The Cult of Mithras in Late Antiquity
Title | The Cult of Mithras in Late Antiquity PDF eBook |
Author | David Walsh |
Publisher | BRILL |
Pages | 158 |
Release | 2018-11-29 |
Genre | History |
ISBN | 9004383069 |
In The Cult of Mithras in Late Antiquity David Walsh examines how and why the cult of Mithras vanished from the Roman Empire by the early 5th century C.E.
The Cult of Mithras in Late Antiquity
Title | The Cult of Mithras in Late Antiquity PDF eBook |
Author | David Walsh |
Publisher | |
Pages | 0 |
Release | 2019 |
Genre | Mithraism |
ISBN | 9789004380806 |
In The Cult of Mithras in Late Antiquity David Walsh examines how and why the cult of Mithras vanished from the Roman Empire by the early 5th century C.E.
Pagans and Christians in Late Antique Rome
Title | Pagans and Christians in Late Antique Rome PDF eBook |
Author | Michele Renee Salzman |
Publisher | Cambridge University Press |
Pages | 439 |
Release | 2016 |
Genre | History |
ISBN | 1107110300 |
This book sheds new light on the religious and consequently social changes taking place in late antique Rome. The essays in this volume argue that the once-dominant notion of pagan-Christian religious conflict cannot fully explain the texts and artifacts, as well as the social, religious, and political realities of late antique Rome. Together, the essays demonstrate that the fourth-century city was a more fluid, vibrant, and complex place than was previously thought. Competition between diverse groups in Roman society - be it pagans with Christians, Christians with Christians, or pagans with pagans - did create tensions and hostility, but it also allowed for coexistence and reduced the likelihood of overt violent, physical conflict. Competition and coexistence, along with conflict, emerge as still central paradigms for those who seek to understand the transformations of Rome from the age of Constantine through the early fifth century.
Ostia in Late Antiquity
Title | Ostia in Late Antiquity PDF eBook |
Author | Douglas Boin |
Publisher | Cambridge University Press |
Pages | 309 |
Release | 2013-07-22 |
Genre | History |
ISBN | 1107024013 |
'Ostia in Late Antiquity' narrates the life of Ostia Antica, Rome's ancient harbor, during the later empire.
Images of Mithra
Title | Images of Mithra PDF eBook |
Author | Philippa Adrych |
Publisher | Oxford University Press |
Pages | 232 |
Release | 2017 |
Genre | Art |
ISBN | 0198792530 |
This work presents six case-studies of objects from different periods and regions of antiquity that are labelled by variations of the name Mithra, including the Roman Mithras, Persian Mihr, and Bactrian Miiro. Each chapter places each object in its original context, before questioning its role in religious ritual, tradition, and belief
Mithras
Title | Mithras PDF eBook |
Author | Andrew Fear |
Publisher | Routledge |
Pages | 238 |
Release | 2022-06-24 |
Genre | History |
ISBN | 0429957971 |
Mithras explores the history and practices of the ancient mystery religion Mithraism, looking at both literary and material evidence for the god Mithras and the reception and allure of his mysteries in the present. The genesis and spread of Mithraism remain highly controversial. This book examines our current state of knowledge on the pre-classical Indo-Iranian god, Mitra, and argues that Mithraism was a product of Mitra’s encounter with the religious thought of the classical world. It then charts the life history of Mithraism in the Roman Empire, exploring the social background of its initiates and the reasons for their attraction to the religion. The rituals and beliefs of the cult are as mysterious as its origins; in studying Mithraic "caves" and paintings found in some Mithraic temples, we can better understand and reconstruct the rituals the Mithraists practiced. While "bull-slaying", or tauroctony, lies at the core of the Mithraic mythos, this volume explores other incidents in the god’s life depicted in ancient art, including his miraculous birth and his banquet with the sun, as well as the disconcerting lion-headed "enveloped god". After a fall from grace in the post-classical world, Mithras has resurrected himself in the present, establishing himself as one of the most recognisable if elusive gods of antiquity. Mithras provides a fascinating study of this complex god that will be of interest to scholars and students of Roman and Late Antique religion, mystery cults, as well as those working on society and religion in antiquity more broadly.
Mystery Cults of the Ancient World
Title | Mystery Cults of the Ancient World PDF eBook |
Author | Hugh Bowden |
Publisher | |
Pages | 266 |
Release | 2010 |
Genre | History |
ISBN |
A richly illustrated history of antiquity's secret religious rituals This is the first book to describe and explain all of the ancient world's major mystery cults--one of the most intriguing but least understood aspects of Greek and Roman religion. In the nocturnal Mysteries at Eleusis, participants dramatically re-enacted the story of Demeter's loss and recovery of her daughter Persephone; in the Bacchic cult, bands of women ran wild in the Greek countryside to honor Dionysus; and in the mysteries of Mithras, men came to understand the nature of the universe and their place within it through frightening initiation ceremonies and astrological teachings. These cults were an important part of life in the ancient Mediterranean world, but their actual practices were shrouded in secrecy, and many of their features have remained unclear until now. By richly illustrating the evidence from ancient art and archaeology, and drawing on enlightening new work in the anthropology and cognitive science of religion, Mystery Cults of the Ancient World allows readers to imagine as never before what it was like to take part in these ecstatic and life-changing religious rituals--and what they meant to those who participated in them. Stunning images of Greek painted pottery, Roman frescoes, inscribed gold tablets from Greek and South Italian tombs, and excavated remains of religious sanctuaries help show what participants in these initiatory cults actually did and experienced. A fresh and accessible introduction to a fascinating subject, this is a book that will interest general readers, as well as students and scholars of classics and religion.