L’ Orient créé par Franz Cumont, ou l’ ambiguïté de sa présentation des religions orientales

Cumont thought « his » Oriental Religions superior to ancient Graeco-Roman polytheism. He was not a racist, but his attitude towards the ancient and modern Orient was stereotypical, paternalist and inspired by colonialism : to realize their potential, Orientals were and are in need of the West. The Persians are an exception. He is an evolutionist and this is reflected in his discourse in every chapter. During the ’20s, Cumont accepted the demographical and racial theories of Tenney Frank. The success of the Oriental Religions is no longer explained by the migration of superior ideas, but by the replacement of the Italian population by Oriental immigrants and their offspring