rumeysa-babadostu:ancientart:“They also offered strange sacrifices of their own at Olympus, an

rumeysa-babadostu:ancientart:“They also offered strange sacrifices of their own at Olympus, and celebrated there certain secret rites, among which those of Mithras continue to the present time, having been first instituted by them.”-Plutarch, Life of Pompey 24 (translation via uchicago).A quick look at: the cult of Mithras in the Roman Empire.The cult of Mithras first became evident in Rome towards the late 1st century AD. Having originated in Persia, during the next two centuries, it spread to the frontiers of the Western empire. It is referred to as a Roman “mystery” cult, for an initiation ceremony was required in joining, and the members kept the activities and liturgy of the cult strictly secret. Due to the highly secretive nature of the cult, our evidence for it is essentially entirely archaeological. Except for a few mentions here and there, such as the Plutarch quote given above, there is extremely little literary evidence relating to the cult. Evidently, (and unfortunately for us), the members seemed to not have ‘blabbed’.We do know a few things about the cult, however. Made to resemble a cave, worship occurred in temples called mithraea. Approximately 100 of these mithraea are preserved for us across the empire. Typically, the long sides will be lined by dining couches, leaving a narrow aisle. At the end of this aisle will be a cult image depicting Mithras sacrificing a bull (a fairly typical example is given at the top of the post). Here, Mithras is shown in eastern costume, with a Phrygian cap. He slits the neck of a bull, and spills its blood, which a dog licks up. For comparison, see this example from from the Louvre. The caves would have been dark, though occasionally ceilings will have holes pierced to allow some light to enter. The cult seemed to have been particularly popular with the army.Shown artefact courtesy of & currently located at the La Cour d’Or museum in Metz, France Photo taken by Vassil, via the Wiki Commons.Recommended further reading: Manfred Clauss, The Roman Cult of Mithras: The God and His Mysteries (Taylor & Francis, 2001).Also recommended main books by Franz Cumont, Vermasseren-Mithras:The Secret God, for a point of view in history of religions Mircea Eliade and for astronomical mystery meanings you can take a glance on David Ulansey-The Origins of the Mithraic Mysteries.#mithras #mystery religions -- source link

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