The Romans administered the priestly offices only to the gods of their fathers.
Gibbon, throughout the whole preceding sketch of the opinions of the Romans and their subjects, has shown through what causes they were free from religious hatred and its consequences.

But, on the other hand the internal state of these religions, the infidelity and hypocrisy of the upper orders, the indifference towards all religion, in even the better part of the common people, during the last days of the republic, and under the Caesars, and the corrupting principles of the philosophers, had exercised a very pernicious influence on the manners, and even on the constitution .-- W.] [Footnote 15: In the year of Rome 701, the temple of Isis and Serapis was demolished by the order of the Senate, (Dion Cassius, l.xl.

p.
252,) and even by the hands of the consul, (Valerius Maximus, l.

3.) After the death of Caesar it was restored at the public expense, (Dion.
l.xlvii.p.

501.) When Augustus was in Egypt, he revered the majesty of Serapis, (Dion, l.li.p.