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Archaelogical Indications on the Origins of Roman Mithriasm

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Archaelogical Indications on the Origins of Roman Mithriasm Archaelogical Indications on the Origins of Roman Mithraism Lewis M. Hopfe, Ph.D.1 Reprinted by permission of Eisenbrauns Publishers from pp. 147–156 of Uncovering Ancient Stones, edited by Lewis M. Hopfe, 1994. etween the end of the first century Evidence for Mithraism comes from CE and the last part of the fourth several sources. It is mentioned in early Bcentury a mystery religion called Christian writings.3 The Christians’ view Mithraism was extremely popular among of this rival religion is extremely negative, soldiers, merchants, and civil administrators because they regarded it as a demonic in the Roman Empire. Today more than mockery of their own faith. One also four hundred locations of Mithraic worship learns of Mithraism from brief statements have been identified in every area of the in classical Greek and Roman authors.4 Roman Empire. Mithraea have been found These rare literary sources are of little help as far west as England and as far east as in understanding the beliefs and practices Dura-Europas. Between the second and of Mithraism. Apparently, Mithraism was fourth centuries CE, Mithraism may have truly a “mystery” religion in that its devotees vied with Christianity for domination of never committed its rituals or theology to the Roman world.2 writing. If the tenets of Mithraism ever Tauroctony scene. Second to third century Roman marble monument. This (obverse) face of the monument depicts a tauroctony scene, Mithras slaying the bull in a cave, above which in the upper corners Sol (top left) and Luna (top right) emerge. Luna has a crescent behind her shoulders. Around Sol’s head is a crown of twelve rays, plus another that darts out in the direction of Mithras. Also in the upper left is a raven. The dog, serpent, and scorpion are set at their standard positions. The tail of the bull ends in ears of wheat. Photo © 2008 by Marie-Lan Nguyen / Wikimedia Commons. Page 15 were written down, no evidence of such sixth century bce, Mithra was demoted writings has so far come to light. to a minor rank among the angels that By far the greatest evidences for served the supreme Zoroastrian god Mithraism are found in its many Ahura Mazda. The Magi, who were remaining places of worship. Throughout Zoroastrian priests, carried the message the Roman Empire Mithraists worshiped of Mithra first to Babylon and then into in underground rooms. The typical Asia Minor as they established religious Mithraeum was built in a rectangular colonies. After the collapse of the Persian form, with benches installed along Empire in the fourth century bce and the each wall. Along the back wall was the dominance of the Hellenistic rulers, the taurectone, the central image of the cult, Magi continued to worship Mithra. In which depicted Mithras slaying the the religious and philosophical ferment sacred bull. An altar was often placed in of Asia Minor in the first and second front of the taurectone. The ceilings of centuries bce, Mithraism began to take its the Mithraea were frequently painted distinctive shape. Cumont pointed to the blue, with stars representing the heavens. use of the name Mithradates among the Sometimes the walls of these meeting rulers of Asia Minor during that era and places were decorated with frescoes that statuary showing them receiving power showed scenes from the story of Mithras from Mithras as evidence for Mithraism’s or moments in the initiatory rites. Some crystallization in this place and time. He Mithraea have adjoining side rooms for admitted that the precise location and instruction or other rituals. A Mithraeum time of the development of Mithraism is in Ostia has mosaic floors portraying uncertain. However, by the first century symbols of the various grades of the ce, Cumont believed that Mithraism Mithraic orders.5 In addition, Mithraea had developed its distinctive theology often contain plaques of dedication and rituals. Cumont accepted Plutarch’s revealing the names of the Mithraists statement that the pirates of Cilicia were who worshiped at these locations and, devotees of Mithras.7 It was believed that because they are dated, the periods during these pirates acquainted the Romans with which the shrine was in use. From these Mithraism. For many years, Cumont’s paintings, statues, mosaics, and dedication theory of the origin of Mithraism was plaques it is possible to draw only an widely accepted.8 outline of the religion of Mithraism. In 1971 at the First International The Origins of Mithraism Congress of Mithraic Studies, John The question of the origin of Hinnells, the organizer of the Congress Mithraism has intrigued scholars for many and editor of the two-volume collection years. Franz Cumont, one of the greatest of papers presented there, challenged students of Mithraism, theorized that Cumont’s position on the Iranian the roots of the Roman mystery religion origin of Mithraism.9 Hinnells attacked were in ancient Iran.6 He identified Cumont’s interpretation of the Mithraic the ancient Aryan deity who appears symbols and his identification of them in Persian literature as Mithra with the with elements in Iranian religion. At Hindu god Mitra of the Vedic hymns. the same conference, R. L. Gordon also Rosicrucian Mithra/Mitra was a solar deity. With the attacked the theory of Iranian origin.10 Digest No. 2 coming of Zoroastrianism to Persia in the Both scholars accused Cumont of 2010 Page 16 Tauroctony scene bas-relief found in Aquilea. Collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna. Photo © 2010 by CristianChirita / Wikimedia Commons. circular thinking. According to Hinnells He believes it was devised and propagated and Gordon, Cumont believed that by a group of Stoic philosophers who Roman Mithraism developed from thought they had discovered astronomical Iranian religion, found Iranian parallels evidence to prove the existence of a new to the symbols of Mithraism, and then and powerful god. They identified this used these parallels to prove the Iranian god with Perseus, one of the hero gods of foundations for Mithraism. Tarsus. Since the constellation of Perseus Even though Hinnells and Gordon was directly above the constellation of effectively destroyed Cumont’s theory, Tarsus the bull, the philosophers believed neither offered an alternative hypothesis. that Perseus dominated the bull. This new Hinnells believed that Mithraism still had religion became popular with the Cilician a basic Iranian origin, though his belief pirates who had close ties to the intellectual was not based upon Cumont’s theories. circles of Tarsus and who were interested Gordon frankly admitted ignorance of the in astral religion. They changed the name true source of Mithraism and postulated of the hero god from Perseus to Mithra in that no one will ever know its origins. honor of Mithridates vi Eupator, the last Recently, another theory of the origin of the dynasty of rulers of Pontus before of Mithraism has been set forth by David Roman rule. It was this group of pirate- Ulansey.11 Ulansey theorizes that Mithraism sailors who gave Mithraism its form and arose in the city of Tarsus in Asia Minor. spread the religion to the Roman world. Page 17 All theories of the origin of Mithraism and northern Germany. East and west acknowledge a connection, however of these centers, archaeological evidence vague, to the Mithra/Mitra figure of grows thinner. In Asia Minor Mithraic ancient Aryan religion. They all point to sites are relatively rare. They are even Persian influence in Asia Minor during the scarcer in Roman Syria. At the present Hellenistic era and to the religious ferment only three Mithraea and a scattering of of that period. All see the city of Tarsus Mithraic artifacts have been located in as a starting point of Roman Mithraism. Roman Syria. Plutarch’s single statement about the Cilician pirates carries enormous weight, The Mithraea of Roman Syria and as a result, all theorists accept them Within the geographical dimensions as the missionaries who carried the new of Roman Syria only three Mithraea have religion to Rome. been discovered and excavated. They are The theories of the origin of Mithraism located at Dura-Europas on the far eastern from Cumont to Ulansey remain only border of Roman Syria, at Sidon on the theories. Because of a dearth of literary Mediterranean coast of Phoenicia, and at evidence, we cannot be certain that Caesarea Maritima on the Mediterranean 12 Mithraism developed in a certain place coast of Roman Palestine. or a certain time. However, the weight of Dura-Europas is located on the scholarly opinion has clearly moved away extreme eastern border of Roman Syria on from the long-held theory that Mithraism the banks of the Euphrates River. The city began in Persia and moved westward was established by Seleucid rulers about across Babylon, Syria, Asia Minor, and 300 bce to protect trade routes. Roman into Rome. occupation of the city began in 164 ce Archaeological evidence is the and continued until 256, when it was strongest source of information about conquered by the Sassanians. Mithraism. The remains of hundreds of Mithraic worship sites, the sculpting and During the ninety years of Roman painting of those sites, and the dedicatory occupation, Dura-Europas was apparently plaques reveal a religion widespread across inhabited by diverse religious populations. the Roman Empire from the second Archaeological excavations carried on in through the fourth centuries ce. Current the 1920s and 1930s revealed a Christian archaeological evidence may bear out the chapel, a Jewish synagogue and a Mithraeum. The results of these excavations critics of Cumont’s theory of the origin 13 of Mithraism. If, as Cumont believed, were thoroughly published, and as a Mithraism began as an Iranian cult and result, students of Syrian Mithraism know then moved west into Syria and on to more about the Dura-Europas Mithraeum Rome, one might expect to find well- than any other site.
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