Insight into how ancient ideas of virtue and duty evolved—and how Christianity redefined them. This study traces Greek ideals of righteousness from Homeric and classical thought through Orphism, Euripides, and the major philosophers. It then contrasts Eastern cults and Roman religion with the rise of Christianity, showing how shifts in belief, ritual, and social order reshaped moral life.

In one accessible account, the reader is led from early Greek notions of moderation and virtue, through the mysticism of Orphism, to the confident ethics of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. The discussion also surveys the religious world of Rome, its priests, ascetic currents, and the ways Christian teaching offered a new moral grammar for individuals and communities.

What you’ll experience:
- A guided tour of Greek and Roman ideas about virtue, purity, and the good life.
- Analysis of Orphic beliefs and how they differ from later Christian conceptions.
- Profiles of key thinkers, from Euripides to Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle.
- A comparative look at Eastern worships and the transformation Christianity brought to morality and society.

Ideal for readers of classical philosophy, religious history, and intellectual biography seeking a concise, expert overview of how ancient ideals gave way to a new Christian ethic.

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