Final answer:
Mystery cults were popular among the lower classes in Egypt, Persia, Greece, and Italy in the last century BCE. They promised spiritual salvation and the possibility of eternal life through secret initiation rituals.
Step-by-step explanation:
Mystery cults, such as the cults of Mithras and Isis, were popular among the lower classes in Egypt, Persia, Greece, and Italy in the last century BCE. These cults offered secret initiation rituals and promised their members spiritual salvation and the possibility of eternal life.
The allure of these mystery religions may have been their focus on individual spiritual experiences and the promise of a better afterlife, which may have been particularly appealing to the lower classes who may have felt excluded from the mainstream religious practices of the time.