During the time of the Roman Empire
THE MYSTERY CULT OF MITHRAS
What is a “Mystery Cult”?
 The name says it all – it’s a mystery! We don’t
know much about it!
 Actually, it’s from the Greek word
musthrion , which means “mystery, secret
rite”, because the only people who could
know the secrets of the religion where those
who had been initiated into it
 The worship of Isis was a mystery cult as well
What’s the difference
between a Mystery Religion
and Others?
In the Roman Empire, there were a number of
religions or gods that people could worship.
There was still worship of the various
“Olympic” gods, such as Jupiter and Juno, as
well as to deified Emperors, such as
Augustus, Vespasian, and Titus.
However, there were also these other cults to
specific gods that were springing up around the
empire.
The worship of Mithras, Isis, and even Christianity
was spreading from places other than Rome. Isis
came from Egypt, Christianity from Judea, and
Mithras (it is presumed) from Persia.
These were very often spread by sailors who
docked in ports around the Mediterranean, or
slaves who were sold, but still maintained their
own religious beliefs, or soldiers stationed
around the Empire.
Worshipping Mithras did not preclude someone
from worshipping other gods – it wasn’t
monotheism.
So followers of Mithraism had no problem
making sacrifices to deified emperors, or
Jupiter if they had to.
Which means authorities didn’t have a problem
with this religion, the way they did with
Christianity (who couldn’t worship anyone or
anything else).
History of the Cult of Mithras
 Possibly originally the Indian god Veda
 Possibly originally the Persian god Mitra
Both of these gods were identified with the sun
In some places, he was referred to as Mithras
Invictus or Sol Invictus Mithras
Most of the Mithraeums (temples to Mithras)
seem to have been constructed between the
second to the fourth centuries AD
Mithraism was popular in Ostia and Rome
Also popular along the borders, where soldiers
were stationed
 Map of Mithraea – Mithraeum. Our Common
Sun.
Membership
 No women!
 Ex-slaves
 Soldiers
 Each Mithraeum seems to have only held
about 20-40 or so people
 Even a couple of emperors, including
Commodus, Septimius Severus, Caracalla,
and Geta are believed to have been
worshippers of Mithras
Mithraeum
 Small rooms made to resemble caves
 Had an altar or a fresco with an image of
Mithras killing a bull
 They were usually lined with dining couches,
so it is assumed that there were often
communal meals
The Mithraeum found under St. Clement’s
looks like a cave
Birth of Mithras
Mithras killing a bull
Altar of Mithras
reclining couches
a typical Mithraic altar
Mithras sacrificing the bull
Phrygian cap
Sol
raven
wheat sprouting out of
the bull’s tail
Luna
Cautopates
Cautes
a scorpion biting the bull’s privates
a snake and a dog drinking the bull’s blood
a Mithraic altar located in the Vatican
a Mithraic altar located in Vulci (north of Rome)
notice the altar under
St. Clements is a
little different than
the others – Cautes and
Cautopates seem to be
on the sides
In addition,
there seems to be
a representation
of his birth on a
small shelf in
the back of the
Mithraeum
Mithraic Hierarchy
 1. Corax
 2. Nymphus
 3. Miles
 4. Leo
 5. Perses
 6. Heliodromus
 7. Pater
Best evidence we have for these levels ?
 Regio V - Insula IX - Mitreo di Felicissimus
(V,IX,1)
The Mithraeum of Felicissimus at
Ostia Antica