In his 1880 Hibbert Lecture on the history of early Christianity, Ernest Renan commented: “I sometimes permit myself to say that, if Christianity had not carried the day, Mithraicism would have become the religion of the world.” While it is doubtful that a Persian-influenced mystery cult which appealed primarily to Roman soldiers, officials, and aristocrats [...]
Entries Tagged as 'Mithras'
No Bull: The Mithras Cult & Christianity
September 5th, 2011 · 5 Comments · History, Pagans, Ritual
Tags:bull sacrifice·bull worship·Catal Hoyuk·Christianity·Commagene·Constantine·Crusades·early Christians·Ernest Renan·Franz Cumont·Kingdom of Commagene·Knights Templar·Mithraism·Mithras·mystery cult·Persian·Roger Beck·Rome·solar deity

Gallo-Roman Temple Complex Discovered
August 19th, 2010 · No Comments · Archaeology, History, Pagans, Ritual
Over at The Guardian, Pierre Le Hir reports on the discovery of an “enormous religious site” or temple complex in the French countryside near Le Mans, which during the first through third centuries common era (C.E.) was known as Vindunum. As viewers of HBO’s spectacular but short-lived series “Rome” and readers of Julius Caesar’s Commentarii [...]
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Tags:Celtic·Celtic gods·celts·Commentaries on the Gallic Wars·Commentarii de Bello Gallico·exclusivism·Gallic·Gallic gods·Gauls·intolerance·Julius Caesar·Le Mans·Mars Mullo·Mithras·Muslim·mystery cult·Obama·pagan pantheon·pagans·Persian deity·Pierre Le Hir·religious site·ritual offerings·Roman·Roman gods·Rome·salvage archaeology·syncretic·syncretism·temple complex·tolerance·Vindunum