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esently。 The worship of Attis became very widespread and much honored； and was ultimately incorporated with the established religion at Rome somewhere about the commencement of our Era。
The following two legends （dealing with Hercules and with Krishna） have rather more of the character of the solar； and less of the vegetational myth about them。 Both heroes were regarded as great benefactors of humanity； but the former more on the material plane； and the latter on the spiritual。
Hercules or Heracles was； like other Sun…gods and benefactors of mankind； a great Traveler。 He was known in many lands； and everywhere he was invoked as Saviour。 He was miraculously conceived from a divine Father； even in the cradle he strangled two serpents sent to destroy him。 His many labors for the good of the world were ultimately epitomized into twelve； symbolized by the signs of the Zodiac。 He slew the Nemxan Lion and the Hydra （offspring of Typhon） and the Boar。 He overcame the Cretan Bull； and cleaned out the Stables of Augeas； he conquered Death and； descending into Hades； brought Cerberus thence and ascended into Heaven。 On all sides he was followed by the gratitude and the prayers of mortals。
As to Krishna； the Indian god； the points of agreement with the general divine career indicated above are too salient to be overlooked； and too numerous to be fully recorded。 He also was born of a Virgin （Devaki） and in a Cave；＇1＇ and his birth announced by a Star。 It was sought to destroy him； and for that purpose a massacre of infants was ordered。 Everywhere he performed miracles； raising the dead； healing lepers； and the deaf and the blind； and championing the poor and oppressed。 He had a beloved disciple； Arjuna； （cf。 John） before whom he was transfigured。＇2＇ His death is differently relatedas being shot by an arrow； or crucified on a tree。 He descended into hell； and rose again from the dead； ascending into heaven in the sight of many people。 He will return at the last day to be the judge of the quick and the dead。
＇1＇ Cox's Myths of the Aryan Nations； p。 107。
＇2＇ Bhagavat Gita； ch。 xi。
Such are some of the legends concerning the pagan and pre…Christian deitiesonly briefly sketched now； in order that we may get something like a true perspective of the whole subject； but to most of them； and more in detail； I shall return as the argument proceeds。
What we chiefly notice so far are two points； on the one hand the general similarity of these stories with that of Jesus Christ； on the other their analogy with the yearly phenomena of Nature as illustrated by the course of the Sun in heaven and the changes of Vegetation on the earth。
（1） The similarity of these ancient pagan legends and beliefs with Christian traditions was indeed so great that it excited the attention and the undisguised wrath of the early Christian fathers。 They felt no doubt about the similarity； but not knowing how to explain it fell back upon the innocent theory that the Devilin order to confound the Christianshad； CENTURIES BEFORE； caused the pagans to adopt certain beliefs and practices！ （Very crafty； we may say； of the Devil； but also very innocent of the Fathers to believe it！） Justin Martyr for instance describes＇1＇ the institution of the Lord's Supper as narrated in the Gospels； and then goes on to say： 〃Which the wicked devils have IMITATED in the mysteries of Mithra； commanding the same thing to be done。 For； that bread and a cup of water are placed with certain incantations in the mystic rites of one who is being initiated you either know or can learn。〃 Tertullian also says＇2＇ that 〃the devil by the mysteries of his idols imitates even the main part of the divine mysteries。〃 。 。 。 〃He baptizes his worshippers in water and makes them believe that this purifies them from their crimes。〃 。 。 。 〃Mithra sets his mark on the forehead of his soldiers； he celebrates the oblation of bread； he offers an image of the resurrection； and presents at once the crown and the sword； he limits his chief priest to a single marriage； he even has his virgins and ascetics。〃＇3＇ Cortez； too； it will be remembered complained that the Devil had positively taught to the Mexicans the same things which God had taught to Christendom。
＇1＇ I Apol。 c。 66。
＇2＇ De Praescriptione Hereticorum； c。 40； De Bapt。 c。 3； De Corona； c。 15。
＇3＇ For reference to both these examples see J。 M。 Robertson's Pagan Christs； pp。 321； 322。
Justin Martyr again； in the Dialogue with Trypho says that the Birth in the Stable was the prototype （！） of the birth of Mithra in the Cave of Zoroastrianism； and boasts that Christ was born when the Sun takes its birth in the Augean Stable；＇1＇ coming as a second Hercules to cleanse a foul world； and St。 Augustine says 〃we hold this （Christmas） day holy； not like the pagans because of the birth of the Sun； but because of the birth of him who made it。〃 There are plenty of other instances in the Early Fathers of their indignant ascription of these similarities to the work of devils； but we need not dwell over them。 There is no need for US to be indignant。 On the contrary we can now see that these animadversions of the Christian writers are the evidence of how and to what extent in the spread of Christianity over the world it had become fused with the Pagan cults previously existing。
＇1＇ The Zodiacal sign of Capricornus； iii。）。
It was not till the year A。D。 530 or sofive centuries after the supposed birth of Christthat a Scythian Monk； Dionysius Exiguus； an abbot and astronomer of Rome； was commissioned to fix the day and the year of that birth。 A nice problem； considering the historical science of the period！ For year he assigned the date which we now adopt；＇2＇ and for day and month he adopted the 25th December a date which had been in popular use since about 350 B。C。； and the very date； within a day or two； of the supposed birth of the previous Sungods。＇3＇ From that fact alone we may fairly conclude that by the year 530 or earlier the existing Nature…worships had become largely fused into Christianity。 In fact the dates of the main pagan religious festivals had by that time become so popular that Christianity was OBLIGED to accommodate itself to them。＇1＇
＇1＇ As； for instance； the festival of John the Baptist in June took the place of the pagan midsummer festival of water and bathing； the Assumption of the Virgin in August the place of that of Diana in the same month； and the festival of All Souls early in November； that of the world…wide pagan feasts of the dead and their ghosts at the same season。
＇2＇ See Encycl。 Brit。 art。 〃Chronology。〃
＇3＇ 〃There is however a difficulty in accepting the 25th December as the real date of the Nativity； December being the height of the rainy season in Judaea； when neither flocks nor shepherds could have been at night in the fields of Bethlehem〃 （！）。 Encycl。 Brit。 art。 〃Christmas Day。〃 According to Hastings's Encyclopaedia； art。 〃Christmas；〃 〃Usener says that the Feast of the Nativity was held originally on the 6th January （the Epiphany）； but in 353…4 the Pope Liberius displaced it to the 25th December 。 。 。 but there is no evidence of a Feast of the Nativity taking place at all； before the fourth century A。D。〃 It was not till 534 A。D。 that Christmas Day and Epiphany were reckoned by the law…courts as dies non。
This brings us to the second point mentioned a few pages backthe analogy between the Christian festivals and the yearly phenomena of Nature in the Sun and the Vegetation。
Let us take Christmas Day first。 Mithra； as we have seen； was reported to have been born on the 25th December （which in the Julian Calendar was reckoned as the day of the Winter Solstice AND of the Nativity of the Sun）； Plutarch says （Isis and Osiris； c。 12） that Osiris was born on the 361st day of the year； when a Voice rang out proclaiming the Lord of All。 Horus； he says； was born on the 362nd day。 Apollo on the same。
Why was all this？ Why did the Druids at Yule Tide light roaring fires？ Why was the cock supposed to crow all Christmas Eve （〃The bird of dawning singeth all night long〃）？ Why was Apollo born with only one hair （the young Sun with only one feeble ray）？ Why did Samson （name derived from Shemesh； the sun） lose all his strength when he lost his hair？ Why were so many of these gods Mithra； Apollo； Krishna； Jesus； and others； born in caves or underground chambers？＇1＇ Why； at the Easter Eve festival of the Holy Sepulchre at Jerusalem is a light brought from the grave and communicated to the candles of thousands who wait outside； and who rush forth rejoicing to carry the new glory over the world？＇2＇ Why indeed？ except that older than all history and all written records has been the fear and wonderment of the children of men over the failure of the Sun's strength in Autumnthe decay of their God； and the anxiety lest by any means he should not revive or reappear？
＇1＇ This same legend of gods （or idols） being born in caves has； curiously enough； been reported from Mexico； Guatemala； the Antilles； and other places in Central America。 See C。 F。 P。 von Martius； Etknographie Amerika； etc。 （Leipzig； 1867）； vol。 i； p。 758。
＇2＇ Compare the Aztec ceremonial of lighting a holy fire and communicating it to the multitude from the w