Pagan Religions and Their Influence on Christianity - some notes

To the Romans, religion was seen as a contract: Du ut des - "I give so you give."
There were spirits of the family, of the house, of trees, etc. as well as the Mystery religions
Pontifex Maximus was the head priest of Rome. ("Pontifex" from which "Pope" was derived.)
There were the six vestal virgins chosen from the aristocracy: 6 learn, 6 preach, 6 teach.

Rome itself was deification from Roma.
The notion of the ruler as also a religious figure (i.e. divine) started when Alexander travelled to Rome with Greek ideas.

Mystery religions
Dionysus - the god of inspiration and passion, having a hold over men’s minds. He originally was a nature god.
Associated with Dionysus are: Tragedy - the great song; worship and sacrifice in song.
Also associated with ecstasies - being outside oneself. Enthusiasmus means being affected by god Dionysus. The term mania referred to divine madness.
Heliopolis - largest temple to Dionysus.

Demeter was also called Earth Mother
This religion stressed happiness in the afterlife. Followers saw hope only in the afterlife.
It began in Eleusis. Kore (daughter) did great deeds in Hades.
The initiate is called a Mystic, then in 6 months a Hierophant. The initiates wore the crown of myrtle and performed a purification sacrifice to Aesculapius, the god of healing.

Bacchus - is associated with dance, carrying wheat and wine (similar to the Christian rituals of bread and wine).
They used the passwords "I have fasted", "I have drunk the Kykeon [beer]" (Kermoi = cup)
Epopteia refers to a play that was put on (with pomegranates and poppies employed as symbols) as a way of bonding with the Goddess.
The road from Athens to Eleusis was called the "Sacred Way"
Here we see bread (wheat) and wine as religious symbols.
According to Livy, Rome saw Bacchic rites as a political threat, though they probably were not.

Isis - sprinkling with holy water is associated with her.

Orpheus
Paul was an Orphic initiate.
Central to the religion is the belief in immortality and in the transmigration of souls - metempsychosis. The soul during transmigration is purified. Pottery has been found depicting happy souls in the afterlife, and others not happy! The human body is seen as the tomb of the soul, a view shared by Socrates.
The idea of katharsis as purification, different from the Greek view of amelioration. It was a religion of peace, and they were vegetarians. The intellect was seen as important so they pursued study in math and science. (There are some similarities to Pythagorianism: stressing study in science, math, and holding the belief in an immortal soul)
Orpheus is usually shown playing a lyre (small harp), and his wife bitten by a snake. He is killed by the Mynades, followers of Dionysus. Jews were influenced by Orphism.

Mithras - the God of Light (myth = rays [of light])
The source of Mithraism is thought to be Persia (modern-day Iran). It is first mentioned in 14c B.C., and referred to in 8th century B.C. Hindu texts. It is also mentioned by Zarathustra who rejected him. By the 1st century B.C. it is the official religion of Syria. They called themselves Mithradates. Practicing astrology, they knew of the procession of the equinox. They practiced bull sacrifice - the tauroctone.
In the myth concerning the origin of Mithras, his shepherds discovered his birth in a cave. This was an aspect of a solar cult - Sol In Victus. Mithraism becomes the religion of Roman merchants and soldiers,  stressing duty and self-control. By the 3rd century A.D it was the preferred religion of men in the Roman Empire. A relation will be made between Zeus and Helios (Mithras). Mithras as lord of the contract (law), the one who turns the Zodiac. Chronos - time; Aeon - space.
In the various practices of Mithraism there are seven levels of Mithras from the seven planets. Based on Stoicism. They believed in baptism and the day of rebirth, which was done naked, as in one's original birth. This is Persian Mithraism, Roman is different.

The Roman practice of Mithraism stressed astrology more. Mithras is a cosmological god. One’s destiny is controlled by the stars. (Note: not controlled by Mithras). There is here too a belief in life after death.

Jews
Yahweh chose them, thus they are the chosen people.
Moses brought down the 10 commandments. There is the Rule of the tribes. Kings David & Samuel.
Solomon divided land into Israel (N.) - 10 tribes , Judah (S.) - 2 tribes.
Israelites decimated by a Syrian king; the 2 tribes in Judah make peace with Syria.
The dispersed 10 tribes are called the Diaspora. Babylonians destroy Solomon’s temple; captivity in Babylon.
All Hebrews believe in Yahweh. The idea triggered Christianity - no matter what happens they will see a Messiah - important in a salvation religion.
Diadochi - inheritors of Alexander. Hellenising of the Jews - Hellenic Syncretism
(By the 5th century they are called Jews, not Israelites or Hebrews).
Now begin to think of god as universal, not just their god but of all mankind.

Greek Period 332-167 B.C.
Greek Diaspora speak Greek in a Greek world. They did not forget their religion but were influenced by Greek ideas, and mystery religions. But kept Sabbath and circumcision.
Jerusalem Jews (Maccabes) more conservative than the Diaspora [with the Greek influence].
Killing of Hellenised Jews by conservative Jews. Animal sacrifice but was completely burned, unlike the Greek practice [i.e. really a BBQ - the best bits for the humans].

Roman Period 63 B.C.
Pompey asserts Roman power in Jerusalem and a new Diaspora (the 4th, 1st was Syria, 2nd Babylon, 3rd Greece). Julius Caesar is friendly to Jews: he taxed then but also supported their temples. In Rome many hated the Jewish proselytizers; it was no longer a closed faith. They were afraid when Caesar was killed in 44 B.C. Some Jews reversed circumcision and converted to popular religions.
Herod the Great has a list drawn up to kill the sons of prominent citizens, but he died and this was not carried out. Herod died 4 to 7 years before Jesus was born.
The Pharisees teach St.Paul. Sadducees were strict adherents. Essenes passed Jewish knowledge to the Jews. The Essenes were monastic, believed that sex should be for procreation only; they were pacifists and believed in life after death.
In 70 A.D. under Titus the destruction of the temple at Jerusalem takes place. There are 90,000 POWs. In 73 A.D. the massacre at Masada.
In 115 A.D. the Diaspora revolt under Trajan. Hadrian edict against castration covered circumcision. A revolt by the Jews was put down. All Jews were killed or sold into slavery. This is the end of Jewish nationalism until 1948.
The Diaspora had continued the rituals of their religion, with twice daily purification (as in Mithraism), cereal offerings, and lamb sacrifices (burned to a crisp). These practices are discontinued by 66 A.D. This is the time of the move from temple to synagogue; the influence of Rabbi Hellil.

Philo of Alexandria (30 A.D. - 50 A.D.). Part of the Diaspora from a rich Jewish family of Alexandria (a melting-pot of the period). He had a Greek education and was familiar with the mystery religions. He was loyal to the Jewish tradition but not of the literal translation of the texts.
Josephus (author of the Jewish Wars) was a priest and an aristocrat. He was made a Jewish general and was captured and, as a POW, sent to Rome where he lived the rest of his life.

Roman Stoicism
Cosmopolitanism. Apatheia - peace of mind that was sought. Belief in natural law. Duty and piety are considered very important. Stoic - divine aspect. Followers - Cicero, Seneca. Marcus Aurelius - One god, One law, One truth. Looking for personal reward - (Augustine - Confessions). Natural law applied to all. This would be important to the Christian notion of the universal nature of their religion.
Plato - one soul, one body.

Good Shepherd
The idea of the Christian "good shepherd" is derived from Attis. His image can be seen on tombstones. Sometimes seen carrying a lamb - an ancient Greek image from at least 600 B.C.
Orant was the position for praying - hands stretched out to one’s side or above the head. Image of orant figures seen on carvings. The orator held two fingers cross-armed over the heart.
Apotheosis
Stone similes. Peter [petra = rock] - “rock of the church”
Lucian - sophistic school. Taught rhetoric and philosophy (Protagorianism). He was born in Samosata and went to Tarsus (see article in Ancient Mysteries: A Sourcebook)
Philostratus (born ~ 4yrs before Jesus) wrote life of Apollonius of Tyana (writing ~175 A.D.). Apollonius is similar to Jesus in may ways - the miraculous birth, ascetic lifestyle, long hair, preaches poverty, and said to ascend to heaven. No belief in animal sacrifices. Belief in the immortality of the soul. A temple was built of the site of his death as with Jesus, rather than build memorial at their birthplace.

Plutarch Wrote Moralis and Parallel Lives. Lived in Chaeronea. A philanthropist, optimist - believed that good was more powerful than evil.
Alexander Severus. Kept statues of many mystery cult figures and of Christ - syncretism.
Xenophon (not the historian). wrote The Ephesan Tales.

Lucius Apuleius Wrote Greek formulaic novels: boy meets girl, monster, pray to god/goddess, eternal bliss.
Authors such as Chariton, Longus, Xenophon, Heliodorus.
Latin novels: Seneca Apocolocyntosis - spoof on deification of Claudius. Petronius Satyricon. Apuleius The Golden Ass, Metamorphosis.
Origin of the Roman novel: 1) from satires of Marshal and Juvenal; 2) Milesian tales (from Miletus) burlesque and satire; 3) Menippean Satire were cynical; 4) Greek love romances - similar to the tale of the Acts of St.Paul and Thecla.
Apelius Aristedes Theodotus citizen of Smyrna. A kind of mystic union with Asclepius. Saw Asclepius as saviour, a guide in life and a healer. A mystic religion.
392 A.D. Theodopsius. Saw Christianity as the only religion. Banned Olympic games. Christianity made the state religion.
Arian - a heretic believed in only one god and Christ subordinate.
Eleusis (happy arrival); Elysion (happy place).

Syncretism
Mithras was in early Judaism and early Christianity - 3 prayers per day.
Dionysus, Mithras and Christianity all had bread and wine (flesh and blood) as important elements of ritual. These replaced original Homeric age sacrifices.
Miles - Mithraic initiation rites. Serpent gods go from being good to being evil, e.g., from Asclepius to Christianity (Eden). Snakes are similar to Satan in Jewish and Christian views, yet they represent immortality to the mystery cults.
December 25th was the birthday of Mithras and the holy day of Isis.
Greek islands shift from Matriarchy (Chthonic) to Patriarchy (Uranian).
Roman contrast with Christianity - non-redemptive.

Analysis and Commentary
No religion arrived sui generis, all built were on others (in some cases literally). As mystery cults increasingly syncretized they increased sexual asceticism..
Palmyra is very important to Roma.
Buildings: Semitic temples were wider than they were deep in contrast to Greek and Roman temples.
Sacred fish [χρ] associated with Syrian goddess.
Orant figure above dolphin (symbol of the royal family of France).
Syrian goddess said to ascend pillar - a giant phallus; St.Simeon, a stylite, lived on top of a pillar for the last 30 years of his life (others followed).
Orator [Or-a-tor] (two fingers)

Celsus
Author of Against Christianity. Thought Lot and daughters offensive; Brothers selling fathers; begetting of children by older people. God supposed to be perfect yet create an imperfect being - he should have known. Jesus’ birth uncertain. Virgin birth preposterous. Why did God wait so long to help man? If believe that body is resurrected then why vilify the body as worthless during life?
To Celsus they were a secret society. 1 Corinthians 1:25 - How could God be foolish? No copy of Against Christianity survives; we have only quotations by other writers, mainly the critic Origen.

The Acts of St.Paul and Thecla
Indicates how women adopted Christianity. Taken from Early Christian Writings, Penguin. See also the Martyrdom of Wondrous Polycaryp. The pagan martyrdom after Constantine for non-Christian believers e.g. Mithraians.

c100 B.C. - 100 A.D. - the idea of celibacy and purity, and some self-castration.
c100 B.C. - 200 A.D. - Atargate - the Syrian goddess - Dea Syria - at Hieropolis (mentioned in The Golden Ass, ch.8). She has much in common with Cybele; she has eunuch, and is associated with a dolphin. The Stylites sit on columns in honour of Syrian goddess, later done for Christianity. Palmyra an important city.

Hypatia 370-415 A.D.
Persecution of pagans by Christians. After Constantine came to power, pagan temples  are changed to Christian churches or were closed. (History of Hypatia by Socrates in History of the Church).
Approximately 50 years after Constantine many bishops in North Africa hated the pagan temples referring to them as "fortresses of the Devil." Peter 4th century. 2000 monks within close proximity of Alexandria. Aggression against enemies of Christianity. All close to Alexandria.
From Mesopotamia to Alexandria an explosion of religious persecution of pagans and even of some Jews. Circumcellions - soldier monks - thugs and terrorists attack even private homes. Serapaeum, a shrine to Serap at Alexandria, was destroyed by monks.
391 A.D. With the great persecution in Alexandria pagans believed it was an end of an era.
415 A.D. Christian lynchings began. Hypatia, daughter of Theon, was a mathematician and philosopher. Both Christian and pagans attended her lectures, and Bishop Synesius and Orestes, prefect of Alexandria, admired her. Cyril of Alexandria was against Orestes (a pagan) and had monks in crowds shout "Hellen" at him. Hypatia was dragged from the chariot to the town centre, stripped naked and torn to pieces and burned.

Eros: born of Chaos and Night from a cosmic egg. Split in two: earth and sky.
Eros a fundamental world force providing a cohesion of the cosmos. Theogeny: the process of creation of the god(dess) Hermes, Artemis.

Apuleius: Platonic philosopher - and a showman. But more like a Socratic philosopher. Thought of salvation and rebirth. This was a supernatural and a mystery religion. He says he is curious, but also talks of many temptations and of sins similar to that found in the Bible.
Isis: Fate and Fortune. The Golden Ass is a sophisticated religious propaganda. It is a parody of Roman satire.
In the story, the metamorphosis of the body is immediate - the psychological metamorphosis takes the rest of the story. When he has fully changed, he is returned to his body. Parody of Venus.
Prayer to Venus and Isis. His girlfriend is Fotis (Photis: light, of light). He is against Fotis (body, sex) moves toward Isis’s real light (spiritual, religion).
Voluptas - religious ecstasy is very Dionysian.
Milesian Tales rivalry also in Satyricon. Milesian rivalry vs. Platonic mysticism.
Apuleius’s question is what is life all about.

 

Pre-Christian Egyptian cross (Ankh)...

 

was used by Coptic Christians.