AHC :: Latest possible POD for surviving Greco-Roman Paganism

Basically what it says on the tin. What is the latest possible POD to preserve or revive Greco-Roman Polytheism as a significant religious and philosophical force in the Western World?

This doesn't necessarily mean that Christianity or Monotheism has to be avoided and I allow for perhaps a Chinese style situation where for example Buddhism, Daosim or Confucism had state sanction while the Ancient local cults and practices survive while the powers at be alternate between persecuting one and supporting another at various times and the end result doesn't necessarily have to look anything like the Classical Polytheism we know. But all the basic hallmarks of the religion i.e functioning temples, sacrifices being performed, the basic moral precepts, academies and institutions not to mention at least a sizeable minority or worshippers must survive.

Brownie points for anyone who can revive polytheism after the death of Emperor Julian.
 
Remember that Greco-Roman Paganism didn't existed as an unified or really hegemonic form : we're talking of a set of beliefs that could vary a lot regionally, complementary with regional customs (Gallo-Roman deities, Egyptian pantheon, etc.), with a "rivality" between urban and rural practices, to not speak of more or less integrated foreign beliefs.

And giving that it evolved as every religious and cultural belief, I don't think you could see the survival of its classical form.

Anyhow, I think the safest bet would be an erlier fall of the Roman Empire in the IIIrd century. Roman successors states (that I'd call "duchies" for being shorts) in the East would certainly be more touched by Christianity (on a more or less early form, still quite divided into non-that-well-definied beliefs) but with rivality from other eastern beliefs including what was called later paganism.

In the West, it would be even more clear : Christianism, safe in big cities (and it was a minority belief even there), was largely not present.

Without an imperial power to pull Christianism as an imperial bezlief, and then making it boost thanks to political support from the 5/15% of believers it may have represented in the early IVth, it would be piece of cake to prevent its rise.

What's more : present in a divided (politically) workd with multiple influences, it's possible that w don't see a concept of structurated Christianity with one clear hierarchy.

But, the beliefs that would survive would certainly be different from classical paganism (neo-platonicism and plotinism would probably be influential on urban elites and the conception of deity, while popular practices would remain closer to traditional customs, for exemple). On this the comparison with Buddhism, and elite/urban takes on it differing from popular ones, is spot on.
 
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