1 Earliest Rome
1 Earliest Rome 1 Earliest Rome
9.6c Salvation through Osiris? IGUR 432; Vidman, Sylloge 459 9.6 Death Initiation into the rites oflsis and her consort Osiris were felt to transform the lives of initiates, and to have consequences for the soul of the deceased. This epitaph, written in Greek, from the city of Rome (probably third century A.D.), concerns a couple who probably originated in the eastern part of the Roman empire. See further: Vol. 1, 308-9; Malaise (1981); Burkert (1987) 25-7*; for female involvement in the cult, see 9.6b n. 3- To the gods of the Underworld for Aurelia Prosodos from Dioskourides her husband for his companion, the best and the sweetest, in memorial. Greetings, my lady, and may Osiris give you the cold water. 1 Dioskourides built the tomb for himself and his ex-slaves' ex-slaves. 2 1. Water from a spring in the underworld was to refresh the deceased. 2. It is not unusual to provide that a tomb should be used by your ex-slaves and their descendants (4.13a n. 3). Mention of their ex-slaves may seem odd, but is not unpara lleled; Crook (1967) 136-8. 9.6d The debate between pagan and Christian views Origen, Against Celsus Vlll.49 In this passage the Christian writer Origen quotes the attack on Christian views of the after-life by the pagan Celsus. A favourite theme of Celsus was the absurdity of the Christian idea of bodily resurrection, compared with the pagan notion of the survival of the soul (psyche). He thought that they had simply failed to understand Plato and were excessively attached to the body. See further: Vol. 1, 289-90; Chadwick (1966) 22-30 (Celsus), 66-123 (Origen)"; on Celsus' views in general, Andresen (1955); Wilken (1984) 94-125*. Let us examine Celsus' next remarks to us , as follows: 'Are your ideas not absurd? On the one hand, you admire the body and look forward to its rising in just the same form as it has, as though it were our best and most precious possession; on the other, you would cast it into punishment, as if it were worthless. 237
9- I N D I V I D U A L S A N D G O D S However, there is no point in arguing with people who believe all this, since they are entirely bound to the body; nor is this the only respect in which they are crude and impure, lacking in reason and afflicted with seditiousness. I will debate only with those who aspire to have their soul or mind eternally with god - whether they call this mind "spiritual", or a "holy and blessed mental spirit", or a "living soul", or the "super-heavenly and indestructible child of a nature godly and immaterial", or whatever they want to call it. To this extent at least, they are in the right: those who have lived lives of virtue will be happy, while the wicked will suffer perpetual griefs. This idea is not to be lost by them or anybody else.' Celsus often complains about our view of resurrection. I have already given what we think to be the reasonable view on this matter and do not intend to repeat the answer to an objection put forward so often. 5 But Celsus is quite wrong in his assertion that we hold nothing better or more precious than the body. We hold that the soul and especially the rational soul is more precious than the body, because it contains that which is 'after the image of the Creator' , whereas this is not at all true of the body. In our view, God is not a material substance. We would not fall into the silly views of those who follow Zeno and Chrysippus. 2 238 1. See e.g. Against CeisusVH.32. 2. That is, the view of Stoic philosophers.
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9.6c Salvation through Osiris?<br />
IGUR 432; Vidman, Sylloge 459<br />
9.6 Death<br />
Initiation into the rites oflsis and her consort Osiris were felt to transform the<br />
lives of initiates, and to have consequences for the soul of the deceased. This<br />
epitaph, written in Greek, from the city of <strong>Rome</strong> (probably third century<br />
A.D.), concerns a couple who probably originated in the eastern part of the<br />
Roman empire.<br />
See further: Vol. 1, 308-9; Malaise (1981); Burkert (1987) 25-7*; for<br />
female involvement in the cult, see 9.6b n. 3-<br />
To the gods of the Underworld<br />
for Aurelia Prosodos<br />
from Dioskourides her husband<br />
for his companion,<br />
the best and the sweetest,<br />
in memorial.<br />
Greetings, my lady,<br />
and may Osiris give you<br />
the cold water. 1<br />
Dioskourides built the tomb for himself<br />
and his ex-slaves' ex-slaves. 2<br />
1. Water from a spring in the underworld was to refresh the deceased.<br />
2. It is not unusual to provide that a tomb should be used by your ex-slaves and their<br />
descendants (4.13a n. 3). Mention of their ex-slaves may seem odd, but is not unpara<br />
lleled; Crook (1967) 136-8.<br />
9.6d The debate between pagan and Christian views<br />
Origen, Against Celsus Vlll.49<br />
In this passage the Christian writer Origen quotes the attack on Christian<br />
views of the after-life by the pagan Celsus. A favourite theme of Celsus was the<br />
absurdity of the Christian idea of bodily resurrection, compared with the<br />
pagan notion of the survival of the soul (psyche). He thought that they had simply<br />
failed to understand Plato and were excessively attached to the body.<br />
See further: Vol. 1, 289-90; Chadwick (1966) 22-30 (Celsus), 66-123<br />
(Origen)"; on Celsus' views in general, Andresen (1955); Wilken (1984)<br />
94-125*.<br />
Let us examine Celsus' next remarks to us , as follows:<br />
'Are your ideas not absurd? On the one hand, you admire the body and look forward<br />
to its rising in just the same form as it has, as though it were our best and most precious<br />
possession; on the other, you would cast it into punishment, as if it were worthless.<br />
237
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