The Cult of Mithras

Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the cult of Mithras, a mystery religion that existed in the Roman Empire from the 1st to the 4th centuries AD. Also known as the Mysteries of Mithras, its origins are uncertain. Academics have suggested a link with the ancient Vedic god Mitra and the Iranian Zoroastrian deity Mithra, but the extent and nature of the connection is a matter of controversy. Followers of Mithras are thought to have taken part in various rituals, most notably communal meals and a complex seven-stage initiation system. Typical depictions of Mithras show him being born from a rock, enjoying food with the sun god Sol and stabbing a bull. Mithraic places of worship have been found throughout the Roman world, including an impressive example in London. However, Mithraism went into decline in the 4th century AD with the rise of Christianity and eventually completely disappeared. In recent decades, many aspects of the cult have provoked debate, especially as there are no written accounts by its members. As a result, archaeology has been of great importance in the study of Mithraism and has provided new insights into the religion and its adherents.

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Guests

• Greg Woolf 8 episodes
  Professor of Ancient History at the University of St Andrews
• Almut Hintze No other episodes
  Zartoshty Professor of Zoroastrianism at SOAS, University of London
• John North No other episodes
  Acting Director of the Institute of Classical Studies, University of London

Reading list

• Romanising Oriental Gods: Myth, Salvation and Ethics in the Cults of Cybele, Isis and Mithras
  Jaime Alvar (Brill, 2008) Google Books →
• Religions of Rome
  Mary Beard, John North and Simon Price (Cambridge University Press, 1998) Google Books →
• The Religion of the Mithras Cult in the Roman Empire: Mysteries of the Unconquered Sun
  Roger Beck (Oxford University Press, 2007) Google Books →
• Beck on Mithraism: Collected Works with New Essays
  Roger Beck (Ashgate, 2004) Google Books →
• A History of Zoroastrianism
  M. Boyce and F. Grenet (Brill, 1991) Google Books →
• The Roman Cult of Mithras: The God and His Mysteries
  Manfred Clauss (Edinburgh University Press, 2000) Google Books →
• The Mysteries of Mithra
  Franz Cumont (Forgotten Books, 2012) Google Books →
• Image and Value in the Graeco-Roman World: Studies in Mithraism and Religious Art
  Richard Gordon (Variorum, 1996) Google Books →
• Persian Mythology
  John Hinnells (P. Bedrick Books, 1985) Google Books →
• A Companion to Roman Religion
  J. Rupke (ed.) (Wiley-Blackwell, 2011)
• The Cults of the Roman Empire
  Robert Turcan (Wiley-Blackwell, 1997) Google Books →

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Programme ID: b01pg5nt

Episode page: bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01pg5nt

Auto-category: 290 (Other religions)

Hello (First sentence from this episode)

Hello. In 1954, construction work was taking place in Walbrook Street in the City of London following the Second World War.