Adv. pag._, col. 791) and by Lactantius (_Inst. div._, II, 16, § 5
ff., p. 168 Brandt); on the celestial court, see also Arnobius, II, 36;
Tertullian, _Apol._, 24.--Zeus bore the name of king, but the Hellenic
Olympus was in reality a turbulent republic. The conception of a supreme
god, the sovereign of a hierarchical court, seems to have been of Persian
origin, and to have been propagated by the magi and the mysteries of
Mithra. The inscription of the Nemroud Dagh speaks of [Greek: Dios
Ôromasdou thronous] (_supra_, ch. VI, n. 26), and, in fact, a bas-relief
shows Zeus-Oramasdes sitting on a throne, scepter in hand. The Mithra
bas-reliefs likewise represent Jupiter Ormuzd on a throne, with the other
gods standing around him (_Mon. myst. Mithra_, I, p. 129; II, p. 188, fig.
11); and Hostanes pictured the angels sitting around the throne of God
(_supra_, ch. VI, n. 38; see Rev. iv). Moreover, the celestial god was
frequently compared, not to a king in general, but to the Great King, and
people spoke of his satraps; cf. Pseudo-Arist., [Greek: Peri kosmou], c. 6,
p. 398 _a_, 10 ff. = Apul., _De mundo_, c. 26; Philo, _De opif. mundi_, c.
23, 27 (p. 24, 17; 32, 24, Cohn); Maximus of Turin, X, 9; and Capelle, _Die
Schrift von der Welt_ (_Neue Jahrb. für das klass. Altert._, VIII), 1905,
p. 556, n. 6. Particularly important is a passage of Celsus (Origen,
_Contra Cels._, VIII, 35) where the relation of this doctrine to the
Persian demonology is shown. But the Mazdean conception must have combined,
at an early date, with the old Semitic idea that Baal was the lord and
master of his votaries (_supra_, p. 94 ff.). In his _Neutestamentliche
Zeitgeschichte_, (2d. ed., 1906, p. 364 ff.), Holtzmann insists on the fact
that the people derived their conception of the kingdom of God from the
pattern of the Persian monarchy. See also _supra_, p. 111.
A comparison similar to this one, which is also found among the pagans of
the fourth century, is the comparison of heaven with a city (Nectarius in
St. Aug., _Epist._, 103 [Migne, _P. L._, XXXIII, col. 386]): "Civitatem
quam magnus Deus et bene meritae de eo animae habitant," etc. Compare the
City of God of St. Augustine and the celestial Jerusalem of the Jews {285}
(Bousset, _Religion des Judentums_, 1903, p. 272).--Cf. also Manilius, V,
735 ff.
20. August., _Epist._ 16 [48] (Migne, _Pat. Lat._, XXXIII, col. 82):
"Equidem unum esse Deum summum sine initio, sine prole naturae, seu patrem
magnum atque magnificum, quis tam demens, tam mente captus neget esse
certissimum? Huius nos virtutes per mundanum opus diffusas multis vocabulis
invocamus, quoniam nomen eius cuncti proprium videlicet ignoramus. Nam Deus
omnibus religionibus commune nomen est. Ita fit ut, dum eius quasi quaedam
membra carptim variis supplicationibus prosequimur, totum colere profecto
videamur." And at the end: "Dii te servent, per quos et eorum atque
cunctorum mortalium communem patrem, universi mortales, quos terra
sustinet, mille modis concordi discordia, veneramur et colimus." Cf.
Lactantius Placidus, _Comm. in Stat. Theb._, IV, 516.--Another pagan
(_Epist._, 234 [21], Migne, _P. L._, XXXIII, col. 1031) speaks "deorum
comitatu vallatus, Dei utique potestatibus emeritus, id est eius unius et
universi et incomprehensibilis et ineffabilis infatigabilisque Creatoris
impletus virtutibus, quos (_read_ quas) ut verum est angelos dicitis vel
quid alterum post Deum vel cum Deo aut a Deo aut in Deum."
21. The two ideas are contrasted in the _Paneg. ad Constantin. Aug._, 313
A. D., c. 26 (p. 212, Bährens ed.): "Summe rerum sator, cuius tot nomina
sunt quot gentium linguas esse voluisti (quem enim te ipse dici velis,
scire non possumus), sive tute quaedam vis mensque divina es, quae toto
infusa mundo omnibus miscearis elementis et sine ullo extrinsecus accedente
vigoris impulsu per te ipsa movearis, sive alique supra omne caelum
potestas es quae hoc opus tuum ex altiore naturae arce despicias."--Compare
with what we have said of _Jupiter exsuperantissimus_ (p. 128).
22. Macrobius, _Sat._, I, 17 ff.; cf. Firm. Mat., _Err. prof. rel._, c. 8;
_Mon. myst. Mithra_, I, 338 ff. Some have supposed that the source of
Macrobius's exposition was Iamblichus.
23. Julian had intended to make all the temples centers of moral
instruction (Allard, _Julien l'Apostat_, II, 186 ff.), and this great idea
of his reign was partially realized after his death. His homilies were
little appreciated by the bantering {286} and frivolous Greeks of Antioch
or Alexandria, but they appealed much more to Roman gravity. At Rome the
rigorous mysteries of Mithra had paved the way for reform. St. Augustine,
_Epist._, 91 [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: "Illa omnia quae antiquitus de vita deorum
moribusque conscripta sunt, longe aliter sunt intelligenda atque
interpretanda sapientibus. Ita vero in templis populis congregatis recitari
huiuscemodi salubres interpretationes heri et nudiustertius audivimus." See
also _Civ. Dei_, II, 6: "Nec nobis nescio quos susurros paucissimorum
auribus anhelatos et arcana velut religione traditos iactent (pagani),
quibus vitae probitas sanctitasque discatur." Compare the epitaph of
Praetextatus (_CIL_, VI, 1779 = Dessau, _Inscr. sel._, 1259): "Paulina veri
et castitatis conscia | dicata templis," etc.--Firmicus Maternus (_Mathes_,
II, 30) demands 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 ff):
"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 deorum
comitatu vallatus ... ire festinat; via est, inquam, qua purgati antiquorum
sacrorum piis praeceptis expiationibusque purissimis et abstemiis
observationibus decocti anima et corpore constantes deproperant."--St.
Augustine (_Civ. Dei_, VI, 1 and VI, 12) opposes the pagans who assert
"deos non propter praesentem vitam coli sed propter aeternam."
25. The variations of this doctrine are set forth in detail by Macrobius,
_In Somn. Scip._, I, 11, § 5 ff. According to some, the soul lived above
the sphere of the moon, where the immutable 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, _Capella_, II,
209). The Milky Way in particular was assigned to them as their residence
{287} (Macr., _ib._, c. 12; cf. Favon. Eulog., _Disput. de somn.
Scipionis_, p. 1, 20 [Holder ed.]: "Bene meritis ... lactei circuli lucida
ac candens habitatio deberetur"; St. Jerome, _Ep._, 23, § 3 [Migne, _P.
L._, XXII, col. 426), in conformity with an old Pythagorean doctrine
(Gundel, _De stellarum appellatione et relig. Romana_, 1907, p. 153 [245]),
as well as an Egyptian doctrine (Maspero, _Hist. des peuples de l'Orient_,
I, p. 181).--According to others, finally, the soul was freed from all
connection with the body and lived in the highest region of heaven,
descending first through the gates of Cancer and Capricorn, at the
intersection of the zodiac and the Milky Way, then through the spheres of
the planets. This theory, which was that of the mysteries (_supra_, pp.
126, 152) obtained the approbation of Macrobius ("quorum sectae amicior est
ratio") who explains it in detail (I, 12, § 13 ff.). Arnobius, who got his
inspiration from Cornelius Labeo (_supra_, ch. V, n. 64), opposed it, as a
widespread error (II, 16): "Dum ad corpora labimur et properamus humana ex
mundanis circulis, sequuntur causae quibus mali simus et pessimi." Cf.
also, II, 33: "Vos, cum primum soluti membrorum abieretis e nodis, alas
vobis adfuturas putatis quibus ad caelum pergere atque ad sidera volare
possitis," etc.). It had become so popular that the comedy by Querolus,
written in Gaul during the first years of the fifth century, alluded to it
in a mocking way, in connection with the planets (V, 38): "Mortales vero
addere animas sive inferis nullus labor sive superis." It was still taught,
at least in part, by the Priscillianists (Aug., _De haeres._, 70;
Priscillianus, éd. Schepss., p. 153, 15; cf. Herzog-Hauck, _Realencycl._,
3d ed., s. v. "Priscillian," p. 63.--We have mentioned (_supra_, ch. VI, n.
54) the origin of the belief and of its diffusion under the empire.