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good of the crops in a similar way。 Early in December； when the constellation Orion appeared at seven o'clock in the evening； the people knew that the time had come to clear their fields for sowing and to sacrifice a slave。 The sacrifice was presented to certain powerful spirits as payment for the good year which the people had enjoyed； and to ensure the favour of the spirits for the coming season。 The victim was led to a great tree in the forest； there he was tied with his back to the tree and his arms stretched high above his head； in the attitude in which ancient artists portrayed Marsyas hanging on the fatal tree。 While he thus hung by the arms； he was slain by a spear thrust through his body at the level of the armpits。 Afterwards the body was cut clean through the middle at the waist； and the upper part was apparently allowed to dangle for a little from the tree； while the under part wallowed in blood on the ground。 The two portions were finally cast into a shallow trench beside the tree。 Before this was done； anybody who wished might cut off a piece of flesh or a lock of hair from the corpse and carry it to the grave of some relation whose body was being consumed by a ghoul。 Attracted by the fresh corpse； the ghoul would leave the mouldering old body in peace。 These sacrifices have been offered by men now living。
In Greece the great goddess Artemis herself appears to have been annually hanged in effigy in her sacred grove of Condylea among the Arcadian hills； and there accordingly she went by the name of the Hanged One。 Indeed a trace of a similar rite may perhaps be detected even at Ephesus； the most famous of her sanctuaries； in the legend of a woman who hanged herself and was thereupon dressed by the compassionate goddess in her own divine garb and called by the name of Hecate。 Similarly； at Melite in Phthia； a story was told of a girl named Aspalis who hanged herself； but who appears to have been merely a form of Artemis。 For after her death her body could not be found； but an image of her was discovered standing beside the image of Artemis； and the people bestowed on it the title of Hecaerge or Far…shooter； one of the regular epithets of the goddess。 Every year the virgins sacrificed a young goat to the image by hanging it； because Aspalis was said to have hanged herself。 The sacrifice may have been a substitute for hanging an image or a human representative of Artemis。 Again； in Rhodes the fair Helen was worshipped under the title of Helen of the Tree； because the queen of the island had caused her handmaids； disguised as Furies； to string her up to a bough。 That the Asiatic Greeks sacrificed animals in this fashion is proved by coins of Ilium； which represent an ox or cow hanging on a tree and stabbed with a knife by a man； who sits among the branches or on the animal's back。 At Hierapolis also the victims were hung on trees before they were burnt。 With these Greek and Scandinavian parallels before us we can hardly dismiss as wholly improbable the conjecture that in Phrygia a man…god may have hung year by year on the sacred but fatal tree。
Chapter 37。 Oriental Religions in the West。
THE WORSHIP of the Great Mother of the Gods and her lover or son was very popular under the Roman Empire。 Inscriptions prove that the two received divine honours； separately or conjointly； not only in Italy； and especially at Rome； but also in the provinces； particularly in Africa； Spain； Portugal； France； Germany； and Bulgaria。 Their worship survived the establishment of Christianity by Constantine； for Symmachus records the recurrence of the festival of the Great Mother； and in the days of Augustine her effeminate priests still paraded the streets and squares of Carthage with whitened faces； scented hair； and mincing gait； while； like the mendicant friars of the Middle Ages； they begged alms from the passers…by。 In Greece； on the other hand； the bloody orgies of the Asiatic goddess and her consort appear to have found little favour。 The barbarous and cruel character of the worship； with its frantic excesses； was doubtless repugnant to the good taste and humanity of the Greeks； who seem to have preferred the kindred but gentler rites of Adonis。 Yet the same features which shocked and repelled the Greeks may have positively attracted the less refined Romans and barbarians of the West。 The ecstatic frenzies； which were mistaken for divine inspiration； the mangling of the body； the theory of a new birth and the remission of sins through the shedding of blood； have all their origin in savagery； and they naturally appealed to peoples in whom the savage instincts were still strong。 Their true character was indeed often disguised under a decent veil of allegorical or philosophical interpretation； which probably sufficed to impose upon the rapt and enthusiastic worshippers； reconciling even the more cultivated of them to things which otherwise must have filled them with horror and disgust。
The religion of the Great Mother； with its curious blending of crude savagery with spiritual aspirations； was only one of a multitude of similar Oriental faiths which in the later days of paganism spread over the Roman Empire； and by saturating the European peoples with alien ideals of life gradually undermined the whole fabric of ancient civilisation。 Greek and Roman society was built on the conception of the subordination of the individual to the community； of the citizen to the state； it set the safety of the commonwealth； as the supreme aim of conduct； above the safety of the individual whether in this world or in the world to come。 Trained from infancy in this unselfish ideal； the citizens devoted their lives to the public service and were ready to lay them down for the common good； or if they shrank from the supreme sacrifice； it never occurred to them that they acted otherwise than basely in preferring their personal existence to the interests of their country。 All this was changed by the spread of Oriental religions which inculcated the communion of the soul with God and its eternal salvation as the only objects worth living for； objects in comparison with which the prosperity and even the existence of the state sank into insignificance。 The inevitable result of this selfish and immoral doctrine was to withdraw the devotee more and more from the public service； to concentrate his thoughts on his own spiritual emotions； and to breed in him a contempt for the present life which he regarded merely as a probation for a better and an eternal。 The saint and the recluse； disdainful of earth and rapt in ecstatic contemplation of heaven； became in popular opinion the highest ideal of humanity； displacing the old ideal of the patriot and hero who； forgetful of self； lives and is ready to die for the good of his country。 The earthly city seemed poor and contemptible to men whose eyes beheld the City of God coming in the clouds of heaven。 Thus the centre of gravity； so to say； was shifted from the present to a future life； and however much the other world may have gained； there can be little doubt that this one lost heavily by the change。 A general disintegration of the body politic set in。 The ties of the state and the family were loosened： the struc