Mithraism - The mithraeum

Mithraism (in Persian: مهرپرستی) was an ancient mystery religion prominent from the 1st century BC to the 5th century AD. It was based on worship of the god Mithras and derives from the Persian and Indic god Mithra and other Zoroastrian deities. Mithras was known throughout Europe and Asia by the names Mithra, Mitra, Meitros, Mihr, Mehr, and Meher. The veneration of this God began about 4000 years ago in Persia, where ...

Including:

• Mithraism - Principles of Mithraism
• Mithraism - The mithraeum
• Mithraism - Mithraic ranks
• Mithraism - The iconography of Mithraism
• Mithraism - History of Mithraism
• Mithraism - Mithraism In Persia Iran
• Mithraism - Mithraism in early Rome
• Mithraism - Mithraism in the Roman Empire
• Mithraism - The demise of Mithraism
• Mithraism - Connections
• Mithraism - Parallels to Christianity
• Mithraism - Mithraic studies
• Mithraism - Places to see

Read more here: » Mithraism: Encyclopedia - Mithraism

Romans encountered worship of the deity Mithras as part of Zoroastrianism in the eastern provinces of the empire, particularly in Asia Minor (now modern Turkey) Mithraism is best documented in the form it had acquired in the later Roman Empire. It was an initiatory 'mystery religion,' passed from initiate to initiate, like the Eleusinian Mysteries. It was not based on a supernaturally revealed body of scripture, and hence very little written documentary evidence survives. Soldiers appeared to be the most plentiful followers of Mithraism, and women were apparently not allowed to join.

Mithraism, Mithraism - Principles of Mithraism, Mithraism - The mithraeum, Mithraism - Mithraic ranks, Mithraism - The iconography of Mithraism, Mithraism - History of Mithraism, Mithraism - Mithraism In Persia Iran, Mithraism - Mithraism in early Rome, Mithraism - Mithraism in the Roman Empire, Mithraism - The demise of Mithraism, Mithraism - Connections, Mithraism - Parallels to Christianity, Mithraism - Mithraic studies, Mithraism - Places to see

Read more here: » Mithraism: Encyclopedia II - Mithraism - Principles of Mithraism

There is much speculation that Christian beliefs were influenced by Mithraic belief. Ernest Renan, in The Origins of Christianity, promoted the idea that Mithraism was the prime competitor to Christianity in the second through the fourth century AD, although most scholars feel the written claims that the emperors Nero, Commodus, Septimius Severus, Caracalla, and the Tetrarchs were initiates are dubious at best, and there is no evidence that Mithraic worship was accorded any official status as a Roman cult, except in its official form as 'Sol Invictus,' the first uni ...

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Mithraism, Mithraism - Principles of Mithraism, Mithraism - The mithraeum, Mithraism - Mithraic ranks, Mithraism - The iconography of Mithraism, Mithraism - History of Mithraism, Mithraism - Mithraism In Persia Iran, Mithraism - Mithraism in early Rome, Mithraism - Mithraism in the Roman Empire, Mithraism - The demise of Mithraism, Mithraism - Connections, Mithraism - Parallels to Christianity, Mithraism - Mithraic studies, Mithraism - Places to see

Read more here: » Mithraism: Encyclopedia II - Mithraism - Connections

The First International Congress of Mithraic Studies was held in 1971 at Manchester, England. Franz Cumont (1868 - 1947) was the main proponent of the theory that Mithraism came originally from Persia. Cumont's student, Maarten J. Vermaseren, author of Mithras, the Secret God (1963), was very active in translating Mithraic inscriptions. Walter Burkert, Ancient Mystery Cults, Harvard University Press, 1987. A book, based on his Jackson Lectures at Harvard University in 1982 ...

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Mithraism, Mithraism - Principles of Mithraism, Mithraism - The mithraeum, Mithraism - Mithraic ranks, Mithraism - The iconography of Mithraism, Mithraism - History of Mithraism, Mithraism - Mithraism In Persia Iran, Mithraism - Mithraism in early Rome, Mithraism - Mithraism in the Roman Empire, Mithraism - The demise of Mithraism, Mithraism - Connections, Mithraism - Parallels to Christianity, Mithraism - Mithraic studies, Mithraism - Places to see

Read more here: » Mithraism: Encyclopedia II - Mithraism - Mithraic studies

According to Martin A. Larson, in The Story of Christian Origins (1977), Mithraism and Christianity derived from the same sources, originally from the savior cult of Osiris. However, Larson believes that the Essenes were Jewish Pythagoreans, whose members not only gave birth to Christianity as Essenes, but were directly influenced by Zoroastrian doctrine as Pythagoreans. Mithraism, an established but exclusive sect devoted to social justice, was assimilated by state-s ...

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Mithraism, Mithraism - Principles of Mithraism, Mithraism - The mithraeum, Mithraism - Mithraic ranks, Mithraism - The iconography of Mithraism, Mithraism - History of Mithraism, Mithraism - Mithraism In Persia Iran, Mithraism - Mithraism in early Rome, Mithraism - Mithraism in the Roman Empire, Mithraism - The demise of Mithraism, Mithraism - Connections, Mithraism - Parallels to Christianity, Mithraism - Mithraic studies, Mithraism - Places to see

Read more here: » Mithraism: Encyclopedia II - Mithraism - Parallels to Christianity

Mithraism - Mithraism In Persia Iran. Mithraism is generally considered to be of Persian origins, specifically an outgrowth of Zoroastrian culture, though not of Zoroaster's teachings. For Zoroaster was a monotheist, for whom Ahuramazda was the One god. Darius the Great was equally stringent in the official monotheism of his reign: no god but Ahuramazda is ever mentioned in any of the numerous insc ...

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Mithraism, Mithraism - Principles of Mithraism, Mithraism - The mithraeum, Mithraism - Mithraic ranks, Mithraism - The iconography of Mithraism, Mithraism - History of Mithraism, Mithraism - Mithraism In Persia Iran, Mithraism - Mithraism in early Rome, Mithraism - Mithraism in the Roman Empire, Mithraism - The demise of Mithraism, Mithraism - Connections, Mithraism - Parallels to Christianity, Mithraism - Mithraic studies, Mithraism - Places to see

Read more here: » Mithraism: Encyclopedia II - Mithraism - History of Mithraism