27. This idea was spread by the Stoics ([Greek: ekpurôsis]) and by
astrology (_supra_, p. 177); also by the Oriental religions, see
Lactantius, _Inst._, VII, 18, and _Mon. myst. Mithra_, I, p. 310.
28. Gruppe (_Griech. Mythol._, pp. 1488 ff.) has tried to indicate the
different elements that entered into this doctrine.
29. Cf. supra, pp. 134 f., p. 160 and _passim_. The similarity {288} 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 uniting the theology of Synesius with that
of Proclus (_Sitzungsb. Akad. Berlin_, XIV, 1907, pp. 280 ff.) he has also
indicated how philosophy then led to Christianity.
30. M. Pichon (_Les derniers écrivains profanes_, Paris, 1906) has recently
shown how the eloquence of the panegyrists unconsciously changed from
paganism to monotheism. See also Maurice, _Comptes Rendus Acad.
Inscriptions_, 1909, p. 165.--The vague deism of Constantine strove to
reconcile the opposition of heliolatry and Christianity (Burckhardt, _Die
Zeit Constantins_, pp. 353 ff.) and the emperor's letters addressed to
Arius and the community of Nicomedia (Migne, _P. G._, LXXXV, col. 1343 ff.)
are, as shown by Loeschke (_Das Syntagma des Gelasius_ [Rhein. Mus., LXI],
1906, p. 44), "ein merkwürdiges 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): [Greek: Idou gar ho kosmos morphê
eitoun schêma tunchanei hôn; kai hoi asteres ge charaktêras probeblêntai;
kai holôs to pneuma tou sphairoeidous toutou kuklou, eidos tôn ontôn
tunchanei hon, kai hôsper morphôma; kai homôs ho Theos pantachou paresti.]
* * * * * {289}