The Origins of the Roman Cult of Mithras in the Light of New
Evidence and Interpretations : The Current State of Affairs

J 2016

The Origins of the Roman Cult of Mithras in the Light of New Evidence and Interpretations : The Current State of Affairs

CHALUPA, Aleš

Basic information

Original name

The Origins of the Roman Cult of Mithras in the Light of New Evidence and Interpretations : The Current State of Affairs

Authors

CHALUPA, Aleš (203 Czech Republic, guarantor, belonging to the institution)

Edition

Religio : revue pro religionistiku, Brno, Česká společnost pro religionistiku o.s. 2016, 1210-3640

Other information

Language

English

Type of outcome

Článek v odborném periodiku

Field of Study

60300 6.3 Philosophy, Ethics and Religion

Country of publisher

Czech Republic

Confidentiality degree

není předmětem státního či obchodního tajemství

References:

Digitální knihovna FF MU

RIV identification code

RIV/00216224:14210/16:00091247

Organization unit

Faculty of Arts

Keywords in English

Roman cult of Mithras; origins of the Roman cult of Mithras; cultural hybridity; invention of new religious cults; cultural transmission; Franz Cumont; Roger Beck; Per Beskow; Kingdom of Commagene

Abstract

V originále

This article deals with the still unresolved question of the origins of the Roman cult of Mithras. After a brief history of the scholarship dealing with this topic, individual mithraea, inscriptions, and passages in literary texts which have been dated to the earliest period of the cult’s existence are evaluated. On the basis of this re-evaluation, some provisional conclusions concerning the question of Mithraic origins are made, namely that (1) the earliest evidence comes from the period 75-125 CE but remains, until the second half of the 2nd century CE, relatively negligible; (2) the geographical distribution of early evidence does not allow for a clear identification of the geographical location from which the cult started to spread, which suggests that (3) the cult made effective use of Roman military infrastructure and trade routes and (4) was transmitted, at least initially, due to the high mobility of the first propagators. However, it must be acknowledged that, at present, we can neither conclusively identify its place of origin nor the people who initiated the cult. In addition it is impossible to describe the specific historical circumstances in which these formative processes should be placed.

Links

MUNI/21/CHA/2015, interní kód MU

Name: Vznik Mithrových mystérií ve světle nových nálezů a interpretací

Investor: Masaryk University

Citovat

CHALUPA, Aleš. The Origins of the Roman Cult of Mithras in the Light of New Evidence and Interpretations : The Current State of Affairs. Religio : revue pro religionistiku. Brno: Česká společnost pro religionistiku o.s., 2016, vol. 24, No 1, p. 65-91. ISSN 1210-3640.

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   author = {Chalupa, Aleš},
   article_location = {Brno},
   article_number = {1},
   keywords = {Roman cult of Mithras; origins of the Roman cult of Mithras; cultural hybridity; invention of new religious cults; cultural transmission; Franz Cumont; Roger Beck; Per Beskow; Kingdom of Commagene},
   language = {eng},
   issn = {1210-3640},
   journal = {Religio : revue pro religionistiku},
   title = {The Origins of the Roman Cult of Mithras in the Light of New Evidence and Interpretations : The Current State of Affairs},
   url = {http://hdl.handle.net/11222.digilib/135694},
   volume = {24},
   year = {2016}
}

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KW  - cultural transmission
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KW  - Roger Beck
KW  - Per Beskow
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N2  - This article deals with the still unresolved question of the origins of the Roman cult of Mithras. After a brief history of the scholarship dealing with this topic, individual mithraea, inscriptions, and passages in literary texts which have been dated to the earliest period of the cult’s existence are evaluated. On the basis of this re-evaluation, some provisional conclusions concerning the question of Mithraic origins are made, namely that (1) the earliest evidence comes from the period 75-125 CE but remains, until the second half of the 2nd century CE, relatively negligible; (2) the geographical distribution of early evidence does not allow for a clear identification of the geographical location from which the cult started to spread, which suggests that (3) the cult made effective use of Roman military infrastructure and trade routes and (4) was transmitted, at least initially, due to the high mobility of the first propagators. However, it must be acknowledged that, at present, we can neither conclusively identify its place of origin nor the people who initiated the cult. In addition it is impossible to describe the specific historical circumstances in which these formative processes should be placed.
ER  -

CHALUPA, Aleš. The Origins of the Roman Cult of Mithras in the Light of New Evidence and Interpretations : The Current State of Affairs. \textit{Religio : revue pro religionistiku}. Brno: Česká společnost pro religionistiku o.s., 2016, vol.~24, No~1, p.~65-91. ISSN~1210-3640.

Detailed Information on Publication Record