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→Relevance of Universal Religions and Empires
The immediate effect of many of the universal religions is they led to the downfall of many of the old religions that once spanned Eurasia. Gradually, either through persecution, financial incentive, coercion, or just normal belief, most polytheistic religions ceased to exist, outside of some lingering stories and traditions that often became incorporated into the new universal religions. For example, many saints' days were often days in celebration of ancient gods.<ref>For more on polytheistic faiths and the types of worlds they created, see: Johnston, S. I. (Ed.). (2004). <i>Religions of the ancient world: a guide.</i> Cambridge, Mass: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press.</ref>
[[File:KellsFol032vChristEnthroned.jpg|thumbnail|Figure 1. While empires often did not start universal religions, they often did become the vehicle in which they spread. For example, Christianity greatly expanded as part of the official reiligion of Rome.]]
==Impact of Universal Religions==