...it kept them happy. "The various modes of worship which prevailed in the Roman world," Gibbon wrote, "were all considered by the people as equally true,...equally false, and by the magistrate as equally useful." Rousseau did care about belief, and there is some truth to Germaine de Staël's comment that he was...

...the pagan rituals of the imperial Pax Romana, when its subjects' diverse 'modes of worship . . . were considered by the people as equally true; by the philosopher...equally false; and by the magistrate as equally useful' (1909-14, 1.28). On the other hand, through its network of churches and bishops, Christianity had actually...

...the matter which is given by Mr. Gibbon: "The various modes of worship which prevailed in the Roman world were all considered by the people as equally...false, and by the magistrate as equally useful:" and I would ask from which of these three classes of men were the Christian missionaries to look for protection...

...zin van de Engelse historicus GIBBON (1788) toepasselijk: "The various modes of worship in the Roman world were all considered by the people, as equally...false, and by the magistrate, as equally useful." Kortom, de kritiek spitste zich vooral toe op het bedenkelijke rationele gehalte van de religie dat...

...Gibbon thus summed up the Roman outlook: "The various modes of worship which prevailed in the Roman world, were all considered by the people, as equally...false, and by the magistrate, as equally useful." As in Rome, worldly politicians nowadays tend to treat the other-worldly as useful and pliable partners....

...Janus and Minerva. As Edward Gibbon wrote, "The various modes of worship, which prevailed in the Roman world, were all considered by the people, as equally...false; and by the magistrate, as equally useful." 13 Fifteen hundred miles from Rome, the Jews in the Roman province of Judea could worship the God of...