353. Priestly Offices: Little Sacrosanct about Them 416 354. The Pontifices 417 355. The Augurs 418 356. The Flamens 420 357. The _Salii_ (“Holy Leapers”) 421 358. The _Fetiales_ (“Sacred Heralds”): Ceremony of Declaring War 422 359. The Arval Brethren (_Fratres Arvales_) 423 360. Rustic Ceremonies; Soothsaying, Astrologers, and Witches 424 361. A Private Sacrifice 425 362. Ceremony at the Temple 426 363. A Formal Prayer: the Actual Sacrifice 428 364. The Vestal Virgins: Their Sanctity and Importance 429 365. The Temple of Vesta and the House of the Vestals 431 366. Appointment of Vestals 432 367. Duties of the Vestals: the Maxima 433 368. Punishments of Erring Vestals 434 369. Remarkable Honors Granted the Vestals 435 Chapter XXI. The Foreign Cults: Cybele, Isis, Mithras. The Christians in Pagan Eyes 370. Saturnalia: the Exchange of Presents on New Year’s Day 437 371. Multiplication of Oriental Cults 437 372. The Cult of the Deified Emperors 439 373. The “Divine Augustus” and His Successors 439 374. The Cult of Cybele, the “Great Mother” 441 375. Cult of Isis and Associated Egyptian Gods 442 376. Ceremonies at an Isis Temple 443 377. Cult of Serapis and of Other Oriental Gods 445 378. The Cult of Mithras: Its Relative Nobility 445 379. The _Taurobolium_ (“Bath in Bull’s Blood”) 447 380. The Christians: Pagan Account of Their Origin 449 381. The Persecution of Christians: Their “Insane Obstinacy” 450 382. Current Charges against the Christians 451 Chapter XXII. A Roman Villa. The Love of the Country 383. Appreciation of Country Life by the Romans 453 384. Praises of the Country Towns and Villas 453 385. Comfortable Modes of Travel: Luxurious Litters and Carriages 454 386. Multiplication of Villas: Seashore Estates at Baiæ, etc. 456 387. Villas in the Mountains; Small Farms near Rome 457