Inspired by Persian Mithra, Romans recreated ancient cult rituals and religious mysteries in the worship of Mithras. A solar deity, Mithras ruled widely, revered from Classical to Late Antiquity (1st to 4th century CE). At one time Mithras had powers to rival those of Christianity.
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In Rome Mithras was integrated into the earlier Cult of the Sun. He's also associated with the sacrificial Bull and fertility of the Earth.
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Mysteries of Mithras
Mithraism is a Roman secret religion, or mystery cult for men. Only priests and initiates knew the rites and signs. Centered in Rome, the Cult of Mithras had seven levels of initiation. Members observed communal ritual meals and called themselves syndexioi, or 'those united by a handshake'.
The cult of Mithras threatened the rise of Christianity as both religious cultures spread at about the same time. In Christianity the Apostle Paul began to preach the word of God in Rome, in 47 CE.
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By the 4th century, followers of Mithras faced persecution from Christians. The religion went underground but measures of suppression followed.
The first recorded Christmas celebration was in Rome on Dec 25, 336 CE. By the end of the 4th century, Mithraism was officially eliminated in the Roman Empire.
Surviving evidence of the Cult of Mithras include archeological findings of gathering places and sacred objects. Artifacts of the cult have been found at 420 different sites. Because only a few people knew the mysteries and were sworn to secrecy, evidence is largely based on the many historical findings.
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Iconic scenes chronicled by relief sculpture or other artwork in Roman temples include the birth of Mithras from a stone, Mithras enjoying a banquet with Sol the Sun, Mithras shooting an arrow into a rock to bring forth water and most popular, Mithras killing a bull in ceremonial or sacrificial context. While Mithra enjoyed power in Persia (Iran), the bull-slaying scenes occur only in Roman artwork.
Mithras' Birthday - December 25
At one time scholars propagated the idea of Mithras' birthday and the feast of Mithras on December 25, the day of dies natalis solis invicti or Sol Invictus. Later evidence showed Sol Invictus is a general festival of the Sun. Held in the days following the Winter Solstice it celebrates the ancient theme of the Sun's return after a time of cold and darkness.
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Debates going back to the 12th century address the starting date of Sol Invictus, which is the same as Christmas. In the popular belief of the 18th and 19th centuries, Christians chose the 25th because Sol Invictus revels began that day. Another theory suggests the date Dec 25 was chosen by the Roman Emperor Aurelian to blur out Christian celebrations already gaining ground.
Cult of the Sun God
The Roman cult of Sol, the Sun or Sun God, was practiced in Rome since the days of the Early Republic (509 BCE - 27 BCE). Invictus means unconquered or unconquerable. It was also taken as an epithet for gods and demi-gods Jupiter, Mars, Hercules, Apollo, and Silvanus.
The Day of the Unconquered Sun can relate to the early days of spring after the winter solstice, when the trees begin budding as soon as the longest night is past and the Sun graces Earth with nurturing power.
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The Roman Festival Saturnalia, extending from the 17th to 23rd of December, falls over the Solstice. In some chronologies the festival extends to the 25th to include Sol. In others there's a day separating the two celebrations. From the revelry of Saturnalia Romans move on to the post-Solstice celebration of light and warmth, as the Sun grows in power and radiance.
The cult of Sol began in the earliest history of Rome. According to scholars, Titus Tatius, King of the Sabines, introduced the cult just after the founding of Rome by brother-slayer Romulus.
On 25 Dec 274 CE, Roman Emperor Aurelian created the cult of Sol Invictus as an official religion, along with traditional Roman observances. The Cult of the Sun prospered until Christianity became the exclusive state religion in 380 CE.
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Titus attacked Rome due to the infamous Rape of the Sabine Women in the 8th century BCE, who were carried off by Romans. At the time, rape meant kidnapping or abduction. As the battle raged the women intervened, asking both sides to settle it amiably. Thus, Tatius ruled with Romulus in joint kingship, and brought with him the lore of the Sun God.
Shrines to the Sun God are found in Numicius, central Italy; at the Circus Maximus, and many other places of gathering and worship.
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The Romans had two versions of the Sun. The early Sol Indiges, the beta version, was a harvest deity. The later Sol Invictus evolved to encompass the full glory of the Sun. They're considered versions of the same god, Sol.
Mithras & the Cult of the Bull
According to mythology, Mithras was born beside a sacred stream under a sacred tree, a child of the earth. Born fully adult, he emerged from a stone bearing a torch and knife. He rode and later killed the life-giving cosmic bull, whose fertile blood nourishes all vegetation.
Later, the mythology of Mithras changed, and he was born of a virgin.
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Mithras is the God of Divine Mediation. He corresponds between mortal and godly powers. As a solar deity he's known as the 'Light of the Sun'. In Rome, the Solstice was considered to be the day of the first recognizable effects the sun's return, so Romans celebrated Solstice on the 25th instead of the day of longest night.
Mithras, contacted by a raven, received orders from the Sun himself to slay a white bull. It was to be the salvation of humankind. The blood fertilized the Earth. As soon as the Bull died, it became the Moon. The cloak of Mithras became the stars and planets. Mithras' sacrifice of the bull reflects the burgeoning Roman Cult of the Bull which thrived from the 2nd to 4th centuries CE.
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