The Roman Cult Of Mithras

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Roman Cult of Mithras

Manfred Clauss
Roman Cult of Mithras Book PDF

Author : Manfred Clauss
Publisher : Edinburgh University Press
Page : 223 pages
File Size : 55,9 Mb
Release : 2019-06-01
Category : History
ISBN : 9781474465793

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Roman Cult of Mithras by Manfred Clauss Pdf

Since its publication in Germany, Manfred Clauss's introduction to the Roman Mithras cult has become widely accepted as the most reliable, as well as the most readable, account of its elusive and fascinating subject. For the English edition the author has revised the work to take account of recent research and new archaeological discoveries. The mystery cult of Mithras first became evident in Rome towards the end of the first century AD. During the next two centuries, carried by its soldier and merchant devotees, it spread to the frontier of the western empire from Britain to Bosnia. Perhaps because of odd similarities between the cult and their own religion the early Christians energetically suppressed it, frequently constructing churches over the caves (Mithraea) in which its rituals took place. By the end of the fourth century the cult was extinct.Professor Clauss draws on the archaeological evidence from over 400 temples and their contents including over a thousand representations of ritual in sculpure and painting to seek an understanding of the nature and purpose of the cult, and what its mysteries and secret rites of initiation and sacrifice meant to its devotees. In doing so he introduces the reader to the nature of the polytheistic societies of the Roman Empire, in which relations and distinctions between gods and mortals now seem strangely close and blurred. He also considers the connections of Mithraicism with astrology, and examines how far it can be seen as a direct descendant of the ancient cult of Mitra, the Persian god of contract, cattle and light. The book combines imaginative insight with coherent argument. It is well-structured, accessibly written and extensively illustrated. Richard Gordon, the translator and himself a distinguished scholar of the subject, has provided a bibliography of further reading for anglophone readers.

The Religion of the Mithras Cult in the Roman Empire

Roger Beck
The Religion of the Mithras Cult in the Roman Empire Book PDF

Author : Roger Beck
Publisher : OUP Oxford
Page : 304 pages
File Size : 52,8 Mb
Release : 2006-01-12
Category : History
ISBN : 9780191518232

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The Religion of the Mithras Cult in the Roman Empire by Roger Beck Pdf

A study of the religious system of Mithraism, one of the 'mystery cults' popular in the Roman Empire contemporary with early Christianity. Roger Beck describes Mithraism from the point of view of the initiate engaging with the religion and its rich symbolic system in thought, word, ritual action, and cult life. He employs the methods of anthropology of religion and the new cognitive science of religion to explore in detail the semiotics of the Mysteries' astral symbolism, which has been the principal subject of his many previous publications on the cult.

The Cult of Mithras in Late Antiquity

David Walsh
The Cult of Mithras in Late Antiquity Book PDF

Author : David Walsh
Publisher : BRILL
Page : 158 pages
File Size : 48,7 Mb
Release : 2018-11-29
Category : History
ISBN : 9789004383067

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The Cult of Mithras in Late Antiquity by David Walsh Pdf

In The Cult of Mithras in Late Antiquity David Walsh examines how and why the cult of Mithras vanished from the Roman Empire by the early 5th century C.E.

Lord of the Cosmos

Michael Patella, OSB
Lord of the Cosmos Book PDF

Author : Michael Patella, OSB
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing USA
Page : 145 pages
File Size : 53,9 Mb
Release : 2006-04-24
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9780567305077

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Lord of the Cosmos by Michael Patella, OSB Pdf

In Lord of the Cosmos, Patella demonstrates the ways in which the Roman Imperial religion imbues Paul's letter and subsequently Mark's Gospel. Mark resonated in the imperial capital and beyond because of its inherent participationist theology, a theology probably augmented by Paul and possibly introduced by him. In his own writings, Paul draws from Mithraic vocabulary and symbolism. Mithraism itself functions within the cosmic framework outlined in Plato's Timaeus. Pauline theology, with its Mithraic overtones, coheres with the Markan theme of Christ's cosmic victory over Satan; Paul and Mark share a similar view of Christ's salvific act. With the Bartimaeus pericope (10:46-52), the Markan Gospel demonstrates that believers, by their call to discipleship, participate in that victory. This whole process is signaled by the baptism with its divine communication and actions of descent and ascent, a strong Pauline concept. Patella shows that the Markan presentation of Jesus' death, the climax of the narrative, brings the act of divine communication full circle. At the baptism, God communicates to creation, and with Jesus' cry from the cross, creation replies in despair. Jesus' death is not the end of the story, however. The women at the tomb realize this fact and are awestruck at its significance, which is the reason that they do not tell anyone what they have witnessed. The notice to meet Jesus in Galilee is an affirmation of the resurrection. By moving from the area of the dead, that is the tomb, to the land of the living, Galilee, Mark echoes the cosmic theology in Paul, which moves from life to death, and back to eternal life.

A Companion to Roman Britain

Malcolm Todd
A Companion to Roman Britain Book PDF

Author : Malcolm Todd
Publisher : John Wiley & Sons
Page : 528 pages
File Size : 50,8 Mb
Release : 2008-04-15
Category : History
ISBN : 9780470998854

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A Companion to Roman Britain by Malcolm Todd Pdf

This major survey of the history and culture of Roman Britain spans the period from the first century BC to the fifth century AD. Major survey of the history and culture of Roman Britain Brings together specialists to provide an overview of recent debates about this period Exceptionally broad coverage, embracing political, economic, cultural and religious life Focuses on changes in Roman Britain from the first century BC to the fifth century AD Includes pioneering studies of the human population and animal resources of the island.

The Mysteries of Mithras

Payam Nabarz
The Mysteries of Mithras Book PDF

Author : Payam Nabarz
Publisher : Inner Traditions / Bear & Co
Page : 244 pages
File Size : 52,9 Mb
Release : 2005-06-09
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
ISBN : 1594770271

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The Mysteries of Mithras by Payam Nabarz Pdf

The Mysteries of Mithras presents a revival of this ancient Roman mystery religion, popular from the late second century B.C. Payam Nabarz reveals the history and tenets of Mithraism, its connections to Christianity, Islam, and Freemasonry, and the modern neo-pagan practice of Mithraism today. Included are seven of its initiatory rituals.

The Roman Mithras Cult

Olympia Panagiotidou,Roger Beck
The Roman Mithras Cult Book PDF

Author : Olympia Panagiotidou,Roger Beck
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing
Page : 240 pages
File Size : 47,6 Mb
Release : 2017-11-02
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
ISBN : 9781472567406

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The Roman Mithras Cult by Olympia Panagiotidou,Roger Beck Pdf

The Roman Mithras Cult: A Cognitive Approach is the first full cognitive history of an ancient religion. In this groundbreaking book on one of the most intriguing and mysterious ancient religions, Roger Beck and Olympia Panagiotidou show how cognitive historiography can supplement our historical knowledge and deepen our understanding of past cultural phenomenon. The cult of the sun god Mithras, which spread widely across the Greco-Roman world at the same time as other 'mystery cults' and Christianity, offered to its devotees certain images and assumptions about reality. Initiation into the mysteries of Mithras and participation in the life of the cult significantly affected and transformed the ways in which the initiated perceived themselves, the world, and their position within it. The cult's major ideas were conveyed mainly through its major symbolic complexes. The ancient written testimonies and other records are not adequate to establish a definitive reconstruction of Mithraic theologies and the meaning of its complex symbolic structures. Filling this gap, The Roman Mithras Cult: A Cognitive Approach identifies the cognitive and psychological processes which took place in the minds and bodies of the Mithraists during their initiation and participation in the mysteries, enabling the perception, apprehension, and integration of the essential images and assumptions of the cult in its worldview system.

The Mysteries of Mithra

Franz Cumont
The Mysteries of Mithra Book PDF

Author : Franz Cumont
Publisher : Health Research Books
Page : 262 pages
File Size : 42,7 Mb
Release : 1996-09
Category : Religion
ISBN : 0787302317

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The Mysteries of Mithra by Franz Cumont Pdf

1910 Translated from the 2nd revised French edition by Thomas J. McCormack. 3-color folded map showing the dissemination of the Mithraic Mysteries - Plus several pages of preface & 50 cuts & illustrations of unusual statues, fragments, etc.

The Mysteries of Mithras

Attilio Mastrocinque
The Mysteries of Mithras Book PDF

Author : Attilio Mastrocinque
Publisher : Mohr Siebeck
Page : 392 pages
File Size : 42,5 Mb
Release : 2017-08-07
Category : Religion
ISBN : 3161551125

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The Mysteries of Mithras by Attilio Mastrocinque Pdf

Attilio Mastrocinque explains the mysteries of Mithras in a new way, as a transformation of Mazdean elements into an ideological and religious reading of Augustus' story. The author shows that the character of Mithras played the role of Apollo in favoring Augustus' victory and the birth of the Roman Empire.

The Mysteries of Mithras

Charles River Charles River Editors
The Mysteries of Mithras Book PDF

Author : Charles River Charles River Editors
Publisher : Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
Page : 80 pages
File Size : 43,7 Mb
Release : 2018-02-20
Category : Electronic
ISBN : 1985727315

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The Mysteries of Mithras by Charles River Charles River Editors Pdf

*Includes pictures *Includes ancient accounts describing Mithras *Includes online resources and a bibliography for further reading *Includes a table of contents "It is as though the living tradition and written records of Christianity had disappeared from the world for fifteen hundred years, and there remained to us only a few hundred monuments and the ruins of some three-score churches. What could we glean from these of the doctrines of the faith? How, from such meagre remains, could we reconstruct the story of the God, the saving doctrines, the rituals, the liturgies?" - G.R.S. Mead, The Mysteries of Mithra In the early Roman Empire, as Christianity struggled to gain a foothold and survive in the polytheistic pool of Roman theology, its greatest rivals weren't the Caesars or the Roman aristocracy but rather the faith and devotion of the common Roman legionary. The faith of these men was centered on the god Mithras, who, they believed, led them to victory upon the field of battle and had done so for nearly four centuries Despite this widespread belief among soldiers, the cult of Mithras was not a creation of the Romans, although they would eventually add their own rituals and mysteries to the ancient religion. In fact, the Mithraic religion was an Indo-Persian creation, a theology which managed to travel from India and back into the Hellenic and Roman world by way of Alexander the Great's conquest of the Persian Empire. Eventually, the cult of Mithras would spread across the ancient world, and Mithras would be worshiped from the mountains of India to the coasts of Spain. As a result, the cult of Mithras could ultimately be found in every corner of the Roman Empire. The Mithras cult was one of the many "mystery religions" that the Romans adopted, several of which came from cultures outside of Rome. Isis, an Egyptian goddess, and Cybele, an Anatolian goddess, were both popular with Roman women, while Mithras, which was a variation of the name of the Zoroastrian demigod Mithra, was popular with Roman soldiers and the political elite for over 400 years. Since the Mithras cult, like all of the Roman mystery cults, was esoteric in nature, the exact nature of the influence other cultures had on the cult remains unknown, but some archaeological evidence has led modern scholars to make educated deductions. Some believe that the conscription of Persian soldiers into the Roman army and continued contact between the Parthians and Romans led to some members of the ever-eclectic Roman society adopting the cult directly from the Parthian/Zoroastrian religion (Clark 2001, 157). This seems like the most plausible explanation, but others have argued that the Mithras cult was actually a Roman religion that was given a Parthian faade to make it appear more exotic in order to attract Romans who were enthralled with eastern spirituality (Clark 2001, 157). The best evidence to determine the origins of the Mithras cult can be found in the many temples throughout Europe that the Romans erected to the god. These temples, known as mithraea, were subterranean chambers where the secret rituals of the cult took place. The best evidence from extant mithraea are the reliefs on the altars, which depict a graphic mythological story. The altar reliefs usually depict the god slaughtering a bull and often accompanied by a leaping dog (Clark 2001, 158). The references to Zoroastrian theology are unmistakable; the bull slaughter is similar to an account from a Zoroastrian text (the Bundahishen), while dogs were viewed as asha animals in Zoroastrian theology and an important part of the funerary ritual (Clark 2001, 158). The detailed iconography on the Mithras altars suggests that the inventors of the Mithras cult had more than just a superficial knowledge of Zoroastrianism, which in turn indicates a provenance of the religion somewhere in Persian or Parthia.

Mithras

D. Jason Cooper
Mithras Book PDF

Author : D. Jason Cooper
Publisher : Weiser Books
Page : 293 pages
File Size : 46,8 Mb
Release : 1996-06-01
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
ISBN : 9781609257132

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Mithras by D. Jason Cooper Pdf

Known as Mitra to the Indians, Mithra and Zarathustra (Zoroaster in Greek) to the Iranians, and Mithras to the Romans, this is the oldest of all living deities. Mithras was recognized as the greatest rival of Christianity, a greater threat even than the religion of Isis. If Rome had not become Christian, it would have become Mithrasian. Mithraisians had a sacrament that included wine as a symbol of sacrificial blood. Bread in wafers, or small loaves marked with a cross, was used to symbolize flesh. The priestly symbols were a staff, a ring, a hat, and a hooked sword/ members were called brothers, and priests were called "Father." Mithras was born on December 25th. He offered salvation based on faith, compassion, knowledge, and valor. He appealed to the poor, the slave and the freeman, as well as to the Roman aristocracy, the militia, and even to some emperors. The Christians sacked his temples, burned his books, and attacked his followers--they desecrated his temples, and built their own churches on the same foundations as the old Mithraic temples. Cooper examines Mithras and his religion in the most complete study ever done. He explores the various forms of this godworshiped from Lisbon to modrn Bangladesh, from the Scottish border to the Russian Steppesand investigates the worship. This is an exciting journey into living mythology, the history of a living god, and will fascinate modern Western readers who want to know more about the spiritual pathwhether they want to better understand contemporary Christianity, the basis of many contemporary ideaologies, mythology, or the Western Mystery Tradition.

The Mind of Mithraists

Luther H. Martin
The Mind of Mithraists Book PDF

Author : Luther H. Martin
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing
Page : 209 pages
File Size : 47,6 Mb
Release : 2014-11-20
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9781472584212

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The Mind of Mithraists by Luther H. Martin Pdf

The Roman cult of Mithras was the most widely-dispersed and densely-distributed cult throughout the expanse of the Roman Empire from the end of the first until the fourth century AD, rivaling the early growth and development of Christianity during the same period. As its membership was largely drawn from the ranks of the military, its spread, but not its popularity is attributable largely to military deployments and re-deployments. Although mithraists left behind no written archival evidence, there is an abundance of iconographic finds. The only characteristic common to all Mithraic temples were the fundamental architecture of their design, and the cult image of Mithras slaying a bull. How were these two features so faithfully transmitted through the Empire by a non-centralized, non-hierarchical religious movement? The Minds of Mithraists: Historical and Cognitive Studies in the Roman Cult of Mithras addresses these questions as well as the relationship of Mithraism to Christianity, explanations of the significance of the tauroctony and of the rituals enacted in the mithraea, and explanations for the spread of Mithraism (and for its resistance in a few places). The unifying theme throughout is an investigation of the 'mind' of those engaged in the cult practices of this widespread ancient religion. These investigations represent traditional historical methods as well as more recent studies employing the insights of the cognitive sciences, demonstrating that cognitive historiography is a valuable methodological tool.

The Origins of the Mithraic Mysteries

David Ulansey
The Origins of the Mithraic Mysteries Book PDF

Author : David Ulansey
Publisher : Cosmology and Salvation in the
Page : 176 pages
File Size : 40,7 Mb
Release : 1991
Category : History
ISBN : 0195067886

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The Origins of the Mithraic Mysteries by David Ulansey Pdf

This volume sets forth a new explanation of the meaning of the cult of Mithraism, tracing its origins not, as commonly held, to the ancient Persian religion, but to ancient astronomy and cosmology.

The Religion of the Mithras Cult in the Roman Empire

Roger Beck
The Religion of the Mithras Cult in the Roman Empire Book PDF

Author : Roger Beck
Publisher : Oxford University Press on Demand
Page : 302 pages
File Size : 54,6 Mb
Release : 2006-01-12
Category : History
ISBN : 9780198140894

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The Religion of the Mithras Cult in the Roman Empire by Roger Beck Pdf

A study of the religious system of Mithraism, one of the 'mystery cults' popular in the Roman Empire contemporary with early Christianity. Mithraism is described from the point of view of the initiate engaging with its rich repertoire of symbols and practices.

Mysteries of Mithra

Franz Valery Marie Cumont
Mysteries of Mithra Book PDF

Author : Franz Valery Marie Cumont
Publisher : Cosimo, Inc.
Page : 257 pages
File Size : 42,7 Mb
Release : 2007-04-01
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9781602062757

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Mysteries of Mithra by Franz Valery Marie Cumont Pdf

Mithraism was a Roman mystery cult that drew upon the mythology of Mithras from the Persian Zoroastrian religion. In this unique book, first published in 1903, Cumont explains how the Roman version differed from the original worship of Mithras and then identifies those rituals that have some historical accuracy. Often, the Roman rituals preserved only the external trappings of Zoroastrian worship, such as using animals skins during rites and designating caves as holy places. Cumont also shows his readers how Mithraism adopted beliefs and rituals from other sources as well, creating the cult in its fully realized form. He then goes on to show how the cult fell from favor and was finally overwhelmed by Christianity. Students of history and religion, as well as anyone interested in cult religions, will find this book an intriguing journey through an obscure era.Belgian archaeologist and historian FRANZ-VALERY-MARIE CUMONT (1869-1947) wrote numerous books, often making use of his interest in philology and the study of instructions. Among his books is Life After Roman Paganism (1922).