The cult worship of Mithra, the supposed Iranian god of light, justice and the contract, grew at a rapid rate during the course of the late first century A.D. The mystery cult is now a topic of debate amongst scholars, due to the mysterious nature of the cults appearance across such an incredible distance so suddenly throughout the early empire. This essay will discuss this issue of sudden growth across several distant regions during such a short a short period of time, taking into account geographical locations of Mithraea and Mithraic finds that have been discovered scattered across the empire, as well as those who were initiated into the mystery cult, in order to attempt to see who may have been involved in the diffusion of the cult, and
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Mithraic finds, including votives and the copious discoveries of Mithraea are spread vastly across countries included in the ancient empire, located “as far north as Hadrian’s Wall in Britain and as far east as Dura Europos on the river Euphrates; there are many on the Northern edge of the Roman Empire in Germany, and many in the center, in Rome and Ostia.” Within these countries, the Mithraea tend to be situated along the military frontiers, in port cities, or along the Roman road system and trade routes, essentially in places where various types of travelers would be passing through. It was this geographical placement of Mithraea that led earlier scholars, such as Franz Cumont, to believe that the cult was spread through Western Europe by Hellenized magi of Iranian decent. However, the archaeological evidence needed to support this claim has not yet been discovered, meaning the Mithraea seem to have appeared throughout the west in similar fashion, at the same time, with no apparent antecedent, making the question of how the cult spread extremely difficult to …show more content…
This has led certain scholars, such as Roger Beck, to believe that this is where the mystery cult had its first impact amongst the Roman military, “I propose to locate Mithraism’s founding group amongst the dependants, militarily and civilian, of the dynasty of Commagene”. This is supported by the Commagenian army being in contact with several Roman legions during their travels across the Roman Empire, as well as Antiochus IV, of this dynasty, spending a period of time living in Rome, all during the period of the mystery cults uprising throughout the Empire. This then would mean that the development of the cult overlaps with its expansion, rather than in phases. However, this theory is contradictory to the literary work of the historian Plutarch who was writing in the first century AD. Plutarch states in his ‘Life of Pompey’ “ξένας δέ θυίας έθυον αύτοί τάς έν Ολύμπω, καί τελετάς τινας άπορρήτους έτέλουν, ών ή τοΰ Μίθρου καί μέχρι δεΰρο διασώζεται καταδειχθεϊοα πρώτον ύπ έκείνων.” Therefore, if Plutarch’s account which states that the cult of Mithras first appeared to the Romans through their encounter with the Cilician pirates is true, then Beck’s argument in relation to the introduction of Mithras to Rome is false. Pluarch’s account is supported through archaeology
Mithraic finds, including votives and the copious discoveries of Mithraea are spread vastly across countries included in the ancient empire, located “as far north as Hadrian’s Wall in Britain and as far east as Dura Europos on the river Euphrates; there are many on the Northern edge of the Roman Empire in Germany, and many in the center, in Rome and Ostia.” Within these countries, the Mithraea tend to be situated along the military frontiers, in port cities, or along the Roman road system and trade routes, essentially in places where various types of travelers would be passing through. It was this geographical placement of Mithraea that led earlier scholars, such as Franz Cumont, to believe that the cult was spread through Western Europe by Hellenized magi of Iranian decent. However, the archaeological evidence needed to support this claim has not yet been discovered, meaning the Mithraea seem to have appeared throughout the west in similar fashion, at the same time, with no apparent antecedent, making the question of how the cult spread extremely difficult to …show more content…
This has led certain scholars, such as Roger Beck, to believe that this is where the mystery cult had its first impact amongst the Roman military, “I propose to locate Mithraism’s founding group amongst the dependants, militarily and civilian, of the dynasty of Commagene”. This is supported by the Commagenian army being in contact with several Roman legions during their travels across the Roman Empire, as well as Antiochus IV, of this dynasty, spending a period of time living in Rome, all during the period of the mystery cults uprising throughout the Empire. This then would mean that the development of the cult overlaps with its expansion, rather than in phases. However, this theory is contradictory to the literary work of the historian Plutarch who was writing in the first century AD. Plutarch states in his ‘Life of Pompey’ “ξένας δέ θυίας έθυον αύτοί τάς έν Ολύμπω, καί τελετάς τινας άπορρήτους έτέλουν, ών ή τοΰ Μίθρου καί μέχρι δεΰρο διασώζεται καταδειχθεϊοα πρώτον ύπ έκείνων.” Therefore, if Plutarch’s account which states that the cult of Mithras first appeared to the Romans through their encounter with the Cilician pirates is true, then Beck’s argument in relation to the introduction of Mithras to Rome is false. Pluarch’s account is supported through archaeology