Altar of Victory - Paganism’s Last Battle
Rev. James J. Sheridan (pdf)
Number of quotes: 15
Book ID: 351 Page: 187
Section: 3A1B
After the victory at Actium in 31 B. C., Augustus placed on an altar in the Curia Julia a statue of Victory found at Tarentum and probably the work of a Greek artist. This was to be the most famous of the Roman statues of Victory. Altar of Victory senators burned incense, offered prayers annually for the welfare of the empire, took their oaths and pledged allegiance on the accession of each new emperor. Thus the statue became one of the most vital links between the Roman state and Roman religion and also a tangible reminder of Rome’s great past and her hopes for the future.There is no indication that Christians took any objection to the statue until 357 A. D., forty-four years after the Edict of Milan. In that year, Constantius II visited Rome and ordered the removal of the Altar of Victory. It is difficult to determine what exactly happened. The Altar was certainly restored.
….
The Christian emperors, Jovian (363, 364) and Valentinian I (364–375), left it unmolested. In 382 Gratian, influenced by St. Ambrose, took away some privileges, relating to property inheritance and support from state funds, from the pagan priests and the Vestal Virgins and also ordered the removal of the Statue of Victory {9}. This decree deeply affected the pagan senators and they decided to appeal to the emperor. The Christian senators in turn sent a counter-appeal to Pope Damasus.
Quote ID: 8110
Time Periods: 014
Book ID: 351 Page: 191
Section: 3A1B
If the senate in 394, because it had a pagan majority, could withstand the moody Theodosius I, fresh from a victory (considered miraculous) over the pagans, why could not the senate, if it had a pagan majority, withstand the milder Gratian in 382 and the youthful Valentinian II in 384?
Quote ID: 8112
Time Periods: 014
Book ID: 351 Page: 192
Section: 3A2B
If the senate in 394, because it had a pagan majority, could withstand the moody Theodosius I, fresh from a victory (considered miraculous) over the pagans, why could not the senate, if it had a pagan majority, withstand the milder Gratian in 382 and the youthful Valentinian II in 384?
Quote ID: 8113
Time Periods: 014
Book ID: 351 Page: 192
Section: 3A1B
RE: The Theodosian Renaissance (4th cent revival of pagan civilization):Side by side with this and in many ways overlapping it and entwined with it, was the idea of a progressive Christianization of the Roman imperial institutions. Ambrose was very sympathetic to the latter idea and envisaged Christian Rome as the fulfillment of the pax Romana of Augustus {31}. There were, of course, certain things that could admit of no Christianization and among them would be the Altar of Victory.
Quote ID: 8114
Time Periods: 014
Book ID: 351 Page: 194/195
Section: 3A1B
ME: It is not known whether the Senate was mostly Christian or Pagan at this time. Arguments are made on both sides.Symmachus presented his petition. Ambrose immediately lodged his objections. The battle had begun. It was to be a battle between Symmachus and Ambrose. It was no one-sided conflict. The two men had much in common. Symmachus, born of a distinguished family between 340 and 345, had been trained by a Gallic rhetor.
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Symmachus became the greatest Latin orator of his day {38} and as a result, some of the highest offices in the State fell to his lot. in 369, he was sent on a deputation to Gaul and became a close friend of Ausonius, a Christian, eminent grammaticus and rhetor and tutor to Gratian. In 373, he became proconsul of Africa. We have already mentioned him as Prefect of Rome. He was a cultured man and a sincere pagan. He whom the admiration of of every worthwhile person, pagan or Christian, with whom he came in contact.
Ambrose was born in 334 or 340 {40}. [me: his family was prominent.] After his father’s death he was brought back to Rome and given the same type of education and with the same end in view as Symmachus. He, too, became a famous orator and had a prominent post assigned to him.
Page 95 starts here:
It was while at Milan in this official capacity and still a catechumen that he was elected bishop. He, too, had the faculty of inspiring deep and loyal friendships and it is not surprising that he and Symmachus were, and always remained close personal friends {41}.
{38} Prudentius, Contra Symmachum, II.19.
Quote ID: 8115
Time Periods: 014
Book ID: 351 Page: 195
Section: 3A1B
For Aristotle Rhetoric is the power of observing in each particular case the available means of persuasion {43}. The technical means of persuasion came under three heads – the personal character of the speaker, the establishing of a favorable frame of mind in the audience, the proofs (or apparent proofs) contained in the speech itself {44}.
Quote ID: 8116
Time Periods: 014
Book ID: 351 Page: 196
Section: 3A1B
Me: the following is FN 46, not the text.{46} To give an example from Ambrose himself: In 388 a Jewish Synagogue was burned at Callinicum, a place described by Ambrose as ignobili castro [me: "a lowly castle"]. The Christian bishop seems to have been accountable for the burning. Theodosius I ordered the bishop to rebuild the synagogue. Ambrose intervened. His picture of the dire consequences that would result from this edict becomes ridiculous unless we make allowances for rhetorical exaggeration.
Ep. XL, especially 20. M. 1155.
Quote ID: 8117
Time Periods: 014
Book ID: 351 Page: 200
Section: 3A1B
Me: Sheridan’s summary of Ambrose’ argument on Page 198:"Christian senators cannot take an oath at a pagan altar."
Me: My summary of Ambrose’ argument on Page 199:
Is Ambrose threatening the emperor with excommunication, as he had doen with Theodosius I?Page 200:
Symmachus in his Relatio to the emperor: "We are asking that the gods of our fathers, the gods of our country be left unmolested. All religions should be regarded as one. They all seek truth and there is no one road to so vast a secret {60}."
{60"} This is the best known sentence in the Relatio.
Quote ID: 8118
Time Periods: 014
Book ID: 351 Page: 201
Section: 3A1B
Ambrose speaking for Rome (responding in kind to Symmachu’s speaking for Rome:"I am not ashamed to be converted, along with the whole world, at my age. It is indeed true that no age is too late to learn…It is no shame to change to a better course."
Quote ID: 8119
Time Periods: 014
Book ID: 351 Page: 202
Section: 3A1B
Symmachus:"Why is Roman religion not given the protection of Roman law?"
Ambrose:
You offer all kinds of inducements to your Vestals and yet you can find only a few willing to accept the office. They accept it for its worldly rewards. That is not true virginity. What about the Christians Virgins? They get no earthly reward; their life is one of hard work and privations. Yet their number is very large. Set a reward for virginity, but give it also to Christian Virgins. The Treasury will soon be bankrupt. The pagan Virgins got all under pagan emperors; surely it is only fair that Christian Virgins should have a share under Christian emperors. They complain about about the disabilities of their priests. What about Christian priests?"
Quote ID: 8120
Time Periods: 014
Book ID: 351 Page: 202
Section: 3A1B
Ambrose:"The possessions of the Christian Church are meant for the poor. How many captives have the pagan temples ransomed? How much food have they given to the poor? How many exiles have they supported {69}."
{69} "He seems to be trying to correct popular misconceptions about the Church rather than answering Symmachus. The personal wealth of some of the clergy may have placed him in a difficult position and he may have been trying to circumvent sensitive topics."
Quote ID: 8121
Time Periods: 014
Book ID: 351 Page: 204
Section: 3A1B
"Symmachus pleaded for the Altar on historical grounds, pointing to ther antiquity of worship. Ambrose was on difficult ground here. Anything connected with the maiores was firmly entrenched in Rome. Ambrose evaded the question. He talked about the pervasiveness of change. The physical world has gone through many changes, the moon has its phases, the year its seasons, man changes from infancy to maturity. Why should there not be a development in religious belief {72}? Roman religion itself has changed. It has adopted many foreign rites.". . .
Symmachus had suggested that the removal of the Altar of Victory would mean that the senators could no longer guarantee the truth of their statements by an oath. Ambrose replied that a Christian emperor could not allow men to bind themselves to faithlfulness by pagan ceremonies."
Quote ID: 8122
Time Periods: 014
Book ID: 351 Page: 205
Section: 3A1B
RE: the Relatio:"With its quiet dignity, reserve, sincerity, and its pathetic promise that, if they get their Altar back, they will be careful to avoid insulting displays, it is a most appealing piece of writing. Ambrose in another place tells us that the first reaction of those in the Council of the Emperor, both Christian and pagan, was to restore the Altar and that Valentinian II had to convince perfidious Christians and oppose pagans. {75}. Ambrose’s answer has more force and fire. One can see the tension throughout it. He was a patriotic Roman, and Symmachus’ arguments made a deep impression on him. He was fighting his own feelings as well as Symmachus’ arguments.
Quote ID: 8123
Time Periods: 014
Book ID: 351 Page: 206
Section: 3A1B
There is one final reference. Writing in 403, Claudian mentions that the Statue of Victory is once again back in the Curia and will remain there {80}. If this is true (and there is no good reason to doubt it), Stilicho or Honorius, influenced by Stilicho, must have restored the Statue of Victory to its place, or, if it had never been removed from its place, must have reorganized some rites in connection with it {81}.The fate of the Altar and Statue of Victory was finally sealed by the law of 408 against heathen statues {82}.
{81} Some think that removals and restorations refer to both the Altar of Victory and the Statue of Victory. Others think that the statue was never removed from its place. There is no statement in ther ancient authors as to what happened to the Statue when the Altar was removed, and certainty on this point is unattainable.
{82} Cod. Theo. XVI.10.19.
Quote ID: 8125
Time Periods: 4
End of quotes