1. Religions of the Empire
Mystery religions
Required secrecy from members
Built on dying and rising gods
Promised that members could be deified
Mithraism: popular with roman soldiers
Based on righteousness, law and order
Mithra: the “unconquerable sun god”
Born Dec 25

2. Mithraism Only open to men 7 stages of initiation before eternal life
The evil would be consumed by a great fire

3. The Imperial cult Called for “worship” of the emperor
Began with Augustus – declared Julius Caesar to be divine
Made sacrifices to the ‘genius’ of the emperor
Were called “savior’, “lord”, “son of god”
Several emperors were deified during their life times- at their insistence - Caligula, Nero, Domitian
Jews were generally exempt from observing this religion

4. Greek Philosophies
Epicureanism: true pleasure came from a life well lived
But, this life is all there is
When we die we simply dissolve as we are all made of atoms
Stoicism: goals are duty and freedom from passions
We are obligated to treat others well as we are all related
No place for God

5. Magic and Astrology Many believed that life was ruled by chance – fate
So, many wished to determine what fate had in store for us
Done with astrology, magic words, séances
The world was a mystery and this gave some sense of knowledge
Gave a sense of security, control, and power