Page:A Short History of the World.djvu/223

Religious Developments 203 Both these religions, and the same is true of many other of the numerous parallel cults that sought the allegiance of the slaves and citizens under the earlier Roman emperors, are personal religions. They aim at personal salvation and personal immortahty. The older religions were not personal like that ; they were social. The older fashion of divinity was god or goddess of the city first or of the state, and only secondarily of the individual. The sacrifices were a public and not a private function. They concerned collective practical needs in this world in which we live. But the Greeks first and now the Romans had pushed religion out of politics. Guided by the Egyptian tradition religion had retreated to the other world. These new private immortality religions took all the heart and emotion out of the old state religions, but they did not actually re- place them. A typical city under the earlier Roman emperors would have a number of temples to all sorts of gods. There might be a temple to Jupiter of the Capitol, the great god of Rome, and there would probably be one to the reigning Caesar. For the Caesars had learnt from the Pharaohs the possibility of being gods. In such temples a cold and stately political worship went on ; one would go and make an offering and burn a pinch of incense to show one's loyalty. But it would be to the temple of Isis, the dear Queen of Heaven, one would go with the private troubles for There might be gods. Seville, for affected the wor- thaginian Venus. underground tem- certainly be an attended by legion - And probably also synagogue where to read their Bible faith in the unseen Earth. Sometimes trouble with the political side of the held that their God intolerant of would refuse to BUST OF THE EMPEROR COMMODUS, A.D. 180-192 Represented as the God Mithras (Roman), circa A.D. 190 {In the British Museuvt) burthen of one's advice and relief, local and eccentric example, long ship of the old Car- In a cave or an pie there would altar to Mithras, aries and slaves, there would be a the Jews gathered and uphold their God of all the there would be Jews about the state religion. They God was a jealous idolatry, and they take part in the