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The Origin of Militaristic Elements in the Mithraic Mysteries

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The Origin of Militaristic Elements in the Mithraic Mysteries THE ORIGIN OF MILITARISTIC ELEMENTS IN THE MITHRAIC MYSTERIES Hideo OGAWA* I This study intends to clarify an important aspect of the mother goddess cult embedded in the mysteries of Mithras in the Roman Empire. From the time of the stone age up through historical periods, mother goddess cults (e. g. manna, Ishtar, Anat, Astart) flourished in the Near East and Mediterranean regions. These cults culminated in the practice of the state festival of the sacred marriage rite; as well, these cults were unmistakably influential in popular religions. Eventually, though, during more recent periods of the ancient world- especially during the times of the Roman Empire-the cult of the mother goddess became obscured under the cover of a masculine and paternalistic form of religion. This phenomenon occurred in the mysteries of Mithras. We can observe clearly the on-going process in which the cult of the mother goddess converted itself into a masculine religion. Below, I will describe that process of change during the late Hellenistic and early Roman periods of the Near East. Symbols are plentiful and expressive among Mithraic materials. They are represented primarily in and around the main cult images: the bull- slaying Mithras, the rock birth of Mithras, and the lion-headed monster. These three major images are in themselves symbolic. The seven grades of Mithraic believers are depicted by various symbols and their names. The order of the grades are also symbolic. Unfortunately, we can not understand fully Mithraic mythology from only Mithraic written materials although it seems certain that the people had a rich repertory of mythology. Our knowledge is based mainly upon that masterly work of interpretation by Franz Cumont.(1) According to * Professor, Faculty of Letters, Keio University 124 ORIENT THE ORIGIN OF MILITARISTIC ELEMENTS IN THE MITHRAIC MYSTERIES this work, the Mithraic mythology consisted of the theogonic myth and the heroic legend of Mithras. At the end of the former is the rock birth miracle of Mithras and, at the latter, the superb act of bull slaying. Franz Cumont interpreted very skillfully the mythology as well as the symbols of the Mithraic mysteries. Of course, there are some discrepancies therein. It has been said, however, that as soon as one proposes a new interpretation, one must confront a newly created difficulty.(2) I have been persuaded of the certainty of this remark which was made by the late Professor Vermaseren who was always faithful to the theory of Franz Cumont. Therefore, I think it would be presumptuous of me to propose here any new interpretations regarding Mithraic mythology and symbols. First, I will review the fundamental propositions set forth by Cumont in his reconstruction work. And, then, I will give a few of my own ideas regarding the origins that-perhaps-Cumont was not fully aware existed behind the sentiments and general beliefs of ordinary Roman Mithraists. II Cumont's principal points in his study of Mithraic mythology and symbols are three:(3) masculinity, militarism, and Iranism. One well known feature of Mithraism was its sense of masculinity. Believers were exclusively men, although there were some exceptional cases of women dedicators like Blastia of Pannonia, Severa of Milano, and Cascelia of Rome.(4) Since the days of Cumont, the Mithraic concepts of god and doctrine have been interpreted in a male-centered way: they were dualistic and righteousness for believers was based upon paternal authority.(5) As originally reconstructed by Cumont, there is no place for goddesses in the Mithraic system although a considerable amount of representations of various goddesses have been discovered in Mithraic temples.(6) However, it is avowedly admitted that the purpose of the bull-slaying by Mithras was to promote fertility and fecundity.(7) This concept belongs to the realm of mother goddesses and, in a sense, contradicts the rule of paternal authority. Further, one of the seven grades was called "miles," that is, soldier. This name itself-with its attendant symbols(8)-reflects masculine and militaristic virtues of the believers. As well, a line from a Mithraic hymn(9) Vol. XXVIII 1992 125 is known from Santa-Prisca Mithraic Temple in Rome and praises militaristic and Stoic virtues. From such various evidences, one could deduce that Mithraism was militaristic as well as masculine-par excellence. Another feature of Mithraism was its Iranian origin: that is, that 1) the god Mithras himself originated in Iran; 2) that some ritualistic and epigraphical expressions like nama, nabarze, sebesio, cautes, cautopates, Arimanius, and Oromasdes(10) are said to be Iranian; and 3) that the Mithraic cult was named "Persian" by Celsus and Statius.(11) The very name Mithras was not translated into a classical name. And one of the believers' seven grades was "perses," that is, Persian. Scholars have emphasized, moreover, the Zoloastrian dualistic ethics, which would have remained in the Roman mysteries of Mithras.(12) The Mithraists' idea of history was quite mythological and they did not accept that their cult originated in Iran;(13) but the very vague remembrance of the circle of magi who founded this sect in the distant land of Asia Minor and Syria was discernible when they used "Iranian" technical terms in the temple. That Mithraists used such "Iranian" terms is one thing, and that Mithraism itself was the result of historical development of Mithraic belief from Persia to Rome is another. We do not have enough evidence to prove the latter nor can we say that the former indicates that Mithraism originated in Iran. Taking into account all these masculine, militaristic, and Iranian elements, we may choose to accept an Iranian origin and that these male- centered attributes existed from the beginning of the worship of Mithras in Iran.(14) Although differences in Iranian and Roman worship practices of this god have been pointed out since A. D. Nock,(15) an attempt to explain several traits of Roman Mithraism by similar phenomena of the Iranian worship of Mithras is still very widespread. I tend to believe that these militaristic and masculine features were not Iranian in origin. Rather, some came from symbols and mythology relating to fertility worship in the Roman provinces of the Near East and others came from the paternal theogonic myth of Mediterranean Asia. 126 ORIENT THE ORIGIN OF MILITARISTIC ELEMENTS IN THE MITHRAIC MYSTERIES III Let us consider the three most remarkable traits of Mithraism. They are 1) the bull slaying group; 2) the organization of the believers (seven grades); and 3) the theogonic and heroic mythology. These three elements have-and I find this astonishing-no partic- ular Iranian examples or prototypes. As I have noted above, the main subject of the bull-slaying act relates to fecundity that may have originated in the cult of the gods of fertility and as ears of corn indicate when found among the symbols of the bull-slaying Mithras.(16) Further, the significance of combining the seven disparate names to form the Mithraic grade of seven steps is still, on the whole, obscure, but it is a fact that until the end of the second century A. D.-during the earlier period of Mithraism-"pater," that is, the father, was the only grade among the Mithraists.(17) This grade seems to have represented paternal authority, which was, in turn, the main theme of the theogonic myth. Then, the system of the seven grades was invented and organized for the purpose of performing the fecundity ritual in the temple. The most typical of these was Leo, that is, the lion, and nymphus, that is, the bride,(18) both of which originated from the cult of mother goddesses. Nevertheless, the Mithraic theogony is masculine and presents the succession of the heavenly kingship, in which giants, born from the Earth Mother, are completely defeated by Jupiter. This myth, which had been transmitted in the Mediterranean Asia region since the days of the Hurrians,(19) forms the nucleus of the masculine and militaristic elements of the Mithraic mysteries. Let us turn now to the three most representative images of Mithraism. These are the bull-slaying group, the rock birth of the god, and the lion- headed monster. All of these are distinctly unique in nature and have no pre-Hellenistic examples. There are some late-Hellenistic examples of the bull-slaying image outside Mithraism, that is, the Winged Nike and Attis, which show that even a female deity and a child god of rebirth could perform this action.(20) Originally, the bull-slaying was not an exclusive masculine activity. The rock that gives birth to deities was very well known in several Vol. XXVIII 1992 127 cities of Hellenistic Syria-Palestine and Arabia. This concept of the miraculous birth of the god from a rock is also found in the Hurrian theogonic myth of Kumarbi.(21) It is clear that the sacred rock represented the mother goddess-the mother of gods and goddesses. Regarding the question of what the lion-headed monster represented, several theories have been proposed: Ahriman, Zurvan-Kronos, or the gnostic ruler of this world. I do not know which theory is authoritative and I do not wish to dwell at any length on these theories. It is sure, however, that this image is cosmic and may represent the spacial and historical background of the heroic deed of Mithras.(22) It is the deified cosmos, and sometimes, it may be called Ahriman as is found in four Mithraic inscriptions.(23) As for the problem of militaristic or masculine elements, I think the monster is just a neutral concept. The main and representative features of Roman Mithraism, therefore, did not originate in Iran or in the pre-Hellenistic age.
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