Between Heathenism and Christianity - College of Stoic Philosophers
Between Heathenism and Christianity - College of Stoic Philosophers
Between Heathenism and Christianity - College of Stoic Philosophers
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Seneca: His Character <strong>and</strong> Environment<br />
endured so long because it was upheld by the patri<br />
otism <strong>of</strong> its citizens. This was <strong>of</strong>ten narrowly selfish,<br />
<strong>and</strong> frequently grossly unjust to foreigners, but it<br />
was effectual in maintaining the supremacy <strong>of</strong><br />
Koine<br />
against all attempts from within or without to sub<br />
vert it. The Romans that were drawn toward philos<br />
ophy pursued<br />
it in a half-hearted manner because the<br />
state occupied the first place in their minds. To<br />
serve the state was the ultimate goal <strong>of</strong> their ambi<br />
tion. The emperors, even the most corrupt, still rep<br />
resented the government <strong>and</strong> as such received the<br />
homage <strong>of</strong> good men. If we keep this fact in mind<br />
we shall be able to underst<strong>and</strong> the bravery <strong>and</strong> devo<br />
tion to duty <strong>of</strong> many <strong>of</strong> the <strong>of</strong>ficers <strong>and</strong> even soldiers<br />
in the imperial forces. More or less out <strong>of</strong> reach <strong>of</strong><br />
the contaminating influences that were so powerful in<br />
the capital, they performed the services expected <strong>of</strong><br />
them as became Romans.<br />
Long, long afterward, <strong>and</strong> when<br />
nally a Christian city,<br />
Rome was nomi<br />
a German monk left its walls<br />
as he was returning to his northern home, a far less<br />
zealous churchman than he had entered it.<br />
Strange<br />
coincidence! The city that had become the head <strong>of</strong> a<br />
spiritual empire was no less corrupt <strong>and</strong> corrupting<br />
than it had been as the head <strong>of</strong> a temporal empire.<br />
More than sixteen centuries <strong>of</strong> experience, some <strong>of</strong> it<br />
<strong>of</strong> the bitterest kind, had wrought no perceptible<br />
change. The Christian followed in the footsteps <strong>of</strong><br />
the heathen.<br />
For us who have been brought up<br />
18<br />
in the belief that