The Oriental Religions in Roman Paganism Part 20

50. Farnell, _Evolution of Religion_, p. 127.

51. Mithra is _sanctus_ (_Mon. myst. Mithra_, II, p. 533), like the Syrian G.o.ds; cf. _supra_, ch. V, n. 47.

52. _Mon. myst. Mithra_, I, pp. 309 ff. The eschatology of orthodox Mazdaism has been expounded recently by Soderblom, _La vie future d'apres le mazdeisme_, Paris, 1901.

53. Cf. _supra_, ch. IV, p. 100, ch. V, p. 126.

54. We have explained this theory above, p. 125. It was foreign to the religion of Zoroaster and was introduced into the mysteries of Mithra with the Chaldean astrology. Moreover, ancient mythological ideas were always mixed with this learned theology. For instance, it was an old Oriental belief that souls, being regarded as material, wore clothing (_Mon. myst.

Mithra_, I, p. 15, n. 5; Bousset, _Archiv fur Religionswiss._, IV, 1901, p.

233, n. 2; _Rev. hist. des relig._, 1899, p. 243, and especially Boklen, _Die Verwandtschaft der judisch-christlichen und der parsischen Eschatologie_, Gottingen, 1902, pp. 61 ff.) Thence arose the notion prevalent to the end of paganism, that the soul in pa.s.sing through the planetary spheres, took on the qualities of the stars "like successive tunics." Porphyry, _De abstin._, I, 31: [Greek: Apoduteon ara tous pollous hemin chitonas k. t. l.]; Macrobius, _Somnium Sc._, I, 11, -- 12: "In singulis sphaeris aetherea obvolutione vest.i.tur"; I, 12, -- 13: "Luminosi corporis amicitur accessu"; Proclus, _In Tim._, I, 113, 8, Diehl ed.: [Greek: Periballesthai chitonas], Procl., _Opera_, Cousin ed., p. 222: "Exuendum autem n.o.bis et tunicas quas descendentes induti sumus"; Kroll, _De orac. Chaldacis_, p. 51, n. 2: [Greek: Psuche hessamene noun]; Julian, Or., II, p. 123, 22, (Hertlein). Cf. Wendland, _Die h.e.l.lenistisch-romische Kultur_, p. 168 n. 1. Compare what {270} Hippolytus, _Philos._, V, I, says of Isis (Ishtar?) in connection with the Naasenians. She is [Greek: heptastolos], because nature also is covered with seven ethereal garments, the seven heavens of the planets; see Ps.-Apul., _Asclepius_, 34 (p. 75, 2 Thomas): "Mundum sensibilem et, quae in eo sunt, omnia a superiore illo mundo quasi ex vestimento esse contecta." I have insisted upon the persistence of this idea, because it may help us to grasp the significance attributed to a detail of the Mithra ritual in connection with which Porphyry relates nothing but contradictory interpretations. The persons initiated into the seven degrees were obliged to put on different costumes.

The seven degrees of initiation successively conferred upon the mystic were symbols of the seven planetary spheres, through which the soul ascended after death (_Mon. myst. Mithra_, I, p. 316), the garments a.s.sumed by the initiates were probably considered as emblems of those "tunics" which the soul put on when descending into the lower realms and discarded on returning to heaven.

55. Renan, _Marc-Aurele_, p. 579.

56. Anatole France, _Le mannequin d'osier_, p. 318. Cf. Reinach, _op. cit._ [p. 260], p. 232.

VII. ASTROLOGY AND MAGIC.

BIBLIOGRAPHY: Bouche-Leclercq's book _L'astrologie grecque_ (Paris, 1899) makes it unnecessary to refer to the earlier works of Saumaise (_De annis climactericis_, 1648), of Seiffarth (_Beitrage sur Lit. des alten Aegypten_, II, 1883), etc. Most of the facts cited by us are taken from that monumental treatise, unless otherwise stated.--A large number of new texts has been published in the _Catalogus codic.u.m astrologorum Graecorum_ (9 vols. ready, Brussels, 1898).--Franz Boll, _Sphaera_ (Leipsic, 1903) is important for the history of the Greek and barbarian constellations (see _Rev. archeol._, 1903, I, p. 437).--De la Ville de Mirmont has furnished notes on _L'astrologie en Gaule au V^e siecle_ (_Rev. des Etudes anciennes_, 1902, pp. 115 ff.; 1903, pp. 255 ff.; 1906, p. 128). Also in book form, Bordeaux, 1904. The princ.i.p.al results of the latest researches have been outlined to perfection by Boll, _Die Erforschung der {271} antiken Astrologie_ (_Neue Jahrb. fur das kla.s.s. Altert._, XI), 1908, pp.

104 ff.--For the bibliography of magic, cf. _infra_, notes, 58 ff.

1. Stephan. Byzant. (_Cat. codd. astr._, II, p. 235), I, 12: [Greek: Exochotate kai pases epistemes despoina]. Theophil. Edess., _ibid._, V, 1, p. 184: [Greek: Hoti pason timiotera technon]. Vettius Valens, VI, proem.

(_ibid._, V, 2, p. 34, 7 = p. 241, 19, Kroll ed.): [Greek: Tis gar ouk an krinai tauten ten theorian pason prouchein kai makariotaten tunchanein].

2. Cf. Louis Havet, _Revue bleue_, Nov., 1905, p. 644.

3. Cf. _supra_, p. 146, p. 123.

4. Kroll, _Aus der Gesch. der Astrol._ (_Neue Jahrb. fur das kla.s.s.

Altertum_, VII), 1901, pp. 598 ff. Cf. Boll, _Cat. codd. astr._, VII, p.

130.

5. The argumentation of Posidonius, placed at the beginning of the Tetrabiblos, inspired the defense of astrology, and it has been drawn upon considerably by authors of widely different spirit and tendencies, see Boll, _Studien uber Claudius Ptolemaus_, 1894, pp. 133 ff.

6. Suetonius, Tib., 69.

7. Suetonius, _Othon_, 8; cf. _Bouche-Leclercq_, p. 556, n. 4.

8. On these edifices, cf. Maa.s.s, _Tagesgotter_, 1902. The form "Septizonia"

is preferable to "Septizodia"; cf. Schurer, _Siebentagige Woche_ (Extr.

_Zeitschr. neutestam. Wissensch._, VI), 1904, pp. 31, 63.

9. Friedlander, _Sittengesch._, I, p. 364. It appears that astrology never obtained a hold on the lower cla.s.ses of the rural population. It has a very insignificant place in the folklore and healing arts of the peasantry.

10. Manilius, IV, 16.--For instance _CIL_, VI, 13782, the epitaph of a Syrian freedman: "L. Caecilius L. l(ibertus) Syrus, natus mense Maio hora noctis VI, die Mercuri, vixit ann. VI dies x.x.xIII, mortuus est IIII Kal.

Iulias hora X, elatus est h(ora) III frequentia maxima." Cf. Bucheler, _Carm. epigr._, 1536: "Voluit hoc astrum meum."

11. Chapter [Greek: Peri deipnou]: _Cat. codd. astr._, IV, p. 94. The precept: "Ungues Mercurio, barbam Iove, Cypride crinem," {272} ridiculed by Ausonius, (VII, 29, p. 108, Piper) is well known. There are many chapters [Greek: Peri onuchon, Peri himation], etc.

12. _Cat. codd. astr._, V, 1 (Rom.) p. 11, cod. 2, f. 34: [Greek: Peri tou ei echei megan rhina ho gennetheis. Poteron p.o.r.ne genetai he gennetheisa.]

13. Varro, _De re rustica_, I, 37, 2; cf. Pliny, _Hist. nat._, XVI, 75, -- 194. Olympiod, _Comm. in Alcibiad Plat._, p. 18 (ed. Creuzer, 1821): [Greek: Tous hieratikos zontas estin idein me apokeiromenous auxouses tes selenes]. This applies to popular superst.i.tion rather than to astrology.

14. _CIL_, VI, 27140 = Bucheler, _Carmina epigraph._, 1163: "Decepit utrosque | Maxima mendacis fama mathematici."

15. Palchos in the _Cat. codd. astr._, I, pp. 106-107.

16. Manilius, IV, 386 ff., 866 ff. _pa.s.sim_.

17. Vettius Valens, V, 12 (_Cat. codd. astr._, V, 2, p. 32 = p. 239, 8, Kroll ed.); cf. V, 9 (_Cat._, V, 2, p. 31, 20 = p. 222, 11 Kroll ed.).

18. Cf. Steph. Byz., _Cat. codd. astr._, II, p. 186. He calls both [Greek: stochasmos entechnos]. The expression is taken up again by Manuel Comnenus (_Cat._, V, 1, p. 123, 4), and by the Arab Abou-Mashar [Apomasar] (_Cat._, V, 2, p. 153).

19. The sacerdotal origin of astrology was well known to the ancients; see Manilius, I, 40 ff.

20. Thus in the chapter on the fixed stars which pa.s.sed down to Theophilus of Edessa and a Byzantine of the ninth century, from a pagan author who wrote at Rome in 379; cf. _Cat. codd. astrol._, V, 1, pp. 212, 218.--The same observation has been made in the ma.n.u.scripts of the Cyranides, cf. F.

de Mely and Ruelle, _Lapidaires grecs_, II, p. xi. n. 3.--See also _Mon.

myst. Mithra_, I, pp. 31 ff.; Boll, _Die Erforsch. der antiken Astrologie_, pp. 110 ff.

21. In Vettius Valens, III, 12 (p. 150, 12 Kroll ed.) and IX, prooem. (p.

329, 20); cf. VI, prooem. (p. 241, 16); Riess, _Petosiridis et Necheps.

fragm._, fr. 1.

22. Vettius Valens, IV, 11 (_Cat. codd, astr._, V, 2, p. 86 = p. 172, 31 ff., Kroll ed.), cf. V, 12, (_Cat._, _ibid._, p. 32 = p. 238, 18 ff.), VII prooem. (_Cat._, p. 41 = p. 263, l. 4, Kroll ed. and the note). {273}

23. Firmicus Maternus, II, 30, VIII, prooem. and 5. Cf. Theophilus of Edessa, _Cat._, V, 1, p. 238, 25; Julian of Laod., _Cat._, IV, p. 104, 4.

24. _CIL_, V, 5893.--Chaeremon, an Egyptian priest, was also an astrologer.

25. Souter, _Cla.s.sical Review_, 1897, p. 136; Ramsay, _Cities and Bishoprics of Phrygia_, II, p. 566, 790.

26. On the Stoic theory of sympathy see Bouche-Leclercq, pp. 28 ff., _pa.s.sim_. A brilliant account will be found in Proclus, _In remp. Plat._, II, 258 f., Kroll ed. Cf. also Clem. Alex., _Strom._, VI, 16, p. 143 (p.

504, 21, Stahelin ed.)--Philo attributed it to the Chaldeans (_De migrat.

Abrahami_, 32, II, p. 303, 5, Wendland):

[Greek: Chaldaioi ton allon anthropon ekpeponekenai kai diapherontos dokousin astronomian kai genethlialogiken, ta epigeia tois meteorois kai ta ourania tois epi ges harmozomenoi kai hosper dia mousikes logon ten emmelestaten sumphonian tou pantos epideiknumenoi tei ton meron pros allela koinoniai kai sumpatheiai, topois men diezeugmenon, sungeneiai de ou dioikismenon.]

27. Riess in Pauly-Wissowa, _Realenc._, s. v. "Aberglaube," I, col. 38 f.

28. (_No note with this number in original book--Transcriber._).

29. _Cat._, V, 1, p. 210, where a number of other examples will be found.

30. See Boll, _Sphaera_ (_pa.s.sim_), and his note on the lists of animals a.s.signed to the planets, in Roscher, _Lexikon Myth._, s. v. "Planeten,"

III, col. 2534; cf. _Die Erforsch. der Astrologie_, p. 110, n. 3.

31. _Cat._, V, 1, pp. 210 ff.

32. Cf. _supra_, ch. V. pp. 128 ff.