#Mithraism

[thesilicontribesman]

The Temple of Mithras, Carrawburgh, Hadrian's Wall, Northumberland

[zakhartong-root]

- Praise Sol -

Miss this little freak. Been itching to rewatch this show and annoyed I can't, so decided to draw something from it to feel something! Praise Sol.

[lostpeace]

Aaaaand done! I think I will take a break now until I fully begin working on my next project, but I do hope you enjoy this one.

[lux-contra-nox]

Head of Mithras

From the Mithraeum of the Animals

Ostia Antica, Italy

c. 2nd century CE

[aurangg]

It would be great if I put as much dedication, time and attention that I do into ancient history into something academically useful to me right now.

[bluebangsthepirate]

Maybe this is common knowledge but having recently read the hobbit/the fellowship of the ring, I made a connection to my university work. I recently wrote a paper on Mithraism, the worship of the god Mithra, who represents the sun, light, and justice. And I thought that sounds like Mithril. I'm pretty sure the etymological root is different and Tolkien relied on Norse culture, but still thought it was cool

[nogetron]

Here’s the updated Mithras design. I like it a lot more than the original rendition. The design itself is heavily based on his appearance in the statues found in the Mithraeum, but I did change things up to give him a unique look and feel. For instance patches of Rock cover his skin, this is a reference to how Mithras was born from a rock, as I imagine he carries some of that with him. The underside of his cape contains the view of several constellations, this is based on the theory and connection Mithras has to the stars, as some researchers have posited that the bull slaying myth is a representation of the Roman constellations. Throughout the design I also peppered in some references to the sun as he’s very much symbolized and represented by it and light in general.

[kemetic-dreams]

What did Roman Empire pagan soldiers think of fighting under Constantine and Christianity?

Probably not very much.

The Roman military was a world of its own. More than today, soldiers had their very identity shaped by the institution and people they served. Upon enlisting, they swore allegiance to the emperor and received new names as his servants — Valerius during the tetrarchy and Flavius under Constantine. Those who didn’t speak Latin were pushed to acquire a basic grasp of it, pretty much like the French Foreign Legion of today. Starting from the late republican period, Roman soldiers were accustomed to receiving salaries, booty and pensions from their commanders, not the state in an abstract sense. Under the empire, loyalty often lay with the emperor, as long as he was perceived as strong.

In that frame, Constantine never lost the faith of his men thanks to his talents, accomplishments and image. It surely helped that he was Constantius Chlorus’ son, but dynastic feelings were not so strong in the 4th c. What really mattered was that he was a victorious imperator, with plenty of experience both before and after his ascension. His CV included wars against, and victories over, foreigners (Franks, Goths, Alamanni) and rival emperors (Maxentius, Licinius) alike. That kept soldiers satisfied and himself secure on the throne. Besides, Constantine took care to associate his military exploits with the Christian God. On the contrary, his sons failed to live up to his legacy and had to face claims by men like Magnus Magnentius and Julian.

Another thing to consider is the role of religion in the then Roman military. In general, early Christianity wasn’t unanimously for or against military service, hence a decent minority of soliders were Christians even before Constantine. In the late 3rd c., you could find Christians like St. Marcellus holding even the rank of centurion. The statesman Cassius Dio is reported to have spoken of Christians in the comitatus of all four original tetrarchs. Cases of individual disobedience cannot be excluded, of course, but the military was, above all, a state mechanism. Under Diocletian, they persecuted Christians; under Constantine, they fought the Donatists and may have even destroyed the Asclepieion at Aegae, Cilicia.

On his part, Constantine didn’t adopt Christianity the way most people after his time imagine(d). There was a long, gradual process, for the most part inscribed into the norms of late antiquity. Nomenclature and visual language were preserved to a considerable extent. Separate Christian and non-Christian prayers are reported to have been taking place at the same time. At some point in the 320s, a group of veterans greeted Constantine with the traditional “May the gods preserve you for us” salute. Two elite army units, Diocletian’s Jovians and Maximian’s Herculians, were not rebranded, although their names recalled the gods Jupiter and Hercules whom the late tetrarchs associated themselves with.

With the benefit of hindsight, we now know that the dynamics of that complex situation ended up favouring Christianity — if anything, all of Constantine’s successors were Christians except for Julian. That, however, should not be taken out of context. Few have a panoramic view of their time or the acumen to predict the future, and the provincials who made up the bulk of the late Roman military were not among them. Even if they were, though, they may not have had particularly strong feelings about any potential outcome. At the same time, various (quasi-)henotheistic traditions like the cult of Sol Invictus and Mithraism were around. The period was transitional, hence quite fluid.

[molkolsdal]

Mithraic relief

Marble (restored)

Rome, AD 100-200

In Persian Zoroastrianism, Mithras was a god of light, truth, and the promised word. In this Roman relief, he wears the Persian costume of folded cap, tunic, and trousers. Mithraism was adapted by the Romans as a mystery cult, much favoured by the Roman army. The cult was exclusively for men. The slaying of the mystic bull implies the triumph of good over evil, the giving of immortality and happiness beyond the grave.

[thesilicontribesman]

The Temple of Mithras, Carrawburgh, Hadrian's Wall, Northumberland

[tuskito]

Mithraic

[lostpeace]

(Top image) The three main playable characters of Destiny of Mithra. From left to right:

-Drakon Hamilton, incarnation of Athena.

-Aurelian Alden, incarnation of Helios.

-Roxana Elbaz, incarnation of Anahita.

(Lower image) Screenshot of the revamped first boss. The background is actually an effect of Aurelian's Mystic Rite ability!

[castilestateofmind]

“At a particular level of spiritual development it is immediately evident that the myths of the Mystery religions are essentially an allegory of the states of consciousness which are experienced by the initiate on the path toward self realization. The various deeds and adventures of mythical heroes are not poetical, but real events; they are the specific actions of one's inner being and shine forth from within the one who attempts to follow the path of initiation which leads beyond the fulfilment of the merely human mode of existence“.

- Julius Evola, The Path of Enlightenment in the Mithraic Mysteries.

[lux-contra-nox]

[viktorkondrakis]

Greco-Roman cults: Mithraism

Mithraism is an interesting case of a foreign deity being wholly incorporated into Greco-Roman culture. We see examples of this in hybrid gods like Hermanubis (Ἑρμανοῦβις), but the cult of Mithras would assume influence these prior sects had never dreamed of.

Mithra is an ancient Iranian divine being (yazata) with a thousand ears and ten thousand eyes, associated with light, the Sun, justice and oaths. His name in Greek (Μειθρας) is numerically 365, the number of days in the year, associating him with the spheres of the heavens much like the archon Abrasax (Ἀβρασάξ) was.

Further connecting Mithras with the celestial spheres, the religion of Mithraism had seven ranks of initiation one could progress up:

Corax (Κόραξ): the Crow, associated with Mercury.

Nymphius (Νυμφίος): the Bridegroom, associated with Venus.

Stratiotes (Στρατιώτης): the Soldier, associated with Mars.

Leon (Λέων): the Lion, associated with Jupiter.

Perses (Πέρσης): the Persian, associated with Luna.

Heliodromus (Ἡλιοδρόμος): the Sun-Runner, associated with Sol.

Pater (Πατήρ): the Father, associated with Saturn.

The cult had many esoteric astrological symbols associated with its practice, most notably the Sacred Bull:

In each Mithraeum (Mithraic temple) there is an image of a white bull (Taurus) being slain by Mithras (Leo) wearing a Phrygian cap, who kneels on the animal with his right foot holding down the bull's right hind hoof and his left knee resting on the bull's back. He slays it with his right hand, holding it by the nostrils with the other, looking over his shoulder to face the sun on the left, and a dog (Canis major) and snake (Serpens) reach up to strike the bull. A scorpion (Scorpius) seizes the bull's member. A crow (Corvus) is flying around the bull. Three ears of wheat (Spica) emerge from the bull's wound. Two torch-bearers (Gemini) stand on either side: Cautēs (Καυτής, "Stone") with his torch pointing up and Cautopatēs (Καυτοπατής, "Stone of Opening") with his torch pointing down. The moon is on the right, parallel to the sun.

This layered symbolism required secrecy to remain obscure to the uninitiated, and as such Mithraism was an underground religion with select members, mostly military. During the Christian period many Roman soldiers would join the Mithraic religion, seeing Mithras and Yeshua as one and the same, with stories from the era claiming that Mithraists practiced baptisms and bread-and-wine communion. The religion eventually faded away from a lack of textual preservation and shrinking converts, though many of its Mithraea still remain. Judging by its size at its peak, it would have rivalled Christianity and may have even replaced it as the dominant faith in another timeline.