HISTORY 357 



society in their day though they upheld the external 

 practices which were traditions of the State. 



With the advent of Augustus, a renovation of Roman 

 religion commenced. He sought its political support, 

 rebuilt temples which had fallen into decay, introduced 

 fresh objects of worship, and sought to institute moral 

 reforms. He associated himself with the various priest- 

 hoods, and became Pontifex Maximus himself. 



A practice arose of deifying deceased emperors, which, 

 strange as it may seem to us, was but the continuation, 

 or revival, of a practice of very ancient date in Egypt 

 and elsewhere.* Ultimately the worship of a recently 

 deceased emperor came to be a most conspicuous one in 

 the Roman provinces, especially as a manifestation of 

 loyalty to the State. 



In the Augustan Age it became the fashion to admire 

 the simplicity and piety of earlier days, and Horace, and 

 above all, Virgil, were incited by the emperor to promote 

 this sentiment. That well-known poem, the JZneid, of 

 the last-named poet, was essentially a religious one, and 

 has had great influence on religion down to our day. 



The terrible times of Tiberius and Caligula were not 

 likely to weaken the influence of religion, nor did the 

 spirit of scepticism again raise its head at any period of 

 the empire as it had under the republic. 



As the Roman religion was devoid of dogma, so also 

 was it devoid of any spirit of either proselytism or in- 

 tolerance. Indeed the Romans for a time viewed with 

 jealousy any worship by strangers of their Jupiter of the 

 Capitol, from the same spirit which made them seek to 

 wrest from their opponents the succour of their various 

 gods, by themselves showing great respect and reverence 



* See ante, p. 323. 



