Mithras

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Ancient Roman Gods for kids - Mithras
The myths and legends surrounding Mithras, the Roman god of soldiers, light, truth, and honor

Mithras
Discover the legends and myths and religious beliefs surrounding Mithras, the Roman god of soldiers, light, truth, and honor who often referred to as the soldier's god. Mithras was a popular Roman god adopted from the Persian sun god Mithra. His name is derived from the ancient Persian (Indo-Iranian) word meaning 'to bind, contract, agreement'. Mithras, also called Mitra, was popular among the military in the Roman Empire, and the Mystery Cult of Mithras was a potent religious force during the first through fourth centuries A.D. Major rituals included bull worship and sacrifice and a communal feast amongst “brothers” which strongly appealed to Roman legionnaires.

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Mithras, the Roman god of soldiers, light, truth, and honor
Mithras, or Mitra, was a major figure in the religion known as Zoroastrianism, which originated in ancient Persia (Iran). Mitra was the god of friendship and the sun and served as one of the judges of the dead. Mitra had a dual role and was also the god of war. Mithras was originally worshipped by outsiders of the Roman state such as thieves and slaves. One of the symbols associated with Mithras was the Phrygian cap which symbolised freedom and the pursuit of liberty. Mithras was then adopted by Roman soldiers and the cult of Mithras spread throughout the Roman Empire. The Roman legionnaires merged elements of the cult with 'Deus Sol Invictus' meaning 'Unconquered Sun God'. There were 100's of Temples and sanctuaries dedicated to the adopted god called Mithras. The followers of Mithras were members of an all-male secret society called the cult of Mithras. There are no known women followers of Mithraism. The secret mysteries of Mithras were confined to initiates, had no public ceremonies, and they could only undertake such worship in the secrecy of the Mithraeum. A Mithraeum was a place of worship for the followers of the religion of Mithraism. In every Mithraeum the centrepiece was a representation of Mithras killing the sacred bull, this act is referred to as the tauroctony.

Mithras

Picture of Mithras, killing the bull

The Myth of Mithras
The myth of the god was never fully documented due to the secret nature of the cult, however, the following elements are seen in depictions and iconography relating to the myth of Mithras as follows::

  • Mithras was born from a rock or cave
  • Beside a sacred stream and under a sacred tree
  • Bearing a torch and armed with a knife
  • He fought the sun god
  • He captured the sacred bull
  • Mithras killed the bull inside a cave
  • He was accompanied by two helpers
  • A dog, a snake, a raven, and a scorpion also accompanied Mithras
  • He celebrated a banquet with Sol, the sun god
  • Mithras died and was buried in a cave
  • Mithras was resurrected and entered paradise or heaven

Icons and Symbols relating to Mithras
Mithras had two companions, as seen in the top picture, depicted as small torch-bearing likenesses of himself, called Cautes and Cautopatres, that were meant to represent life and death. The cave played an important role in Roman Mithraism and caves became the location of the temples to Mithras (Mithraeum) serving as the hall of congregation for the members of the cult. Astronomical subjects and the zodiac were connected with the icons associated with the cult of Mithraism e.g. the bull and Taurus, the scorpion and Scorpio, the dog by the constellation of Canis Minor and the snake by the constellation Corvus. Other astronomical imagery such as the planets, sun, crescent moon, and stars are often portrayed in Mithraic art. Additional icons relating to the secret cult were included on mosaics. A 2nd-century mosaic depicts several Mithraic implements and symbols at the Mithraeum of Felicissimus at Ostia Antica, the harbour city of ancient Rome. The pictures of the mosaics are © Marie-Lan Nguyen / Wikimedia Commons.

Mosaic symbols of Mithras: Spade, sistrum, lightning boltMosaic symbols of Mithras: Sword, crescent moon, star, sickle
Mosaic 1: Spade, sistrum, lightning boltMosaic 2: Sword, crescent moon, star, sickle
Mosaic symbols of Mithras: Torch, crown, whipMosaic symbols of Mithras: Patera, rod, Phrygian cap, sickle
Mosaic 3: Torch, crown, whipMosaic 4: Patera, rod, Phrygian cap, sickle

Mithras Symbolism
Some of the items on the mosaics relate to objects used in religious ceremonies and rituals and Mithras symbolism. Others were symbols or icons that cam also be associated with ancient Roman and Greek gods. The following notes might help with the interpretation of Mithras symbolism.

  • Mosaic 1: Spade, sistrum, lightning bolt
    • The sistrum is a brass or bronze musical instrument of the percussion family. The rhythmical shaking of the sistrum, like the tambourine, is associated with religious or ecstatic events
    • The lightning bolts were also symbols of Zeus (Jupiter), the king of the gods
  • Mosaic 2: Sword, crescent moon, star, sickle
    • The sickle is associated with the myth of the ancient god Uranus
  • Mosaic 3: Torch, crown, whip
    • The Burning Torch was used by the priests of Ares (Mars) and carried burning torches as the sign of battle to opposing armies
    • Many ancient societies prior to Christianity, including the Egyptians, Indians and Romans, used a halo or nimbus circular sign to suggest a supernatural force
    • The symbol of the whip or sword represents the right of the goddess Nemesis to "to give what is due"
  • Mosaic 4: Patera, rod, Phrygian cap, sickle
    • A patera was a shallow dish used in a ritual context such as a libation
    • The Phrygian cap signified freedom and the pursuit of liberty
    • The sickle is a symbol of the ancient god Uranus

Mithras Symbolism
One of the most characteristic features and symbolism of the Mithras Mysteries is the naked lion-headed (leontocephaline) figure often found in Mithraic temples. The figure of Mithras is of a beared man, with four wings, entwined by a snake, holding a sceptre and two keys. Objects at his feet include a caduceus, hammer, tongs, pinecone and cockerel. A thunderbolt is engraved on the breast. Speculations and possible interpretations and connections are:

  • The four wings carry the symbols of the four seasons
  • The thunderbolts were also symbols of Zeus (Jupiter), the king of the gods
  • Keys represent a 'keeper of keys' the ability to unlock entrance to heaven and keeper of the secrets of the cult
  • The hammer and tongs were associated with Hephaestus (Vulcan), avenging fire was the symbol of the god
  • The Caduceus means “herald’s staff of office” in Roman and is associated with Mercury, the Roman messenger of the gods
  • The symbols of Aesculapius, the god of healing was a physician's staff, or healing scepter, entwined with a single, large, non-venomous snake. The snake symbolized rejuvenation and healing to many ancient cultures. The cockerel was also sacred to the god Aesculapius
  • The Pine Cone was the symbol of Cybele the great mother of all the gods and goddess of abundant benefits

Mithras

The Cult of Mithras - the Initiates
The initiates in the cult of Mithras were ranked in a series of seven grades, each grade was named and under the protection of one of the planets. Initiation rituals and ceremonies included ablutions and purifications, ordeals, sacrifices, re-enactments of myth stories, communal feasts and secret and the use of secret passwords and symbols. Some of the ordeals or tests in undergone in the cult of Mithras involved exposure to heat or cold and threatened perils.

The Cult of Mithras, the Freemasons and Christianity
The association of the symbols, rituals and the symbolism used in the cult of Mithras has drawn obvious comparisons to the Freemasons movement. Others have associated the cult of Mithras with Christianity due to similarities in the myth story, the idea of monotheism (meaning the worship of one god as in Christianity) and the Winter solstice festival celebrated in honor of Mithras held on 25 December which was also the date of the popular festival of the sun called natalis Invicti (Birth of the Unconquerable) and therefore specific to the Mysteries of Mithras but linked him to the Christian festival of Christmas.

The Temples of Mithras (Mithraeum)
A temple of Mithras was called a Mithraeum and was a place of worship for the followers of the religion of Mithraism. In every Mithraeum the centrepiece was a representation of Mithras killing the sacred bull, this act is referred to as the tauroctony.

Underground Sanctuary of Mithras Rome

Underground Sanctuary of Mithras in Rome
A temple of Mithras was always located in a small, windowless, rectangular subterranean chamber, or cave. A Mithraeum held between 20 - 30 people. An aisle usually ran lengthwise down the center of the temple. There were stone benches on either or the aisle. At the end of the aisle was always found a representation of the god Mithras depicted in a scene taken from the mythology of the god or depicting a representation of the god and his symbols.

Mithras

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