Thread by @s7ephen

This book by Walter Burkert captures a series of Lectures given by historians at Harvard University in April 1982.

It catalogs the shocking occult magic and beliefs of the Roman aristocracy. Their "democracy" and government were INFUSED with DARK stuff...

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I first stumbled on this book while researching the true beliefs of the Roman Aristocracy after reading about it in Zielinski's "The Religion of Ancient Greece"
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I was shocked to learn that Druidism and Mithraism (which is where certain traditions like 'kissing under mistletoe' and bringing a tree into the home for the Winter Solstice) were DEEPLY infused in Roman officials

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Emperor Julian himself was an initiate of the cult of Mithras.

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Walter Burkert's book goes into details about Bacchus and the Cult of Baccanalia and their traditions, but a shorter way to describe how they infused themselves into Roman culture (kinda) is this tiktok video I archived a few years ago:

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Anyway, these various occult rituals were so deeply embedded that even Blood rituals were a common thing in Roman life. I discovered this when researching the "truthfulness" of what was depicted in John Milius's Rome 👇

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Here is the specific scene from John Milius' "Rome" where Atia performs a blood ritual (overseen by Kabbalist Rabbis) to ensure the safety of her son Gaius Octavian (grand-nephew of Gaius Julias Caesar)

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According to Burkert's book these bull-based blood rituals were called "taurobolium". They were considered a STRONG magic, but they were also expensive ceremonies, so only the aristocracy could essentially afford the strongest magic.

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But it doesnt just stop there, "Pharmakoi" were HUMAN sacrifices that were popular with the Hellenist occultists (if you didnt catch that from the earlier collage).

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Discovering all this stuff was mindblowing. It shifted my worldview the same way it shifted when I learned that the "Elizabethan age" wasnt just dainty clothes & music, but fulla straight-up hardcore OCCULT rituals.

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aaand it get's worse...not only were the elaborate occult rituals exclusive to the wealthy, but ELECTIONS THEMSELVES had to be performed and SANCTIONED by men called "galloi", occult priests who performed extreme offerings (castrations and blood rituals).

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From here my research tentacled into Philo (an INCREDIBLY influential Hellenist philosopher) before getting sidetracked entirely...

but Philo is relevant especially regarding the first Popes and the Flavians. (see quote tweet below)

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ANYWAY, doesn't all of the above give fresh new context to Jesus' beef with the Romans!? 🤣

BTW the book is fully free here:


I gotta go put presents under the tree now! Merry Christmas folks! Credo in Deum Patrem... archive.org/details/Ancien…