"This is the first book to describe and explain all of the ancient world's major mystery cults -- one of the most intriguing but least understood aspects of Greek and Roman religion. In the nocturnal Mysteries at Eleusis, participants dramatically…
"Much attention has been devoted in recent years to Christian asceticism in Late Antiquity. But Christianity did not introduce asceticism to the ancient world. An underlying theme of this fascinating study of pagan asceticism is that much of the work…
Argues that the Gospels should not be taken literally, that Jesus did not exist, and that there is a connection between Egyptian mythology and Christianity.
Examines the philosophical and spiritual climate of the Roman Empire during the period between the accession of Marcus Aurelius and the conversion of Constantine. During this period, material decline was steepest and the ferment of new religious…