The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-01-15

truce between paganism and the ChristianiZeC
empire and the reopening of the religious con
fiet which. within twenty years. ended In the
Anal prohibition OF heather rites. The perioc
closes not only with the deposition OF the las
phadowy Emperor OF the West. but with the
practical extinction Of Roman power in the
Hreatprefecturc of the Gauls. As regards the
authorities upon which dependence is placed
great stress Is naturally laid upon the extant
letters of Symmachus and upon the writings
Of ,Claudian. of Ausonius and of Appolinarls ST.
donius. We shall ondeavor to indicate the value
Of this book by Glanclng at certain especially
Interesting passages in the several sections.
between the issuance OF Constantino's edict.
BY which Christianity was. for the first time,
tolerated. and the deposition OF Augustulus a
century and a half interviewed. During that
long lapse of time the relation Of paganism to
Christianity differed materially at different
dates. There is nothing in which readers OF
history are. more apt to fall short than in their
appreciation and graduation of perspective.
ThefS, have been tracts of time in certain quar-
fers OF the globe when human beings seem
60 have remained comparatively stationary. On
che other hand. there have been few periods in
the history OF mankind that have witnessed a
more complete religious, political and social
transformation than that which took place in
che century and a half from Constantine to Au-
gustulus. In spite OF the moralforce which as
Bured the future TO the Christian faith. its final
trihfhbh in the western part OF tho Roman
Empire was long delayed. At the very time
when Theodosius issued the laws which, were
intended TO eXtinguish the ancient pagan
Buperstitions. men were revivinG a prophecy
that the religion of the Cross was about to
fFeach its final term, and the most solemn pagan
rites were publicly celebrated. As late rs the
close OF the fourth century the majority OF the
Senate were little touched by the Christian
faith, although the wives and daughters Of
some OF the Senators had adopted its most
ascetic. forms. Stanch adherents OF pagan
ism still held the Urban or Pretorian prefec-
lures in the reign Of Honorius. They still met,
apparently with no thought of the imminent
triumph OF the Christian Church. to hear one
of their number expound the sacerdotal law
OF Rome. and another set forth the Stole or
Alexandrian Interpretation Of the pagan myths.
or the command OF augural science possessed
by Virgil. Their great poet. Claudian. as IL he
were writing in the age of Augustus. could in
wife the Christian Emperor Honorius to sur
vey the shrines of the gods. which still. in all
their old splendor. surrounded the imperial
palace with a divine guardianship. Another
pagan poet. Rutllius. who had been project of
the city a quarter of a century after the death
OF iTheodosius. could pour contempt on the
professors OF Christianity. and rejoice at the
sight of the villagers OF Etruria daily celebrat-
ing tho rites OF Osiris in the springtime.
Magic and divination Of every form had long
been underline ban ofthe State. Yet a project Of
Honorius proposed to employ the Tuscan sor-
cerers who offered the aid Of their arts against
Alaric: and. Litorius. fighting against a sue
cessor of iAlaric in Gaul. consulted the pagan
Beers before his last battle under the walls OF
Toulouse. Even in the last years Of the West
ern Empire. the OWNERS of Africa were prac-
ticing their arts among the nominal Christians
of Aquitaine.
Z Long after the external rites OF heathenism
had been suppressed. the pagan tone and spirit
retained its hold on mems imaginations The
obstinate. unahanging conservatism OF the
Roman character never displayed itself more
Btrikingly than in the age when Roman insti-
buttons were lettering to their fall. The Roman
race. so tenacious OF the past. yet so bold and
aggressive. always strove to disguise funda-
mental changes and to retain the charm OF old
associations under altered circumstances.
In this, as In many another respect. the
Church was. to carry on the traditions OF
pagan Rome. The prejudices and at
tacbmentR of a thousand years. which might
be proof against the fervid dialectics OF st.
Augustine, were gently trained by pious arts
20 turn to other objects Of love and devotion.
The. cycle OF the Christian year was, In many
points. adapted to the pagan calendar. The
cult Of saints and martyrs was established at
the very affairs whore incense had been burned
TO Mars or Bacchus. At Naples. lamps burn
ing before the image OF the Virgin took the
place, OF those before the family gods. The
worship. of the Virgin Mother weaned the
Biclian peasant from the worship OF a goddess
Of lessimmaculate fame.
OHsauthor's study of the contemporary au-
thorities has convinced him that. even in the
nth century, many a literary noble of Aqui-
tame was really as pagan as the peasant who
continued to bow before the old affairs on Mount
Eryx: His grandfather. In the days OF Ausonius,
might have CONFIRMED to Christianity some OF
his friends might have sold their lands and fol-
lowed st. Paulinus to Nola or st. Jerome to
Bethlehem but he himself was often as little
Of a Christian as the men who three genera
tions before him had pleaded with the Emperor
toleave the Altarof Victory In the Senate House.
Like Ausonius. he might pay a cold and perfume
tory homage to Christ and visit the neighbor-
ing town for the Easter festival. but the whole
tone OF his thoughts and life was inspired by
the memories Of the heather past. With no be-
liefin the old gods. he was. nevertheless. STEPPED
in the literary spirit and culture OF paganism. |
The Roman school had moulded him far more
than had the teachings of the Church. The
unbrokelt academic traditions of 800 years. |
comingdown from the age of the great sophists. |
was a tremendous force. and 1t was a force
which repealed all novelty. and all idealism
which looked TO the future rather thnn to the
past. All the literature on which hs had been
nourished was stepped in the atmosphere of
paganism and teemed with NEUROLOGICAL allu- |
sions. His teachers were saturated with Hell
lenism. which 70 the end maintained a cold and
distant attitude e. Christian devotion. From
his earliest years his gaze had been turned to
the great deeds of Roman heroes who had wor-
shipped Mars a,jd Jupiter, who had read the ]
fate OF their campaigns in flashes Of light |
ming or the flight OF birds or the entrails Of a |
victim at the altar. and who had consulted
ChaldRan seers about their objects OF am |
billion or their hour of death. IL the literary |