Roman Empire and Greek religion

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Eoghan

Puritan Board Senior
As I am working my way through the gospels and Acts I am struck by the frequency with which I am coming across the Romans (Centurions mostly) and elements of Greek religion. Is there a good book covering these two?

Acts 16 describes the fortune telling slave girl as a "Pythoness" (G4436 in Acts 16:16). So what was a pythoness and what was her function in Greek religion?
 
How's about The Story Of Civilization (Caesar and Christ).....part of a series of books written by the historian Will Durant. Since its a series, see if your local library has it.
 
You might also try The Life of Greece the volume preceding Caesar and Christ. Greek and Roman religious practices were, by the time of the NT, nearly identical except for certain localized practices (the Oracle at Delphi, the Eleusian Mysteries, the Vestal Virgins at Rome, the cult of Artemis of the Ephesians, etc.).
 
Nice reads both (The Story Of Civilization) albeit long & very detailed ....The Caesar & Christ volume well over 700 Pages. Lastly the series has "The Reformation" which I just completed a few months back. All fascinating historical books.
 
I bought the Will Durrand book on Greece. I was alittle dissapointed that he was not speaking from an evangelical standpoint but saw a continuation/continuity of Greek belief in christian (small "C") belief. Is there no evangelical scholar who has written about Greek life and belief (and yes Roman organisation is also of interest). F.F. BRUCE is my way into much of the Greek way of thought but he obviously had access to much more information I than do. Of all the commentaries I have read only he tries to attempt to find the Greeks quoted by Paul at the Areopagas (Acts 17).
 
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