The Mithraic cult in ancient Rome

The Mysteries of Mithras, a solar deity originally from the Persian region, enjoyed great popularity in the Roman Empire from the 1st to the 4th century AD. Their secret teachings and rites were practised by small cult communities in cave-like mithraea specially designed for this purpose. The central cult motif and, at the same time, the god's fundamental act of salvation-the symbolic and ritual killing of the bull in a grotto-appears in all Mithraic contexts throughout the Roman Empire. This book first explores the roots of Mithras worship outside the Roman Empire, in particular those of the Indo-Iranian deity Mit(h)ra, as well as the survival of the Mithraic cult in the Hellenistic period. A further section is devoted to the emergence of the 'Roman Mithraic Mysteries'. In this context, the cult of Mithras in urban Rome serves as an outstanding example for discussing cult legends, cult organisation and rites, as well as the mithraeum as a place of worship, on the basis of selected findings. Finally, the cult of Mithras in urban Rome will be placed within a broader context, reflecting the religion and worldview of the Roman Imperial period.