Amazon cover image
Image from Amazon.com

Mithras / Andrew Fear.

By: Fear, A. T [author.]Material type: TextTextPublisher: Abingdon, Oxon ; New York, NY : Routledge, 2022Description: pages cmContent type: text Media type: unmediated Carrier type: volumeISBN: 9781138499799; 9781138499799Subject(s): Mithraism | Mithras (Zoroastrian deity) | Rome -- ReligionAdditional physical formats: Online version:: MithrasDDC classification: 295 LOC classification: BL1585 | .F38 2022
Contents:
A riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma -- Tempora solis : the life of a religion -- Those who join hands : the Mithraists -- "That mede there, Mithras" : the prehistory of a religion -- Born of a rock : the early life of Mithras -- You have saved us by pouring fourth the eternal blood : the Tauroctony and beyond -- The guardian at the gate : the enveloped god -- A well-omened, holy place : the persian cave -- Persist through the clouds : ritual -- Credo : descending immortal, immortal to rise again -- Through a glass darkly : Mithras after Rome.
Summary: "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"-- Provided by publisher.
Holdings
Item type Current library Call number Status Date due Barcode
Books Books The BIAA David H. French Library
Shelf 43 - Main Room 		J7 FEAR 33092 Not for loan BOOKS-000000027208

Includes bibliographical references.

A riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma -- Tempora solis : the life of a religion -- Those who join hands : the Mithraists -- "That mede there, Mithras" : the prehistory of a religion -- Born of a rock : the early life of Mithras -- You have saved us by pouring fourth the eternal blood : the Tauroctony and beyond -- The guardian at the gate : the enveloped god -- A well-omened, holy place : the persian cave -- Persist through the clouds : ritual -- Credo : descending immortal, immortal to rise again -- Through a glass darkly : Mithras after Rome.

"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"-- Provided by publisher.