St. Sebastian and Mithras: a Suggestion
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Examining the Transference Between Mithraism and Christianity Peter J
\ The Sword and the Cross: Examining the Transference between Mithraism and Christianity Peter J. Decker III Advisor: Dr. Elizabeth Manwell Ph. D .. Kalamazoo College Co-Chair of Classics Department I - A paper submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degr~e of Bachelor of ~rts at - - Kalamazoo College. 2013 Table of Contents Acknowledgments ......................... ~ .... : ......................................................ii I. The Cult ofMithras: Imagery, Practices, and Beliefs ............................... .1-21 II. Examining the Transference between Mithraism and Christianity ............... ~ .. 23-38 III. Appendix .......................· ............................................................. 39 Bibliography .................... ·................................................................. 40-44 / 11 Acknowledgements I am deeply grateful to my loving parents who made it possible to attend Kalamazoo College and allow me to further my studies in Classics. Without their financial and emotional support I would not have been able to complete this Senior Independent Project (SIP). Love you Mom and Dad! I am also deepl_y thankful to the Todd family and their generous grant, the Todd Memorial Classics Study Abroad Grant, which allowed me to travel to Italy and gain the inspiration for the topic of my SIP. I would like to express aspecial thanks to my SIP advisor Prof. Manwell, for putting up with all my procrastination and my challenging writing. I hope you didn't spend to many nights up late editing my drafts. Without all of you none of this would have been possible. Thank you very much. 1 I. The Cult ofMithras: Imagery, Practices, and Beliefs In the spring of 2011 an American atheist group put up a billboard in downtown New York City which read: "Born of a virgin on December 25th, known to his 12 disciples as "the Son of God, and resurrected three days after his death, we wish a Happy Birthday to Mithras, the mythical Persian god imagined over 600 years before that other guy .. -
Mithraism and Gnosticism
Mithraism and Gnosticism The theme of'Mithraism and Gnosticism' is at the same time fascinating and difficult to handle. It evokes a general question of relations between gnos ticism and the mystery cults (and the mysteriosophic doctrines)! of late pagan antiquity, but is at the same time conditioned by the specific char acteristics of the sources of Mithraism, that historical-religious 'quantity' which is so well determined yet so difficult to penetrate. Furthermore, it must be said that, whereas the final form of the initiatory cult of Mithras in the Roman milieu may be clearly caught through the remains of its typical sanctuaries and through direct witnesses (though poor in contents) which its adepts have bequeathed to us, the questions of the historical-cultural back ground of Mithraism are more complex than those of other mystery cults of the Graeco-Roman world. Suffice it to mention the researches of the Swedish school, and in particular those of G. Widengren,2 which examine the prob lem of the relations of Mithraism with Iran and those ~octrines which also play an essential part in the same author's studies of the origins of Gnosticism. We will face the problem starting with Mithraism's occidental connections. We have already hinted at this argument in a previous article on certain aspects of Gnostic and 'Orphic' theologies that imply syncretism or analogies with the Mithraic material.3 In this paper, two topics will be considered: first the cult and the figure of Arimanius in the mysteries, and second the ascensus of the souls-topics that most evidently belong to the question of 'Mithraism and Gnosticism'. -
On Ancient Cults from the South of the Province of Dalmatia
International Journal of Research in Humanities and Social Studies Volume 7, Issue 12, 2020, PP 13-18 ISSN 2394-6288 (Print) & ISSN 2394-6296 (Online) On Ancient Cults from the South of the Province of Dalmatia Gligor М. Samardzic* University of Priština in Kosovska Mitrovica, Faculty of Philosophy, Department of History, Kosovo and Metohija, Kosovo *Corresponding Author: Gligor М. Samardzic, University of Priština in Kosovska Mitrovica, Faculty of Philosophy, Department of History, Kosovo and Metohija, Kosovo ABSTRACT Statues that testify about the religiousness of the Roman citizens exist in east Herzegovina (south of the province of Dalmatia) as well as in all areas within the Roman Empire. The spiritual life of the citizens from the south of the province of Dalmatia (east Herzegovina) reflected in the respect for a significant number of cults. The religion of an ancient man from east Herzegovina is respresented, above all, by modest archeological findings and epigraph statues. It manifested itself in the respect for a significant number of cults that relied on Illyrian tradition, Roman and oriental deities. Keywords: Ancient cults, epigraph statues, the Roman Empire, the province of Dalmatia, east Herzegovina. INTRODUCTION today. The scientific research focused on the aforementioned problems is ongoing even today After the Roman conquest of the east coastline because it was conditioned by new findings and of Adriatic Sea and its inland at the beginning of st thanks to that fact, the research could be more the 1 cenutry AD, the Roman merchants, specific about the cults of individual deities colonists and soldiers came to this area bringing (Radimsky 1891, 191, pic. -
Edinburgh Research Explorer
Edinburgh Research Explorer Mithras and Mithraism Citation for published version: Sauer, E 2012, 'Mithras and Mithraism: The Encyclopedia of Ancient History', The Encyclopedia of Ancient History, pp. 4551-4553. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781444338386.wbeah17273 Digital Object Identifier (DOI): 10.1002/9781444338386.wbeah17273 Link: Link to publication record in Edinburgh Research Explorer Document Version: Peer reviewed version Published In: The Encyclopedia of Ancient History Publisher Rights Statement: © Sauer, E. (2012). Mithras and Mithraism: The Encyclopedia of Ancient History. The Encyclopedia of Ancient History, 4551-4553 doi: 10.1002/9781444338386.wbeah17273 General rights Copyright for the publications made accessible via the Edinburgh Research Explorer is retained by the author(s) and / or other copyright owners and it is a condition of accessing these publications that users recognise and abide by the legal requirements associated with these rights. Take down policy The University of Edinburgh has made every reasonable effort to ensure that Edinburgh Research Explorer content complies with UK legislation. If you believe that the public display of this file breaches copyright please contact [email protected] providing details, and we will remove access to the work immediately and investigate your claim. Download date: 01. Oct. 2021 © Sauer, E. (2012). Mithras and Mithraism: The Encyclopedia of Ancient History. The Encyclopedia of Ancient History, 4551-4553 doi: 10.1002/9781444338386.wbeah17273 Mithras and Mithraism By Eberhard Sauer, University of Edinburgh, [email protected] Worshipped in windowless cave-like temples or natural caves, across the Roman Empire by exclusively male (Clauss 1992; Griffith 2006) congregations, few ancient deities have aroused more curiosity than the sun god Mithras. -
Dr. Roy Murphy
US THE WHO, WHAT & WHY OF MANKIND Dr. Roy Murphy Visit us online at arbium.com An Arbium Publishing Production Copyright © Dr. Roy Murphy 2013 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission of the copyright owner. Nor can it be circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without similar condition including this condition being imposed on a subsequent purchaser. A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. Cover design created by Mike Peers Visit online at www.mikepeers.com First Edition – 2013 ISBN 978-0-9576845-0-8 eBook-Kindle ISBN 978-0-9576845-1-5 eBook-PDF Arbium Publishing The Coach House 7, The Manor Moreton Pinkney Northamptonshire NN11 3SJ United Kingdom Printed in the United Kingdom Vi Veri Veniversum Vivus Vici 863233150197864103023970580457627352658564321742494688920065350330360792390 084562153948658394270318956511426943949625100165706930700026073039838763165 193428338475410825583245389904994680203886845971940464531120110441936803512 987300644220801089521452145214347132059788963572089764615613235162105152978 885954490531552216832233086386968913700056669227507586411556656820982860701 449731015636154727292658469929507863512149404380292309794896331535736318924 980645663415740757239409987619164078746336039968042012469535859306751299283 295593697506027137110435364870426383781188694654021774469052574773074190283 -
True History of Christianity Part1
““JohnJohn SmithSmith”” TheThe TrueTrue HistoryHistory ofof ChristianityChristianity LLet him who seeks continue seeking until he finds. When he finds, he will become troubled. When he becomes troubled, he will be astonished ... Jesus said ... For nothing hidden will not become manifest, and nothing covered will remain without being uncovered. The apocryphal Gospel of Thomas, a 4th Century ‘heretical’ text discovered at Nag Hammadi, Egypt, in 1945. MMany others, who oppose the truth and are the messengers of error, will set up their error ... thinking that good and evil are from one (source) ... but those of this sort will be cast into the outer darkness. From the Apocalypse of Peter, also found at Nag Hammadi. “Jesus said, ... For there are five trees for you in Paradise which remain undisturbed summer and winter and whose leaves do not fall. Whoever becomes acquainted with them will not experience death”. The apocryphal Gospel of Thomas II:19, also found at Nag Hammadi. The True History of Christianity “John Smith” 2005 4 The True History of Christianity DEDICATIONS This book is dedicated to a number of individuals who played an important part in this project - Firstly, no greater thanks can go to my family who patiently waited 10 years while their dad finished this book, and to my folks for their assistance when the going was really tough. Thanks also to the idiot who undid my wheel nuts (almost wiping out an entire family), not to mention the vile piece of of filth who cut through my brake hose causing my vehicle to spin out of control. -
What the Hellenism: Did Christianity Cause a Decline of Th Hellenism in 4 -Century Alexandria?
What the Hellenism: Did Christianity cause a decline of th Hellenism in 4 -century Alexandria? Classics Dissertation Exam Number B051946 B051946 2 Contents List of Figures ............................................................................................................................ 2 List of Abbreviations ................................................................................................................. 2 Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 3 Problems with Evidence ......................................................................................................... 8 Pagan Topography and Demography......................................................................................... 9 Christian Topography .............................................................................................................. 19 Civic Power Structures ............................................................................................................ 29 Intellectualism .......................................................................................................................... 38 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................... 47 Bibliography of Primary Sources in Translation ..................................................................... 52 Figure Bibliography ................................................................................................................ -
Mithras Demiourgos Diego Romagnoli
MITHRAS DEMIOURGOS DIEGO ROMAGNOLI Summary: Roman Mithraism has been subject to philosophical interpretations and influences over the years. In this paper, I will present the important case of Mithras as a Demiurge by following the Platonic doctrine of the three Gods and its evolution, and after Plato, in three further phases. A. Plato in the Timaeus and in the dialogue The Sophist (both written in 360 BC) debated three fundamental divine figures: the Being, who accounts for the early Idea and the source of all the other ideas, as well as the early cause of the world; the Demiurge, who was born from the Being and accounts for the acting Power creating the perceivable world; the Anima Mundi (the Soul of the World or the World Soul), who was born from the other two Gods and is the “mother” shaping all of beings. B. Later, Middle Platonism (lasted from I century BC to II century AD and on which the Chaldean Oracles were based) identified the Being as the First God and the source of every indistinct idea; the Demiurge as the Second God featuring the early Idea in order to create the world; and the Anima Mundi as the unifying principle from which all of organisms are shaped. C. Finally, in Neoplatonism (lasted from III century to VI century AD and on which the Porphyry‟s De Antro Nympharum is based) this doctrine was fitted together with Mithraism: Mithras was the Demiurge and the Goddess Hecate was identified with the Anima Mundi. This paper contributes to the current state of knowledge on this topic with a full detailed analysis of the connected different phases of Platonism in order to reach the identification of Mithras as the Demiurge. -
First Christian Church in Transcaucasia
Arts & Humanities Open Access Journal Research Article Open Access First Christian Church in Transcaucasia Abstract Volume 4 Issue 6 - 2020 In the southern regions of Iran (Persia), Zoroastrianism was represented by Kazimi Parviz Firudin Oqlu numerous temples and pantheons of gods, while in the Northern provinces, Associate Professor, Doctor of Philosophy, Baku State fire worship retained its early form, recognizing one deity - Ahramazda. University, Russia With the coming to power of the Sassanids, the number of temples began to increase. The fact that peregrine And his son were priests of the Anahita Correspondence: Kazimi Parviz Firudin Oqlu, Associate temple also set priorities during their rule. When the Sassanids came to power, Professor, Doctor of Philosophy, Baku State University, Russia, Ardeshir imposed a special tax (one-tenth) on the temples of fire-worshippers. Tel +994553704141, Email However, environmental analysis shows that during the reign of various rulers, Mazdeism, Mithraism, Manichaeism, and even Christianity gained moderate Received: October 16, 2020 | Published: December 31, 2020 ascendancy in the Sassanid state, albeit temporarily. For the first 300 years after Christ, there was a serious struggle in Eastern Anatolia to become a strong and lasting religion. The first Christian Church in Parthia played a leading role in this struggle. The lack of information about the history of Parthia, and sometimes very was brought to the leadership. Arastun took part in the creation of the churches little, enriches this period with legends. The Parthian aristocracy maintained of Albania and Iveria, became their first Bishop, and participated in the first its influence in the Northern regions of Persia. -
The Dissemination of Mithraism in the Roman Empire.'
THE DISSEMINATION OF MITHRAISM IN THE ROMAN EMPIRE.' BY PROFESSOR FRANZ CUMON'l'. [continued.] OF all countries Germany is that in which the greatest number of Mithraums, or places of Mithraic worship, has been dis- covered. Germany has given us the bas-reliefs having the greatest dimensions and furnishing the most complete representations, and cer- -^ tainly no god of paganism ever found in this nation as many enthu- siastic devotees as Mithra. The Agri di'ciimates, a strip of land lying on the right bank of the Rhine and forming the military confines of the empire, together with the advance posts of the Roman military system between the river Main and the for- tified walls of the limes, have been marvellously fertile in discoveries. Mithra Monument of Ostburken.' North of Frankfort, near the vil- Discovered in 1861 near the ruins of lage of Heddernheim,^ the ancient a Roman fort, in the Odenwald, civitas ^ TaiaiensiiiDi, three important Hesse. (Cumont, III., p. 350.) temples have been successively ex- humed; three others existed in Friedberg in Hesse and two more have been dug out in the surrounding countr}^ On the other side, along the entire course of the Rhine, from Angst (Raurica) near Basel as far as Xanten (Vetera), passing through Strassburg, May- 1 Extracted by the author from his Textes et Monuments figures relatifs aux Mysti:rts de A/z/Ara (Brussels : H. Laiiiertin). Translated by T. J. McCormack. 2 See the Frontispiece to this number of The Open Court. THE DISSEMINATION OF MITHRAISM IN THE ROMAN EMPIRE. 341 ence, Neuwicd, Bonn, Cologne, and Dormagen, a series of monu- ments have been found whicli show clearly the manner in which the new faith spread like an epidemic, and was disseminated into the very heart of the barbarous tribes of the Ubians and Batavians. -
Cults and Religious Integration in the Roman Cities of the Drava Valley (Southern Pannonia)
CULTS AND RELIGIOUS INTEGRATION IN THE ROMAN CITIES OF THE DRAVA VALLEY (SOUTHERN PANNONIA) BY BLANKA MIŠIĆ A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY DEPARTMENT OF CLASSICS AND PHILOSOPHY ROYAL HOLLOWAY UNIVERSITY OF LONDON JANUARY 2013 1 DECLARATION OF AUTORSHIP I, Blanka Mišić, hereby declare that this thesis and the work presented in it is entirely my own. Signed: ______________________ Dated: _______________________ 2 For my dearest parents. 3 ABSTRACT This work is a detailed examination of pagan cults and deities in three settlements along the Pannonian section of the Drava river (Aquae Iasae – modern Varaždinske Toplice; Iovia- Botivo – modern Ludbreg; and Mursa – modern Osijek) situated within the present-day territory of Croatia. The evidence examined consists primarily of inscribed votive dedications in stone, dating from the Roman conquest of Pannonia to the late third century A.D. Evidence is examined within the theoretical framework of cultural change, taking into account recent theoretical developments in the concepts of “Romanisation”, acculturation, identity- expression and syncretisation in order to determine the extent of cultural and religious integration along the Drava. A thorough examination of evidence reveals the emergence of differing and flexible religious identities specific to each settlement although united by the larger prevailing trend of nature-divinity worship. Our Drava evidence also reveals that economic, social, political and geographic factors all produced an impact on the process and extent of cultural and religious integration, thus helping to form local, regional, provincial and imperial expressions of identity(ies). 4 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS AND MAPS………………………………………......07 2. -
From Roman to Romanesque : Some Possible Sources of Various Elements of Romanesque Iconography
From Roman to Romanesque : Some possible sources of various elements of Romanesque Iconography. Introduction The Romanesque Renaissance flourished simultaneously all over Christendom, wherever the Roman Empire had left monuments extant or capable of being unearthed. Elements of classical iconography as well as of architecture and decorative details were re-used, hence the term “Romanesque”. In some cases there may have been a deliberate intention to supplant earlier religions by subsuming them within Christian images. The scope of this paper is not to explore the significance of the images except where there is an obvious divergence in their meanings over the centuries, but rather to indicate earlier use of some Romanesque images in Pagan times. I have not touched on decoration without human or animal content as this has already been covered by the late René Crozet in “Survivances Antiques dans le décor Roman”. Summary Paleo-Christian representations using Pagan iconography The cult of Sabazios as a possible source for some elements found in Romanesque art including the “femme au serpent” image Sabazios becomes identified with Mithras, the importance of bulls and rams in sculpture, associated worship of Cybele, taurobolic altars Mithraic religion associated with the signs of the Zodiac, Zodiac images used in Romanesque sculpture Mythological creatures such as centaurs and mermaids, hybrid monsters and grotesque people, blowers of horns and trumpets, hunting scenes Foliate masks, masks spewing vegetation, heads surrounded by foliage Paleo-Christian representations using Pagan iconography A typical example is this mosaic of Jesus as Sol or Helios, the Sun God, from the tomb of the Julii family in the Vatican grottos, under St Peter’s, Rome : Fig 1 : Jesus as Sun God, Rome Note the liberal use of vine leaves : Jesus is also the True Vine, and Christians may have wished to establish His supremacy over the cult of Dionysos as well as of Apollo.