s, which still is polytheism. In this concept were other beings, lower in stature, called daimons, closely related to demons in Christianity, which explained the evil in this world, because evil could not be ascribed to God (Goodman 289).This panoramic view of gods led to a religion that was not a solidified, cohesive set of beliefs. Every person had his or her individual god that they were fear or love, and expected blessings or vengeance. Included in this view on the deities, was a despondent view on the afterlife. Some believed in a Homeric view of the afterlife, where the very best will go to the Elysian Fields. But this abode was only for the heroes, the rest would go to a more dreary place in Hades. The greatest honor that a person can receive is to be a considered a hero, but few ever were. It was small comfort for the observers of a funeral procession to hope that there loved ones might go to the Elysian Fields, where if by a small chance they do, they will not be reunited with their loved ones. Other views, such as one portrayed by Plutarch, envisioned a half conciousness, a mere spark of life within your tomb for eternity. Other authors denied any notion of an afterlife. How an oppressive of a thought, the end of life at death, or slowly suffocating forever in your tomb. (MacMullen 11). But there was no real universal idea on afterlife or the on the gods. Indeed, it was not a religion per se, it was just a set of individual beliefs that had a weak link between other individual beliefs. And through all these holes and cracks that this religion had, Christianity was able to seep through, and seep it did. The main reason why Christianity was able to penetrate into the Roman Empire is because of its differences. Compare paganism to Christianity: the main principles are extremely different, if not polar opposites. Christianity demands that a person makes a choice, not to be tolerant. To a Christian, there are no other valid religi...
