TABLE OF CONTENTS.

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INTRODUCTION.--The Significance of Franz Cumont's Work, By Grant Showerman

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PREFACE

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PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION

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I. ROME AND THE ORIENT
Superiority of the Orient, 1.--Its Influence on Political Institutions, 3.--Its Influence on Civil Law, 5.--Its Influence on Science, 6.--Its Influence on Literature and Art, 7.--Its Influence on Industry, 9.--SOURCES: Destruction of Pagan Rituals, 11.--Mythographers, 12.--Historians, 13.--Satirists, 13.--Philosophers, 14.--Christian Polemicists, 15.--Archeological Documents, 16.

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II. WHY THE ORIENTAL RELIGIONS SPREAD
Difference in the Religions of the Orient and the Occident, 20.--Spread of Oriental Religions, 22.--Economic Influences, 23.--Theory of Degeneration, 25.--Conversions are of Individuals, 27.--Appeal of the Oriental Religions to the Senses, 28.--Appeal to the Intelligence, 31.--Appeal to the Conscience, 35.--Inadequacy of the Roman Religion, 35.--Skepticism, 37.--Imperial Power, 38.--The Purification of Souls, 39.--Hope of Immortality, 42,--Conclusion, 43.

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III. ASIA MINOR
Arrival of Cybele at Rome, 46.--Her Religion in Asia Minor, 47.--Religion at Rome under the Republic, 51.--Adoption of the Goddess Ma-Bellona, 53.--Politics of Claudius, 55.--Spring Festival, 56.--Spread of the Phrygian Religion in the Provinces, 57.--Causes of Its Success, 58.--Its Official Recognition, 60.--ARRIVAL OF OTHER CULTS: Mèn, 61.--Judaism, 63.--Sabazius, 64.--Anahita, 65.--The Taurobolium, 66.--Philosophy, 70.--Christianity, 70.--Conclusion, 71.

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IV. EGYPT
Foundation of Serapis Worship, 73.--The Egyptian Religion Hellenized, 75.--Diffusion in Greece, 79.--Adoption at Rome, 80.--Persecutions, 82.--Adoption Under Caligula, 84.--Its History, 85.--Its Transformation, 86.--Uncertainty in Egyptian Theology, 87.--Insufficiency of Its Ethics, 90.--Power of Its Ritual, 93.--Daily Liturgy, 95.--Festivals, 97.--Doctrine of Immortality, 99.--The Refrigerium, 101.

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V. SYRIA
The Syrian Goddess, 103.--Importation of New Gods by Syrian Slaves, 105.--Syrian Merchants, 107.--Syrian Soldiers, 112.--Heliogabalus and Aurelian, 114.--Value of Semitic Paganism, 115.--Animal Worship, 116.--Baals, 118. Human Sacrifice, 119.--Transformation of the Sacerdotal Religion, 120.--Purity, 121.--Influence of Babylon, 122.--Eschatology, 125.--THEOLOGY: God is Supreme, 127.--God is Omnipotent, 129.--God is Eternal and Universal, 130.--Semitic Syncretism, 131.--Solar Henotheism, 133.

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VI. PERSIA
Persia and Europe, 135.--Influence of the Achemenides, 136.--Influence of Mazdaism, 138.--Conquests of Rome, 139.--Influence of the Sassanides, 140.--Origin of the Mysteries of Mithra, 141.--Persians in Asia Minor, 144.--The Mazdaism of Anatolia, 146.--Its Diffusion in the Occident, 149.--Its Qualities, 150.--Dualism, 151.--The Ethics of Mithraism, 155.--The Future Life, 158.--Conclusion, 159.

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VII. ASTROLOGY AND MAGIC
Prestige of Astrology, 162.--Its Introduction in the Occident, 163.--Astrology Under the Empire, 164.--Polemics Powerless Against Astrology, 166.--Astrology a Scientific Religion, 169.--The Primitive Idea of Sympathy, 171.--Divinity of the Stars, 172.--Transformation of the Idea of God, 174.--New Gods, 175.--Big Years, 176.--Astrological Eschatology, 177.--Man's Relation to Heaven, 178.--Fatalism, 179.--Efficacy of Prayer, 180.--Efficacy of Magic, 182.--Treatises on Magic, 182.--Idea of Sympathy, 183.--Magic a Science, 184.--Magic is Religious, 186.--Ancient Italian Sorcery, 186.--Egypt and Chaldea, 187.--Theurgy, 188.--Persian Magic, 189.--Persecutions, 191.--Conclusion, 193.

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VIII. THE TRANSFORMATION OF ROMAN PAGANISM
Paganism Before Constantine, 196.--Religion of Asia Minor, 197.--Religion of Egypt and Syria, 198.--Religion of Persia, 199.--Many Pagan Religions, 200.--Popular Religion and Philosophy, 201.--Christian Polemics, 202.--Roman Pagan ism Become Oriental, 204.--Mysteries, 205.--Nature Worship, 206.--Supreme God, 207.--Sidereal Worship, 208.--The Ritual Given a Moral Significance, 209.--The End of the World, 209.--Conclusion, 210.

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NOTES
Preface, 213.--I. Rome and the Orient, 214.--II. Why the Oriental Religions Spread, 218.--III. Asia Minor, 223.--IV. Egypt, 228.--V. Syria, 241.--VI. Persia, 260.--VII. Astrology and Magic, 270.--VIII. The Transformation of Paganism, 281.

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INDEX (omitted from etext)

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