PATHOGENES1S 321 



In the light of what has already been said about survival 

 and pathogenesis, the following passages taken from Prof. 

 H. A. Strong's article on " The Jews through Roman 

 Spectacles " in the Hibbert Journal (Jan., 1915), will now be 

 seen to throw not a little fresh light on the problems of the 

 downfall of some nations and the persistence of others: 



The constant expressions of surprise and disgust at the abstinence 

 of the Jews from swine's flesh may strike us as remarkable. But the 

 existence of this prejudice is evident and constantly referred to. 



Caligula received an embassy from the Jews and thought it a smart 

 sally to question them solemnly to disclose the very important reason 

 why they would not eat pork. 



Tacitus knows the reason for the abstinence of Oriental nations 

 from the flesh of the animal which served them as scavenger; he says, 

 they were afraid of contracting leprosy, which at one time afflicted them 

 to a fearful degree. 



But it so happened that the favourite animal food of the Roman 

 was pork. The very term " caro suilla " a diminutive form, has been 

 noticed as showing the weakness of the Romans for their national dish. 



The abstinence from their national dish must have struck the Roman 

 nationalists much as an insult paid to " the roast beef of Old England " 

 would have done to an old-fashioned person who believed that patriotism 

 and beef were in some way connected. 



Does it not seem tragic, in the face of the facts of history, that the 

 Romans should have been so indifferent as to the creeds and the spirit 

 underlying the dogmas of foreign nations ? Surely had it been other- 

 wise, and had they seen the tendency of the worship of even a tribal 

 godhead to a general acceptance of monotheism such as that adopted 

 by their own philosophers, aversion might have been replaced by 

 sympathy, oceans of blood might have been spared, and the course of 

 religious history completely changed. As it was, they stood by coldly 

 and regarded Judaea expiating by political nullity and dispersion the 

 spiritual intensity which imposed her faiths, in some form or other, 

 upon civilised man. 



I would only add the comment that indifference and 

 callousness* as here exposed go before inhumanity and ground- 

 less aversion (blind race-hatred and antagonism !) as surely as 

 pride goes before a fall. Huxley said of the early Christians 



* There is an Italian proverb which seems reminiscent of the lower spirit of 

 Roman philosophy, a.s it is also, indeed, characteristic of much " philosophic " spirit 

 distilled out of our own civilisation : 



" Morto io. morto ognun, ed il porco." 



