Mithraism: The mysterious Roman cult that we know very little of
Rome has several interesting things to offer, including various gods, fascinating mythology, traditions and magnificent architecture among others. Actually, Rome never ceases to amaze us. One of its many hidden gems is a mysterious Roman cult named Mithraism. Very little is known about this cult so far which used to worship Mithra, the Indo-Iranian god of friendship, contract and order. Known as Mithras in the Roman culture, this deity was worshipped in the Roman Empire from the 1st century AD to the 4th century AD. The cult declined and disappeared after emperor Constantine accepted Christianity.
However, within 1st to 4th century AD, this cult spread at a rapid pace from the Italian Peninsula to the border regions across the Roman empire. Followers of this secret group paid their tribute to Mithras in temples built in hidden caves. More than 200 Mithras temples have been discovered in areas stretching between Syria and Britain. However, the maximum number of these cult temples have been found in Italy, on the Rhine, and the Danube rivers.
Bull sacrifice in Mithraic cult
We all know that every cult has its own set of myths and beliefs and Mithraism is no different. Mithraic belief revolved around the central theme of sacrificing a bull, considered to be a symbol of strength and fertility. Death of a bull could lead to the emergence of new life, believed the followers. Interestingly, the scene of bull slaying has been depicted in many stone reliefs placed centrally in almost every temple of the cult. There Mithras has been shown wrangling a bull to the ground and finally killing it. So far, about 650 such stone reliefs with similar depictions have been discovered. Some sculptures, on the other hand, show the deity sharing bull meat the Sun God Sol Invictus.
Well, the votaries of Mithraism never performed bull slaughter. The reason, however, isn’t known. But they imitated Mithras’ bull meat sharing scene with the Sun God. This has been supported by the evidence of animal bone fragments and dishes that archaeologists have discovered in the temple remains. They used to hold fests where pork, chicken and wine used to be consumed. All these established a connect between the worshippers and Mithras, they believed.
Other symbols in Mithraism
Apart from bull slaughtering and meat sharing with Sol, the cult of Mithraism revolved around many other symbols and icons. One among them was the figurine of a man with a lion head found in many temples. Often, it used to be accompanied with a snake, and wings. Wondering what the implication of this symbol is? Well, scholars don’t have an answer to this yet. But there are speculations that this lion-headed figure symbolises the Zoroastrian demon named Ahriman. Another school of thought identifies it with the Greek God of time, Chronos. Now, that’s interesting, isn’t it? Apart from the lion, serpent and the bull, there was another creature that featured in the Mithraic reliefs, that of a raven.
The myth of creation in Mithraism
Every faith has its own story of creation and the inception of life. The episode of creation in the Mithraic cult runs somewhat like this: Through his messenger, raven, Sol ordered Mithras to sacrifice a white bull. While dying, this creature turned into the moon. The cloak of Mithras, on the other hand, became the vault of the sky with its stars and planets. Hold on, the story unfolds further as the blood and tail of the bull gave birth to the first ears of grain and the grape. This was followed by the inception of various creatures, plants and trees. They sprang from the holy seed that erupted from the genital of the bull and fell in a mixing bowl. What followed next was the beginning of solar and lunar cycles, change of day and night as well as seasons. It doesn’t end here though. Creatures of the dark started emerged too, giving rise to the struggle between good and evil, the undeniable truth of life. Well, in this whole episode, the raven symbolizes air, lion stands for fire, the serpent implies earth, and the mixing bowl represents water. From these four essential elements—air, fire, earth, and water—emanated every other form of creation. After the sacrifice of bull, Mithras and Sol feasted with meat, bread, and wine. Following the feast, Mithras drove to the end of the world with the Sun God in his chariot.
A cult with several origin theories
Several theories exist on how the cult came to be. According to one school of thought, it originated in Persia. But the findings of archaeologists do not support this view. Instead, they point us towards Italy. In fact, a new theory leads us straight towards this country only. It suggests that the cult was founded by a mysterious genius in Italy! The unknown person brought some items from Persia to give his cult an exotic flavour. However, no records have been discovered that mention the name of the cult’s unknown founder. The only thing certain about the cult is that it had a large number of temples in Italy. For a secret cult, it has certainly done its part to keep its whereabouts hidden.