across the greatly stratified society that rigidly determined one’s lot in so many other realms of life. At night in a forest, senator and slave could worship together as spiritual equals, even though by day the one might rule over the other. Also, they held out hope for transforming one’s pilgrimage through life in a world beset with many seemingly arbitrary terrors because their gods were not localized but had pioneered worldwide journeys themselves. Some of the mystery cults arose out of ancient