Expressing religious ideas through Visual Art : a new interpretation of the third symbol of the Mithraic grade miles on the floor mosaic from the Felicissimus Mithraeum in Ostia

CHALUPA, Aleš and Tomáš GLOMB. Expressing religious ideas through Visual Art : a new interpretation of the third symbol of the Mithraic grade miles on the floor mosaic from the Felicissimus Mithraeum in Ostia. In International conference "Arts And Crafts Over The Passage Of Time (From The Bronze Age To Late Antiquity)", Pezinok, 19-21 October 2012. 2012.

Basic information

• Original name: Expressing religious ideas through Visual Art : a new interpretation of the third symbol of the Mithraic grade miles on the floor mosaic from the Felicissimus Mithraeum in Ostia
• Authors: CHALUPA, Aleš (203 Czech Republic, guarantor, belonging to the institution) and Tomáš GLOMB (203 Czech Republic, belonging to the institution).
• Edition: International conference "Arts And Crafts Over The Passage Of Time (From The Bronze Age To Late Antiquity)", Pezinok, 19-21 October 2012, 2012.

Other information

• Original language: English
• Type of outcome: Presentations at conferences
• Field of Study: 60300 6.3 Philosophy, Ethics and Religion
• Country of publisher: Slovakia
• Confidentiality degree: is not subject to a state or trade secret
• RIV identification code: RIV/00216224:14210/12:00061445
• Organization unit: Faculty of Arts
• Keywords in English: Mithraism; Felicissimus mosaic; Miles grade; military sling bag; Phrygian cap; bull pelvic limb
• Tags: rivok
• Tags: International impact

Abstract

The Roman Cult of Mithras is an example of a religion which expressed its central ideas not by text but through visual art. This paper deals with a single instance of this strategy and exemplifies its use in the Mithraic art. In the first part of the paper, a new interpretation of the third symbol of the Mithraic grade Miles on the floor mosaic from the mithraeum Felicissimus will be presented. The object which this symbol represents has been, according to our opinion, wrongly identified in the previous scholarship and a new interpretation is urgently required. In the second part of the paper, after we have argued that the new interpretation we are proposing conforms better with other Mithraic evidence, possible meanings of this object in Mithraic religious ideology will be explored and evaluated.

Abstract (in Czech)

Příspěvek usiluje o novou interpretaci třetího předmětu obsaženého na třetím panelu podlažní mozaiky Felicissimus náležícímu stupni Voják.