n Apollo, but while Hellenism, with a finer appreciation of
beauty, developed the esthetic qualities in Apollo, the Persians, caring
more for matters of conscience, emphasized the moral character in
Mithra.[48] The Greeks, themselves little scrupulous in that respect, were
struck by the abhorrence in which their Oriental neighbors held a lie. The
Persians conceived of Ahriman as the embodiment of deceit. Mithra was
always the god invoked as the guarantor of faith and protector of the
inviolability of contracts. Absolute fidelity to his oath had to be a
cardinal virtue {156} in the religion of a soldier, whose first act upon
enlistment was to pledge obedience and devotion to the sovereign. This
religion exalted loyalty and fidelity and undoubtedly tried to inspire a
feeling similar to our modern idea of honor.

In addition to respect for authority it preached fraternity. All the
initiates considered themselves as sons of the same father owing to one
another a brother's affection. It is a question whether they extended the
love of neighbor to that universal charity taught by philosophy and
Christianity. Emperor Julian, a devoted mystic, liked to set up such an
ideal, and it is probable that the Mithraists of later paganism rose to
this conception of duty,[49] but they were not its authors. They seemed to
have attached more importance to the virile qualities than to compassion
and gentleness. The fraternal spirit of initiates calling themselves
soldiers was doubtless more akin to the spirit of comradeship in a regiment
that has _esprit de corps_, than to the love of one's neighbor that
inspires works of mercy towards all.

All primitive people imagine nature filled with unclean and wicked spirits
that corrupt and torture those who disturb their repose; but dualism
endowed this universal belief with marvelous power as well as with a
dogmatic basis. Mazdaism is governed throughout by ideas of purity and
impurity. "No religion on earth has ever been so completely dominated by an
ideal of purification."[50] This kind of perfection was the goal of the
aspiration and effort of believers. They were obliged to guard with
infinite precaution against defiling the divine elements, for instance
water or fire, or their own persons, and to wipe out all pollution by {157}
repeated lustrations. But, as in the Syrian cults of the imperial period,
these Mithraic rites did remain simply formal, mechanical and of the flesh,
inspired by the ol