The Mysteries of Mithra
Franz Cumont
“The colorful religion of Mithra originated in Persia and enjoyed an immense popularity in the Roman Empire, becoming so powerful in the valleys of the Danube and Rhine and in Great Britain that for a time Europe almost became Mithraic. When Mithra and Early Christianity met, the result was a ferocious, implacable duel, whose marks can still be detected on the body of present-day Christian doctrine… Cumont reconstructs the characteristics of the principal divinities, the rituals, the mystery teachings, the liturgy and clergy, the attitude towards Mithra of the typical Roman soldier, the rapid dissemination of the religion in the early years of the Christian era.”
Publisher: Dover
Paperback: 239 pages
Illustrated