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Reinventing Polytheism. The Cult of Sol Invictus as Religious Innovation in Late Antiquity

Publication at Faculty of Arts |
2017

Abstract

When one approaches the study of the period so-called "Late Antiquity", one faces many issues in regard of periodization, peculiarities of the late historiography, society, urban development and, probably the most intriguing, religious changes. It tends to be identified Late Antiquity as the sunset of the paganism, using the term with negative connotation by Christians, indicating backwardness and primitiveness.

In the study of the evolution, or rather mutation, of the religious belief, it is possible though to notice how changes appear to be consistent already much before the Constantinian "turn", under whom in any way the public cult continues to be pagan. In the matter of the rituals, sacrifices persist until the end of the IV century, while they enjoyed less favor among the pagans.