Slide 1

Slide 2

1st c. AD 4th c. AD Sources: Depictions on monuments All males Mithraic cult is a mystery religion Mithras = Indo-Persian deity Mitra? Roman origin? Christian?

Slide 3

Mithras was born from a rock. Slaughters a bull, bows to the Sun, Sun and himself eat parts of the bull together. On Latin monuments = Mithras On Greek monuments = Mithra

Slide 4

Rock cave with central aisle and podiums. Centrepiece depicting relief of tauroctony. 400+ temples throughout the Roman Empire Close to streams or springs

Slide 5

Mithras killing a bull. A bit different in style, same concept. Some reliefs have depictions of the myth of Mithras

Slide 6

Relief on opposite side of tauroctony relief. Mithras and Sun dining. Strictly Mithraic Art Arimanius = deus = god

Slide 7

Only holy ones can be initiated into the cult. 5 step ritual

Slide 8

Raven (Mercury) Nymphus (Venus) Soldier (Mars) Lion (Jupiter) Persian (Moon) Heliodromus (Sun) Father (Saturn)

Slide 9

Pearce, Roger. The Roman Cult of Mithras. The Tertullian Project. N.d., Web. 4 Nov. 2013. http://www.tertullian.org/rpearse/mithras/di splay.php?page=main Mithraism.Religion Facts. N.d, N.p. Web 4 Nov. 2013. http://www.religionfacts.com/greco- roman/sects/mithraism.htm Speidel, Michael P. Mithras-Orion. Netherlands: E.J. Brill, 1980, 1-13. Print.