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re one and the same； the god； in fact； SACRIFICED HIMSELF OR HIS REPRESENTATIVE。 And Mithra was the hero who first won this conception of divinity for mankindthough of course it is in essence quite similar to the conception put forward by the Christian Church。
As illustrating the belief that the Baptism by Blood was accompanied by a real regeneration of the devotee； Frazer quotes an ancient writer＇1＇ who says that for some time after the ceremony the fiction of a new birth was kept up by dieting the devotee on MILK； like a new…born babe。 And it is interesting in that connection to find that even in the present day a diet of ABSOLUTELY NOTHING BUT MILK for six or eight weeks is by many doctors recommended as the only means of getting rid of deep…seated illnesses and enabling a patient's organism to make a completely new start in life。
＇1＇ Sallustius philosophus。 See Adonis； Attis and Osiris； note； p。 229。
〃At Rome；〃 he further says （p。 230）； 〃the new birth and the remission of sins by the shedding of bull's blood appear to have been carried out above all at the sanctuary of the Phrygian Goddess （Cybele） on the Vatican Hill； at or near the spot where the great basilica of St。 Peter's now stands； for many inscriptions relating to the rites were found when the church was being enlarged in 1608 or 1609。 From the Vatican as a centre；〃 he continues； 〃this barbarous system of superstition seems to have spread to other parts of the Roman empire。 Inscriptions found in Gaul and Germany prove that provincial sanctuaries modelled their ritual on that of the Vatican。〃
It would appear then that at Rome in the quiet early days of the Christian Church； the rites and ceremonials of Mithra and Cybele； probably much intermingled and blended； were exceedingly popular。 Both religions had been recognized by the Roman State； and the Christians； persecuted and despised as they were； found it hard to make any headway against themthe more so perhaps because the Christian doctrines appeared in many respects to be merely faint replicas and copies of the older creeds。 Robertson maintains＇1＇ that a he…lamb was sacrificed in the Mithraic mysteries； and he quotes Porphyry as saying＇2＇ that 〃a place near the equinoctial circle was assigned to Mithra as an appropriate seat； and on this account he bears the sword of the Ram ＇Aries＇ which is a sign of Mars ＇Ares＇。〃 Similarly among the early Christians； it is said； a ram or lamb was sacrificed in the Paschal mystery。
＇1＇ Pagan Christs； p。 336。
＇2＇ De Antro； xxiv。
Many people think that the association of the Lamb…god with the Cross arose from the fact that the constellation Aries at that time WAS on the heavenly cross （the crossways of the Ecliptic and Equator…see diagram； ch。 iii）； and in the very place through which the Sungod had to pass just before his final triumph。 And it is curious to find that Justin Martyr in his Dialogue with Trypho＇1＇ （a Jew） alludes to an old Jewish practice of roasting a Lamb on spits arranged in the form of a Cross。 〃The lamb；〃 he says； meaning apparently the Paschal lamb； 〃is roasted and dressed up in the form of a cross。 For one spit is transfixed right through the lower parts up to the head； and one across the back； to which are attached the legs ＇forelegs＇ of the lamb。〃
＇1＇ Ch。 xl。
To…day in Morocco at the festival of Eid…el…Kebir； corresponding to the Christian Easter； the Mohammedans sacrifice a young ram and hurry it still bleeding to the precincts of the Mosque； while at the same time every household slays a lamb； as in the Biblical institution； for its family feast。
But it will perhaps be said； 〃You are going too fast and proving too much。 In the anxiety to show that the Lamb…god and the sacrifice of the Lamb were honored by the devotees of Mithra and Cybele in the Rome of the Christian era； you are forgetting that the sacrifice of the Bull and the baptism in bull's blood were the salient features of the Persian and Phrygian ceremonials； some centuries earlier。 How can you reconcile the existence side by side of divinities belonging to such different periods； or ascribe them both to an astronomical origin？〃 The answer is simple enough。 As I have explained before； the Precession of the Equinoxes caused the Sun； at its moment of triumph over the powers of darkness； to stand at one period in the constellation of the Bull； and at a period some two thousand years later in the constellation of the Ram。 It was perfectly natural therefore that a change in the sacred symbols should； in the course of time； take place； yet perfectly natural also that these symbols； having once been consecrated and adopted； should continue to be honored and clung to long after the time of their astronomical appropriateness had passed； and so to be found side by side in later centuries。 The devotee of Mithra or Attis on the Vatican Hill at Rome in the year 200 A。D。 probably had as little notion or comprehension of the real origin of the sacred Bull or Ram which he adored； as the Christian in St。 Peter's to…day has of the origin of the Lamb…god whose vicegerent on earth is the Pope。
It is indeed easy to imagine that the change from the worship of the Bull to the worship of the Lamb which undoubtedly took place among various peoples as time went on； was only a ritual change initiated by the priests in order to put on record and harmonize with the astronomical alteration。 Anyhow it is curious that while Mithra in the early times was specially associated with the bull； his association with the lamb belonged more to the Roman period。 Somewhat the same happened in the case of Attis。 In the Bible we read of the indignation of Moses at the setting up by the Israelites of a Golden Calf； AFTER the sacrifice of the ram…lamb had been institutedas if indeed the rebellious people were returning to the earlier cult of Apis which they ought to have left behind them in Egypt。 In Egypt itself； too； we find the worship of Apis； as time went on； yielding place to that of the Ram… headed god Amun； or Jupiter Ammon。＇1＇ So that both from the Bible and from Egyptian history we may conclude that the worship of the Lamb or Ram succeeded to the worship of the Bull。
＇1＇ Tacitus （Hist。 v。 4） speaks of ram…sacrifice by the Jews in honor of Jupiter Ammon。 See also Herodotus （ii。 42） on the same in Egypt。
Finally it has been pointed out； and there may be some real connection in the coincidence； that in the quite early years of Christianity the FISH came in as an accepted symbol of Jesus Christ。 Considering that after the domination of Taurus and Aries； the Fish （Pisces） comes next in succession as the Zodiacal sign for the Vernal Equinox； and is now the constellation in which the Sun stands at that period； it seems not impossible that the astronomical change has been the cause of the adoption of this new symbol。
Anyhow； and allowing for possible errors or exaggerations； it becomes clear that the travels of the Sun through the belt of constellations which forms the Zodiac must have had； from earliest times； a profound influence on the generation of religious myths and legends。 To say that it was the only influence would certainly be a mistake。 Other causes undoubtedly contributed。 But it was a main and important influence。 The origins of the Zodiac are obscure； we do not know with any certainty the reasons why the various names were given to its component sections； nor can we measure the exact antiquity of these names； but pre…supposing the names of the signs as once givenit is not difficult to imagine the growth of legends connected with the Sun's course among them。
Of all the ancient divinities perhaps Hercules is the one whose role as a Sungod is most generally admitted。 The helper of gods and men； a mighty Traveller； and invoked everywhere as the Saviour； his labors for the good of the world became ultimately defined and systematized as twelve and corresponding in number to the signs of the Zodiac。 It is true that this systematization only took place at a late period； probably in Alexandria； also that the identification of some of the Labors with the actual signs as we have them at present is not always clear。 But considering the wide prevalence of the Hercules myth over the ancient world and the very various astronomical systems it must have been connected with in its origin； this lack of exact correspondence is hardly to be wondered at。
The Labors of Hercules which chiefly interest us are： （1） The capture of the Bull； （2） the slaughter of the Lion； （3） the destruction of the Hydra； （4） of the Boar； （5） the cleansing of the stables of Augeas； （6） the descent into Hades and the taming of Cerberus。 The first of these is in line with the Mithraic conquest of the Bull； the Lion is of course one of the most prominent constellations of the Zodiac； and its conquest is obviously the work of a Saviour of mankind； while the last four labors connect themselves very naturally with the Solar conflict in winter against the powers of darkness。 The Boar （4） we have seen already as the image of Typhon； the prince of darkness； the Hydra （3） was said to be the offspring of Typhon； the descent into Hades （6）generally associated with Hercules' struggle with and victory over Deathlinks on to the descent of the