After Life in Roman Paganism

Franz Valery Marie Cumont

• Publisher: Books on Demand
• Year: 2021
• Edition: 1
• eBook ISBN:
  9783752892529
• Topic: Social Sciences
• Subtopic: Sociology
• Index: Social Sciences

The idea of death has perhaps never been more present to humanity than during the years through which we have just passed. It has been the daily companion of millions of men engaged in a murderous conflict; it has haunted the even larger number who have trembled for the lives of their nearest and dearest; it is still constantly in the thoughts of the many who nurse regret for those they loved. And doubtless also, the faith or the hope has never more imposed itself, even on the unbelieving, that these countless multitudes, filled with moral force and generous passion, who have entered eternity, have not wholly perished, that the ardour which animated them was not extinguished when their limbs grew cold, that the spirit which impelled them to self-sacrifice was not dissipated with the atoms which formed their bodies.

Notes

1 . Plut., Pericl. , 8.
2 . Pensées , III, 194 (t. II, p. 103, ed. Brunschvigg).
3 . See Lecture I, “Life in the Tomb.”
4 . See Lecture II, “The Nether World.”
5 . See Lecture II, p. 73.
6 . Plautus, Capt. , V, 4, 1.
7 . Polyb., VI, 56, 12.
8 . Diels, Fragm. Vorsokratiker 3 , II, p. 121, fr. 297.
9 . Homer, Il. , Ψ, 100; Plato, Phaed. , 77 D; cf. Rohde, Psyche , II 4 , p. 264, n. 2.
10 . III, 38:
“ Et metus ille foras praeceps Acheruntis agendus
Funditus humanam qui vitam turbat ab imo.”
11 . Sall., Cat. , 51, 20.
12 . Pliny, H. N. , VII, 55, § 190.
13 . Seneca, Troades , 382 ss.
14 . Lucian, Alex. , c. 61; c. 47.
15 . Lucian, ibid. , c. 38; c. 44; c. 47.
16 . Julian, Epist. , 89 (p. 747, 23, ed. Bidez-Cumont).
17 . Cousin, Bull. corr. hell. , XVI, 1897; cf. Usener, Rhein. Mus. , N. F., XLVII, p. 428.
18 . CIL, XI, 856 = Bücheler, Carm. epigraphica , 191.
19 . Dessau, Inscript. selectae , 8162 ss.; cf. Recueil des inscriptions du Pont , 110: “Non fui, fui, non sum, non curo.”
20 . Recueil , 143.
21 . Cf. Lecture VIII, p. 192.
22 . Kaibel, Epigr. Graeca , 646.
23 . Bücheler, Carm. epigr. , 1495 = CIL, VI, 26003:
“ Nil sumus et fuimus. Mortales respice, lector,
In nihil ab nihilo quam cito recidimus.”
24 . Bücheler, Carm. epigr. , 1247 = CIL, VI, 7193:
“ Quod superest homini requiescunt dulciter ossa,
Nec sum sollicitus ne subito esuriam.
Et podagram careo, nec sum pensionibus arra
Et gratis aeterno perfruor hospitio.”
25 . Bücheler, op. cit. , 1500.
26 . I Cor. 15. 32.
27 . Bücheler, op. cit. , 187: “Quod comedi et ebibi tantum meum est.” Cf. ibid. , 244: “Quod edi, bibi, mecum habeo, quod reliqui, perdidi.”
28 . Bücheler, op. cit. , 1499; Dessau, Inscr. sel. , 8157:
“ Balnea, vina, venus corrumpunt corpora nostra,
Sed vitam faciunt balnea, vina, venus.”
29 . Bücheler, op. cit. , 243: “Dum vixi, bibi libenter; bibite vos qui vivitis.”
30 . Héron de Villefosse, Le trésor de Boscoreale , in Monuments Piot , V, Paris, 1899.
31 . Epist. , I, 4, 16.
32 . Epict., Diss. , I, 14, 6; II, 8, 11 (ἀπόσπασμα τοῦ θεοῦ).
33 . Cf. , e.g. , Sen., Consol. Marc. , end.
34 . See Lecture IV, p. 115 s.
35 . Cic., Tusc. , I, 79.
36 . Stob., Ecl. , I, 384, W...

Table of contents

• After Life in Roman Paganism
• PREFACE
• HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION
• I   AFTER LIFE IN THE TOMB
• II   THE NETHER WORLD
• III   CELESTIAL IMMORTALITY
• IV   THE WINNING OF IMMORTALITY
• V   UNTIMELY DEATH
• VI   THE JOURNEY TO THE BEYOND
• VII   THE SUFFERINGS OF HELL AND METEMPSYCHOSIS
• VIII   THE FELICITY OF THE BLESSED
• Notes
• Copyright