▁in ▁society , ▁devoted ▁rig orous ▁study ▁to ▁the ▁orig ins ▁of ▁religious ▁cult s . ▁In ▁his ▁Anti quit ates ▁R er um ▁Div inar um ▁( which ▁has ▁not ▁surv ived , ▁but ▁August ine ' s ▁City ▁of ▁God ▁indicates ▁its ▁general ▁approach ) ▁Var ro ▁arg ues ▁that ▁whereas ▁the ▁super st it ious ▁man ▁fear s ▁the ▁gods , ▁the ▁truly ▁religious ▁person ▁v ener ates ▁them ▁as ▁parents . ▁According ▁to ▁Var ro , ▁there ▁have ▁been ▁three ▁accounts ▁of ▁de ities ▁in ▁the ▁Roman ▁society : ▁the ▁myth ical ▁account ▁created ▁by ▁po ets ▁for ▁theatre ▁and ▁entertain ment , ▁the ▁civil ▁account ▁used ▁by ▁people ▁for ▁v ener ation ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁by ▁the ▁city , ▁and ▁the ▁natural ▁account ▁created ▁by ▁the ▁philosoph ers . ▁The ▁best ▁state ▁is , ▁adds ▁Var ro , ▁where ▁the ▁civil ▁the ology ▁comb ines ▁the ▁po etic ▁myth ical ▁account ▁with ▁the ▁phil os opher ' s . ▁ ▁Roman ▁Academ ic ▁C otta ▁rid ic ules ▁both ▁literal ▁and ▁alleg or ical ▁accept ance ▁of ▁myth , ▁declaring ▁round ly ▁that ▁myth s ▁have ▁no ▁place ▁in ▁philosophy . ▁Cic ero ▁is ▁also ▁generally ▁dis d ain ful ▁of ▁myth , ▁but , ▁like ▁Var ro , ▁he ▁is ▁em ph atic ▁in ▁his ▁support ▁for ▁the ▁state ▁religion ▁and ▁its ▁institutions . ▁It ▁is ▁difficult ▁to ▁know ▁how ▁far ▁down ▁the ▁social ▁scale ▁this ▁rational ism ▁extended . ▁Cic ero ▁as ser ts ▁that ▁no