Between Heathenism and Christianity - College of Stoic Philosophers

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Seneca: His Character and Environment
To what extent the Roman emperors took their
apothesis seriously we have scant means of knowing.
It is well established that a few of them regarded
it
as a huge joke. But it is beyond question that on
the great mass of the people it had a most deleterious
effect. How could it be otherwise, when some of
them reached tbe lowest depths of degradation to
which human nature could sink? When the mon
arch in his official capacity was recognized not only as
the political and military head of the government
but also its divine head, it is easy to imagine what
the effect of such a recognition must be upon the
average Roman, in contracting his spiritual outlook.
As long as the gods were mere abstract qualities,
or even to some extent personal beings like those
of the Greeks, there was a sort of indistinct
ness in which they were veiled that did not invite
imitation. But a deified emperor was, or had been,
a creature of flesh and blood; no matter what he
might do, there would be many ready
to tread in
his footsteps, so far as they could. The pernicious
influence of the ancient mythology engaged the
attention of thoughtful men from the remotest times.
How much worse, then, would this influence be when
the vilest that tradition reported of the gods was
actually done by men in flesh and blood. Like
priest, like people," is a true saying even when both
priest and people are pagans.
Aside from the restraints of religion, there is, in
modern times, in all civilized countries, a certain re-
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