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.