ght that man qualifies himself for union with spiritual forces
after death, in proportion as he uses his powers on earth for furthering
the purposes of those spiritual forces. Those especially, who had worked
most zealously in this way between birth and death would be united with
the lofty Sun-God Osiris. On the Chaldaic-Babylonian side of this stream
of civilization the direction of the human mind toward the physical
sense-world was more conspicuous than on the Egyptian side. The laws of
that world were being investigated and from its reflection in the
sense-world these people looked up to the corresponding spiritual
prototypes. Yet in many respects the nation remained wedded to physical
things. Instead of the star-spirit, the star was put first, and instead of
other spiritual beings their earthly counterparts were made prominent.
Only the leaders attained to really deep knowledge concerning the laws of
the supersensible world and its connection with the physical. The contrast
between the knowledge of the Initiates and the perverted beliefs of the
people became more apparent in these nations than anywhere else.

Very different conditions existed in those parts of Southern Europe and
western Asia where the fourth epoch of post-Atlantean civilization was
unfolded. In occult science, it is called the Greco-Roman period.
Descendants of peoples inhabiting widely distant parts of the older world
had met together in these countries. Here were oracle-sanctuaries which
conformed to the various Atlantean oracles; here were people with the
heritage of ancient clairvoyance as a natural gift, and others who were
able to acquire it, with comparative ease, by training. The traditions of
the ancient Initiates were not only preserved in special places, but
worthy successors to them arose, who attracted disciples capable of rising
to lofty levels of spiritual vision. Moreover, these races had within them
the impulse to create a domain within the sense-world which expresses the
spiritual in perfect form through the physical.

Greek art is, among other things, a result of this impulse. It is only
necessary to gaze with the eye of the spirit upon a Greek temple, in order
to see that in this marvel of art, material substance is so worked upon by
man that it appears in every detail as the expression of spirit. The Greek
temple is the "House of the Spirit." One sees in its form what otherwise
only The Spiritual eye of the seer perceives. The t