Million Book Collection - The Fishers of Men Ministries

14: THE GODS OF THE NATIONSthere were idolatrousemblems on the foreheadsf the dead, on th , on their tombThe places of amusement were specially dedicatedto the gods ; the theatres had representatons nnour of them; the circus had their imageschairs, carriages, robes borne in procession ; theamphitheatre was consecrated to them, and asbeing so Tertullian called it "the temple of alldemons." So much for private and social life.But not only so. All political acts were boundup with a crowd of religious formalities, and outwardsigns of divine concurrence; and were carriedon with a ceremonial, every part of whichwas prescribed as having an exact inward meaning.Then there were continually recurring vowsto the gods made for the great, made for privateindividuals, made for the emperor and his family.Three special ceremonies were used to obtainfavours from them or to deprecate calamities,feasts, the solemnly bearing their images on cushions,processions with naked feet.11 To this wemust add the priestly colleges, pontifices, flamines,augurs, and magistrates, whether distinct or coordinated.Then, * besides, *-/K-JJL\_^LV> N-'* consider the magicalcharacter of the prayers, and the strict use offormularies without mistake, / omission, 1 or addition, 7which were supposed to insure success apart fromthe intention of those offering them. Thus thewhole life of the Romans was filled with invoca-11 " Epula), lectisteruia, nudipedalia."t