6. The theory of the degeneration of races has been set forth in particular by Stewart Chamberlain, _Die Grundlagen des XIX. Jahrhunderts_, 3d. ed., Munich, 1901, pp. 296 ff.--The idea of selection by retrogression, of the _Ausrottung der Besten_, has been defended, as is well known, by Seeck in his _Geschichte des Untergangs der antiken Welt_, which outlines the religious consequence (II, p. 344). His system is developed in the third volume which appeared in 1909. 7. Apuleius, _Metam._, XI, 14 ff. See Preface. Manilius said of the divine stars (IV, 910; cf. II, 125), "_Ipse vocat nostros animos ad sidera mundus_." 8. Hepding, _Attis_, pp. 178 ff., 187. 9. The intimate connection between the juridical and religious ideas of the Romans has left numerous traces even in their language. One of the most curious is the double meaning of the term _supplicium_, which stands at the same time for a supplication addressed to the gods and a punishment {220} demanded by custom, and later by law. In regard to the development of this twofold meaning, see the recent note by Richard Heinze, _Archiv fuer lateinische Lexicographie_, XV, pp. 90 ff. Sematology is often synonymous with the study of customs. 10 Reville, _op. cit._, p. 144. 11 On ecstasy in the mysteries in general, cf. Rohde, _Psyche_, 2d ed., pp. 315-319; in the Oriental religions cf. De Jong, _De Apuleio Isiacorum mysteriorum teste_, 1900, p. 100; De Jong, _Das antike Mysterienwesen_, Leyden, 1909. _Mon. myst. Mithra_, I, p. 323. 12 Firmicus Maternus mentioned this in _De errore prof. relig._, c. 8. 13 For Babylonia, cf. Strab., XVI, 1, Sec. 6, and _infra_, ch. V, n. 51; for Egypt, _id._, XVII, 21, Sec. 46. From the very interesting account Otto has written of the science of the Egyptian priests during the Hellenistic period (_Priester und Tempel_, II, pp. 211 ff.; 234), it appears that it remained quite worthy of consideration although progress had ceased. 14 Strabo, _loc. cit._: [Greek: Anatitheasi de toi Hermei pasan ten toiauten sophian]; Pliny, _Hist. nat._, VI, 26, Sec. 121: "(Belus) _inventor fuit sideralis scientiae_"; cf. Solinus, 56, Sec. 3; Achilles, _Isag._, 1 (Maass, _Comm. in Arat._, p. 27): [Greek: Beloi ten heuresin anathentes]. Let us remember that Hammurabi's code was represented as the work of Marduk.--In a general way, the gods are the authors of all inventions useful to humanity; cf. Reitzenstein, _Poimandres_, 1904, p. 123; Deissmann, _Licht von Osten_, 91 ff. Likewise in the Occident: _CIL_, VII, 759 = Buecheler, _Carm. epigr._, 24: "(Dea Syria) ex quis muneribus nosse contigit deos," etc., cf. Plut., _Crass._, 17.--"Religion im Sinne des Orients ist die Erklaerung alles dessen was ist, also eine Weltauffassung" (Winckler, _Himmelsbild der Babylonier_, 1903, p. 9).