n, 178.--Fatalism, 179.--Efficacy of Prayer,
180.--Efficacy of Magic, 182.--Treatises on Magic, 182.--Idea of Sympathy,
183.--Magic a Science, 184.--Magic is Religious, 185.--Ancient Italian
Sorcery, 186.--Egypt and Chaldea, 187.--Theurgy, 188.--Persian Magic,
189.--Persecutions, 191.--Conclusion, 193.

VIII. THE TRANSFORMATION OF ROMAN PAGANISM ... 196

Paganism Before Constantine, 196.--Religion of Asia Minor, 197.--Religion
of Egypt and Syria, 198.--Religion of Persia, 199.--Many Pagan Religions,
200.--Popular Religion and Philosophy, 201.--Christian Polemics,
202.--Roman Paganism Become Oriental, 204.--Mysteries, 205.--Nature
Worship, 206.--Supreme God, 207.--Sidereal Worship, 208.--The Ritual Given
a Moral Significance, 209.--The End of the World, 209.--Conclusion, 210.

NOTES ... 213

Preface, 213.--I. Rome and the Orient, 214,--II. Why the Oriental Religions
Spread, 218.--III. Asia Minor, 223.--IV. Egypt, 228.--V. Syria, 241.--VI.
Persia, 260.--VII. Astrology and Magic, 270.--VIII. The Transformation of
Paganism, 281.

INDEX ... 289

* * * * *

{v}

INTRODUCTION.

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF FRANZ CUMONT'S WORK.

Franz Cumont, born January 3, 1868, and educated at Ghent, Bonn, Berlin,
and Paris, resides in Brussels, and has been Professor in the University of
Ghent since 1892. His monumental work, _Textes et monuments figures
relatifs aux mysteres de Mithra_, published in 1896 and 1899 in two
volumes, was followed in 1902 by the separate publication, under the title
_Les Mysteres de Mithra_, of the second half of Vol. I, the _Conclusions_
in which he interpreted the great mass of evidence contained in the
remainder of the work. The year following, this book appeared in the
translation of Thomas J. McCormack as _The Mysteries of Mithra_, published
by the Open Court Publishing Company. M. Cumont's other work of prime
interest to students of the ancient faiths, _Les religions orientales dans
le paganisme romain_, appeared in 1906, was revised and issued in a second
edition in 1909, and is now presented in English in the following pages.

M. Cumont is an ideal contributor to knowledge in his chosen field. As an
investigator, he combines in one person Teutonic thoroughness and Gallic
intuition. As a writer, his virtues are no less pronounced. Recognition of
his mastery of an enormous array of detailed learning followed immediately
on the publication {vi} of _Textes et monuments_,