In both republic and empire there are instances of the official adoption of new non-Roman gods, but often after initial resistance and unsuccessful attempts at suppression. The literary sources indicate that new cults were adopted by the state in times of crisis, especially plague or disaster in war. However, since the original infiltration of a new cult leaves little or no trace in the literary or archaeological record, it is quite possible that the literary record of the official adoption of a new cult merely indicates that the state authorities were sanctioning an already prevalent practice. Once a cult had taken hold of the populace, it generally would have been expedient to adapt it by eliminating unacceptable practices, rather than attempt to suppress it.