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54) the origin of the belief and of its diffusion under the empire.
26. Cf. _supra_, p. 152, and pp. 189 ff.; _Mon. myst. Mithra_, I, p. 296.
27. This idea was spread by the Stoics ([Greek: ekpurosis]) and by astrology (_supra_, p. 177); also by the Oriental religions, see Lactantius, _Inst._, VII, 18, and _Mon. myst. Mithra_, I, p. 310.
28. Gruppe (_Griech. Mythol._, pp. 1488 ff.) has tried to indicate the different elements that entered into this doctrine.
29. Cf. supra, pp. 134 f., p. 160 and _pa.s.sim_. The similarity {288} of the pagan theology to Christianity was strongly brought out by Arn.o.bius, II, 13-14.--Likewise in regard to the Orient, de Wilamowitz has recently pointed out the close affinity uniting the theology of Synesius with that of Proclus (_Sitzungsb. Akad. Berlin_, XIV, 1907, pp. 280 ff.) he has also indicated how philosophy then led to Christianity.
30. M. Pichon (_Les derniers ecrivains profanes_, Paris, 1906) has recently shown how the eloquence of the panegyrists unconsciously changed from paganism to monotheism. See also Maurice, _Comptes Rendus Acad.
Inscriptions_, 1909, p. 165.--The vague deism of Constantine strove to reconcile the opposition of heliolatry and Christianity (Burckhardt, _Die Zeit Constantins_, pp. 353 ff.) and the emperor's letters addressed to Arius and the community of Nicomedia (Migne, _P. G._, Lx.x.xV, col. 1343 ff.) are, as shown by Loeschke (_Das Syntagma des Gelasius_ [Rhein. Mus., LXI], 1906, p. 44), "ein merkwurdiges Produkt theologischen Dilettantismus, aufgebaut auf im wesentlichen pantheistischer Grundlage mit Hilfe weniger christlicher Termini und fast noch weniger christlicher Gedanken." I shall cite a pa.s.sage in which the influence of the astrological religion is particularly noticeable (col. 1552 D): [Greek: Idou gar ho kosmos morphe eitoun schema tunchanei hon; kai hoi asteres ge charakteras probeblentai; kai holos to pneuma tou sphairoeidous toutou kuklou, eidos ton onton tunchanei hon, kai hosper morphoma; kai h.o.m.os ho Theos pantachou paresti.]
