Roman Cult of Mithras Research Papers (original) (raw)

2025

Религиозните вярвания на прабългарите са предмет на спорове вече повече от век. Няма стари записи за категорично заключение. Християнството и времето са заличили почти всички следи от предишната религия и каквито и да било заключения за нея се правят въз основата на предположения. Както посочва Wikipedia: "Много малко се знае за религията на българите, но се смята, че тя е била монотеистична. В Дунавска България българските монарси описват себе си като "владетел от Бога", което показва власт от единствен божествен произход и с позоваване на всезнанието на божеството. Надписът от Филипи (837 г.) на Пресиан гласи: "Когато някой търси истината, Бог вижда. И когато някой лъже, Бог вижда и това. Българите направиха много услуги на християните (византийците), но християните ги забравиха. Но Бог вижда." Традиционно се приема, че въпросният Бог е тюркското върховно небесно божество Тенгри. В китайската транскрипция като 'zhenli' и в тюркската като Tangara и Tengeri тя представлява най-старата известна туркомонголска дума. Tengri може да произхожда от конфедерацията Xiongnu, която се установила на границите на Китай през 2 век пр.н.е. Конфедерацията вероятно е имала както предтюркски, така и предмонголски етнически елементи. В съвременния турски думата за бог Tanrı произлиза от същия корен. Тенгризмът очевидно е използвал различни шамански практики. Според Мерсия Макдермот, Тангра е мъжкото божество, свързвано с небето, светлината и слънцето. Култът включва женския еквивалент на Тангра -основната богиня Умай, божество на плодородието. Тяхната тамга , която често се среща в ранносредновековна България, се свързва с божеството Тангра. Въпреки това, точното й значение и употреба остават неизвестни. Най-свещените същества за Тангра били конете и орлите, особено белите коне. Бронзови амулети с изображения на Слънце, коне и други животни са открити в археологически обекти в България. Това може да обясни разнообразието от български табута, включително тези за животните." () Всички тези обяснения са опит на много чуждестранни и български автори да отгатнат каква е била религията на прабългарите на базата на погрешната тюркскохунска (хунну) хипотеза за произхода им. В книгата "Нарекоха се българи" бе представена много информация за произхода на прабългарите и беше издигната и представена индоиранската (арийска) и скитската (сака) хипотеза. Проучването разкри една съвсем различна картина за религията на прабългаите. Титлата "владетел от Бога" има различен от посочения произход и смисъл и беше обяснено истинското значение на символа IYI. IYI не е знак на бог Тангра (Тенгри). Тангра не е бил бог на прабългарите. В книгата са анализирани религиозните вярвания на прабългарите, свързани с индуистките, джаинистки и будистки вярвания и с почитането в годините на преселения на Всевишна тантристка богиня Бала. В книгата, авторът е анализирал различните елементи и характеристики на найдревния и важен прабългарски паметник -"Мадарски конник", и е направил изводи за неговия произход, подбудите за създаването му, особеностите на композицията и съставните й елементи, личността на конникa и внушението, което творецът е искал да предаде на наблюдателя. Направените заключения ще бъдат представени накратко в следващите редове и то в по-дълбока връзка с древната религия на прабългарите. През годините от различни автори са правени много анализи на особеностите на изображението на Мадарския конник. Някои от тях са представени накратко в книгата

2025, Religious Studies Review

This is an interdisciplinary yearbook and collection of articles that summarize the state of research, ongoing issues, and broad cultural themes for the First Millennium CE. Volume 4 offers "a selection of insights into research problems ranging from the Early Roman Imperial period to the late-ninth century. . . . In each of the quite diverse fields they cover they question the established state of research and draw attention to events and objects that have previously not received due consideration." Three essays (S. E. Alcock, J. Connolly, H. Krasser) deal with the construction of Roman identities and how understandings of identity in classical Greece influenced the Roman process. Two essays deal with intertextuality and literary sources. U. Egelhaaf-Gaiser's "Kolossale Miniaturen: Der Holzfäller Hercules in Statius' 'Wäldern' (Silve 3,1)" focuses upon the character of Hercules, and C. Tornau studies how Augustine, in his tractrates on 1 John, presents Plotinus' understanding of Eros in the soul's ascent to God. Dennis Pausch analyzes the interconnected biographies of Marcus Aurelius, Lucius Verus, and Avidius Cassius in Historia Augusta as consciously constructed biographies based upon what the author presupposed his contemporaries knew about history. M. Meier studies the Staurotheis Revolt (512) and shows how secular politics interacted with ecclesiastical factors to produce it. Simon MacLean studies the interaction of royal patronage and the political influence of aristocratic families in Italy from 870-90, that is, from after the death of Louis II to the end of the Carolingians. Finally, T. Pratsch argues that highly organized monastic groups were more numerous in the Byzantine Empire than has been previously believed. A necessary acquisition for research libraries.

2025, Religious Studies Review

2025

The double-sided billon pendant of the fi rst half of the 3rd c. AD presented here was offered for sale at a New York auction sale in 1999. 1 The present owner is unknown; L. Bricault came across it in 2018 during the preparation of the exhibition The Mystery of Mithras: Exploring the Heart of a Roman Cult. 2 The iconography, and especially the text in the exergue of the reverse, warrant calling it to the attention of a wider public. A billon disc, presumably originally cast as a coin-blank, set in a silver foil rope-work frame with a ribbed fi llet folded over forwards at the top to create an eyelet for a suspension-cord or -chain. 3 Dimensions: diam. 26 mm; w. 6.52 g. A certain fashion for jewellery pendants composed of framed coins or coin-like objects began already in the second century. 4 The nearest in probable date to the present object known to us are two pendants now in Dumbarton Oaks made from aurei of Caracalla and Elagabalus respectively (inv. BZ 1951. nos. 2 and 3), 5 two aurei of Severus Alexander on a gold necklace now in the Metropolitan Museum (inv. no. 17.190.1655); and pendants containing aurei of Volusianus (dated 251-3) and Gallienus (253-68) in the British Museum. 6

2025, O Inimă dedicată Timpurilor Străvechi. Profesorul Dumitru Boghian la 70 de ani

Studiul analizează reprezentările antropomorfe și zoomorfe în ronde-bosse
descoperite în timpul cercetărilor arheologice din anul 2024 din situl eneolitic de la Ursoaia.
Așezarea a fost semnalată recent și a fost investigată prin scanări geo-magnetice și un sondaj
arheologic. Ceramica din sit este tipică pentru etapa B1a a culturii Cucuteni. Sondajul
arheologic a fost amplasat pe una dintre gropile menajere relevate de scanarea geo-magnetică.
Deși această groapă nu a fost cercetată decât parțial, materialele din umplutură se remarcă
prin bogăția lor, constând în numeroase vase ceramice, artefacte din silex, fragmente de lut
pictate, oase de animale și reprezentări antropomorfe și zoomorfe în ronde-bosse. Formele
acestor reprezentări antropomorfe și zoomorfe respectă canonul cucutenian, dar creativitatea
artizanilor preistorici transcende acest canon prin realizarea unui decor original aplicat pe
anumite artefacte. Caracteristicile acestor piese preistorice sunt discutate în termeni de
dimensiuni metrice, modelare, decor
The study presents the ronde-bosse anthropomorphic and zoomorphic
representations unearthed during the 2024 fieldwork in the Chalcolithic site at Ursoaia. The
settlement at Ursoaia was recently discovered and was investigated through geomagnetic scan
and a test trench. The ceramics found in the site is typical for the B1a stage of the Cucuteni
culture. The test trench was placed on a pit revealed by the geomagnetic scan. Although the pit
was not entirely excavated, the materials found inside its filling are rich, consisting of
numerous ceramic vessels, flint artefacts, painted clay fragments, animal bones and rondebosse anthropomorphic and zoomorphic representations. The shapes of the anthropomorphic
and zoomorphic representations were made according to the Cucuteni canon, but the
creativity of the Prehistoric artisans from the site transcends this canon in the original
decoration of some of the items. The characteristics of these prehistoric artefacts are discussed
in terms of metric dimensions, shaping, decoration.

2025, Roma y Persia: Colisión y fraternidad de potencias imperiales e ideologías civilizatorias en la Antigüedad tardía, 224-363 d. C.

El Imperio romano y la Persia sasánida fueron dos de las principales potencias del mundo antiguo. Su impacto en la geopolítica y la historia estuvo determinado por motivaciones estratégicas e ideológicas, aspectos generalmente enmarcados... more

2025

U ovom radu govori se o načinu infiltracije egipatske religije i magije na prostore nekadašnje rimske provincije Dalmacije. Egipatske smo utjecaje vidjeli još kod Grka, odakle je putem kolonizacije došla i na naša područja. Prve pojave vidimo već tijekom 1. stoljeća i odnose se na kult božice Izide. Pojavom kršćanstva, svi orijentalni utjecaji se smanjuju i usmjeravaju na manje skupine entuzijasta. Rimski Senat u početku nije prihvaćao egipatske bogove, pa su privrženici novim kultovima protjerani van grada. Istočnjački bogovi polako ulaze u državnu religiju u vrijeme dinastije Flavijevaca. Kada su rimski vladari počeli prihvaćati nova božanstva, egipatska religija se počela prihvaćati i u narodu. Egipćani su svojim jedinstvenim stilom ostavili trag na našoj obali raznovrsnim amuletima i božanstvima koja su sinkretizmom s rimskom kulturom tvorili nove oblike kultova i praznovjerja. Kod nas se pojavljuju: falusi, uđati, bule, skarabeji i ušebtiji. Koristili su se za tjelesno zdravlje...

2025

La conquista de Egipto por Cambises II en el año 525 a.n.e. supuso el inicio de la dominación persa en este territorio y el establecimiento de la Dinastía XXVII. En este nuevo contexto político y cultural, adquirió especial relevancia la figura de Udjahorresnet, alto funcionario que sirvió tanto al último faraón de origen egipcio, Psamético III, como a los primeros soberanos aqueménidas. Su autobiografía, inscrita en una estatua naófora conservada en el Museo Gregoriano, constituye una fuente esencial para comprender las relaciones entre las élites egipcias y el poder imperial persa. A partir del análisis de esta biografía y del artículo de Pierre Briant (1996), que desarrolla el concepto de “policentrismo cultural”, este trabajo se propone explorar la actitud del poder aqueménida hacia los oficiales egipcios, así como hacia sus creencias, templos, prácticas y tradiciones. El objetivo principal es analizar cómo el Imperio Persa gestionó los territorios conquistados, prestando especial atención al caso egipcio y a la manera en que la élite local se adaptó y colaboró con los nuevos gobernantes.

2025, IV: Possible Depictions of the Cult of Cybele on Roman Funerary Monuments from Chester

This paper re-examines a number of disputed Roman sculptures from Chester showing individuals in oriental dress, and argues that they depict the semi-divine figure Attis, consort of the goddess Cybele, or possibly their priests. It further suggests that a relief supposedly depicting Fortuna may represent Cybele and raises the possibility that there were devotees of the goddess or even a cult presence at Chester.

2025, Logros Y Retos Actas De Iii Congreso Universitario Nacional Investigacion Y Genero 2011 Isbn 978 84 936484 3 5 Pags 1862 1873

Desde la perspectiva de género, la "dualidad del espacio", o de los "espacios genéricos", supone la aplicación más contundente del sistema de prácticas y de valores patriarcales. La segregación de actividades no es exclusiva a la reclusión de la mujer dentro del ámbito privado doméstico, frente al público-político, pues esta situación se reproduce, igualmente en el interior de cada espacio, como en el caso de los de la esfera religiosa, pues la separación de tareas en este ámbito, no deja de ser subsidiaria de las distintas formas de la división social del trabajo. En el espacio religioso mistérico encontramos también la especificidad negativa de la condición femenina, por ello, el presente trabajo pretende demostrar cómo el colectivo varón se otorga el privilegio de ordenar espacios y tareas al colectivo femenino, a pesar de que estas religiones de salvación, cuando llegan a Roma, rompen las barreras sociales y aceptan entre sus integrantes a libertos, esclavos y mujeres. Como caso ejemplificador hemos tomado el sacerdocio de Cibeles, cuyos resultados avalan la reproducción del sistema social patriarcal y por tanto, la desigualdad y la distribución asimétrica de los espacios, incluido el mistérico. Dualidad de espacios, desigualdad, patriarcal, misterios, sacerdocio, Cibeles -1862 -brought to you by CORE View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk

2025

Frente a la idea de que los misterios se difunden a través de un proceso cada vez más amplio de conversiones, los autores sostienen que la familia es la base social en la que se alimentan demográficamente los cultos mistéricos. El... more

2025, Regional Mithraism: A Preliminary Study of Localised Cult Practice in the Western Roman Empire

This undergraduate dissertation explores the regional variations within the cult of Mithras across the western Roman Empire, challenging the prevailing narrative of a universally homogeneous religious system. While Mithraism is often understood through its consistent iconography and architectural features, this study argues for a more nuanced interpretation by examining localised deviations in ritual practice, sanctuary construction, and symbolic expression in Italy, Gaul, and Britain. Drawing on archaeological evidence - including tauroctony reliefs, mithraea, and ritual deposits - this work demonstrates that Mithraic communities adapted their religious practices to suit local contexts, resources, and identities. By highlighting the contextual specificity of Mithraic worship, the dissertation contributes to broader discussions on Roman religious pluralism, the transmission of esoteric knowledge, and the methodological limitations of homogenised interpretive frameworks. This preliminary study calls for a shift toward regional and individual-centered analyses of ancient religion, offering a fresh perspective on one of antiquity's most enigmatic cults.

2025, Vjesnik za arheologiju i historiju dalmatinsku

Glave bika, ovna i mladi}a s modijem na glavi, prikazane na kasetama na trijemu oko poligonalnoga hrama, prepoznaju se kao Apis, Amon i carev genij. Glava u medaljonu, u unutrašnjosti poligonalnoga hrama, prepoznaje se kao Tyche -Izida. Poligonalni hram, smatran u literaturi mauzolejem, po svoj prilici je svetište u kojem se štovala Izida i car Dioklecijan. Više arhitektonskih motiva, posebno tip kapitela sa zadebljanim liš}em, prepoznaje se kao utjecaj egipatske umjetnosti. Egipatski spomenici u Dioklecijanovoj pala~i u Splitu odavna su poznati u arheološkoj literaturi; sfinge i njihovi natpisi pisani hijeroglifima su prou~eni, 1 a za ve}inu stupova oko poligonalnoga hrama, i u trijemu oko njega, utvr|eno je egipatsko podrijetlo. 2 Egipatske spolije, umjetnine i njihove imitacije, kao i kultni utjecaji, prisutni su u rimskoj civilizaciji stolje}ima prije Dioklecijana, posebno kult bo'ice Izide i Serapisa. U doba carstva, nakon što je Egipat pripojen rimskom imperiju, civilizacijski, posebno kultni utjecaji sve su sna'niji. Tako je car August dao prenijeti obelisk koji se, u novoj funkciji, koristio za sun~ani sat. 3 Car Septimije Sever se identificira sa Serapisom, a njegova 'ena, pak, s Izidom, kao što je to ranije bio slu~aj s Hadrijanom i Sabinom. 4 Op}epoznato je da rimski carevi ne odnose samo spolije iz Egipta, nego u toj zemlji, po~evši od Augusta, podi'u spomenike od kojih je osobito ~uven Trajanov kiosk na oto~i}u Fili, sagra|en u duhu egipatske arhitektonske tradicije.

2025, Ancient Fiction: The Matrix of Early Christian and Jewish Narrative, eds. Jo-Ann A. Brant, Charles W. Hedrick, and Chris Shea, SBL Symposium Series 32 (Atlanta, GA: Society of Biblical Literature, 2005).

NOVEL AND MYSTERY. DISCOURSE, MYTH AND SOCIETY. Reinhold Merkelbach’s thesis that the ancient Greek and Latin novels are disguised “showings” of ancient mysteries has remained controversial. Essentially the problem revolves around the... more

2025, Kultúratudományi Szemle

The religious landscape of the Roman Empire has long been interpreted as a pluralistic field, where polytheism, henotheistic tendencies, and various forms of monotheism coexisted and interacted. One of the overarching powers within this religious environment was the Reichsreligion—the religious laws and traditions of the Romans. However, interpreting provincial forms of religiosity has posed a significant methodological challenge to scholarship for an extended period. The concept of
religious glocalization offers a new methodological framework for examining provincial Roman religion. This article presents several case studies from the Danubian provinces of the Roman Empire to illustrate the dynamics of religious glocalization.

2025, Presented at the Uiversity of Huddersfield

This paper examines Ted Hughes's potential collaboration with the Australian artist Arthur Boyd, and tells the myth of Agdistis and how this and the worship of Mithras influenced his writing of Gaudete.

2025, Archaeological Research - University of Sistan and Baluchestan

The village of Tadevan is located in the Khafr district of Jahrom County, Fars Province, Iran. To the north of the village, within a gorge bearing the same name, a group of karstic caves has formed through the dissolution of limestone.... more

2025, Todas las Mujeres de Alejandro Magno

En este texto se presenta un amplio y minucioso estudio sobre las figuras femeninas relacionadas con Alejandro Magno, tanto en su contexto histórico y cultural como en la tradición literaria posterior. A lo largo de sus capítulos, el autor aporta fuentes clásicas, referencias arqueológicas, inscripciones cuneiformes y diferentes textos persas y árabes, con el objetivo de proporcionar una visión amplia de la intervención de las mujeres en la vida y hazañas del gran Alejandro.

2025, Bandue 14 (2022) 107-116

This paper reviews the inscriptions left in Rome by some Eastern
hostages during the Julio-Claudian period. It is a very small but very interesting corpus of inscriptions, which has been extensively studied from a historical point of view. In this paper we will try to see what religious information can be deduced from this corpus, understanding the inscriptions as presentations that individuals make of themselves and their social image, using a methodology derived from Pragmatics and the presentation of individuals in social networks.

2025, The Bull, the Bear, and the Scorpion

This paper interprets the bull-killing scene (tauroctony) of Mithraic temples in light of evidence found in the Greek Magical Papyri

2025, The Bull, the Bear, and the Scorpion

This paper interprets the bull-killing scene (tauroctony) of Mithraic temples in light of evidence found in the Greek Magical Papyri

2025, Anabases

À l’occasion de la parution du livre Theater der Macht : die Inszenierung der Politik in der römischen Republik (Munich, C. H. Beck, 2023), cet article revient sur le rôle politique de la plèbe de Rome sous la République dans l’œuvre de son auteur, K. J. Hölkeskamp. En replaçant cet ouvrage, aussi bien dans le débat qui en est directement à l’origine (sur la nature, aristocratique ou démocratique, de la République romaine) que dans un iter historiographique plus large portant sur la place accordée, depuis Mommsen, au peuple ou à la plèbe dans la vie politique républicaine, il tente de mieux cerner l’apport des travaux de K. J. Hölkeskamp à la compréhension de la culture politique des masses urbaines, d’en mesurer l’originalité et la finesse, d’en montrer les limites. Malgré des évolutions notables, sur la durée de sa carrière, dans le discours de K. J. Hölkeskamp, la place accordée aux acteurs non aristocratiques de la vie politique demeure celle d’éternels mineurs, cantonnés à reconnaître et légitimer la grandeur de leurs supérieurs.

2025

Revue de l'équipe de recherche ERASME Université Toulouse -Jean Jaurès (UT2J) Anabases dispose d'un Comité de lecture international. Chaque article envoyé à la rédaction est soumis, une fois anonymisé, à l'expertise de deux spécialistes qui rendent un rapport écrit. Les deux rapports anonymisés sont transmis à l'auteur qui tient compte des observations en vue de la publication.

2025

Khalifeh Kandi village is located in the southeast of the Sahand mountain range and northwest of Hashtrud province. Investigation at these sites started in 2013 and continued until 2015. This article is a report on the results of investigations carried out on the Khalifeh Kandi site. Obtained evidence included a variety of pottery, carved stones, and caves from the historical and Islamic eras. In this paper, an attempt has been made to introduce and analyze cultural and historical founds. The result shows that most of the surveyed sites and places around Khalifeh Kandi, belonged to the Islamic period, and rarely, artifacts from the pre-Islamic period were observed. The settlements identified in the area under study are mostly located in w slopes by the river and shallow valleys, and only one of these archaeological sites was observed in flat and elevated lands. probably this site was used in certain seasons of the year. Glazed and simple pottery from the Islamic period and rough pottery that was produced in local workshops are among the artifacts observed in the surveyed sites.

2025, THE THRACIAN MITHRA

Stig Vikander, Leroy Campbell, E. Will write about the Balkan origin of Roman Mithraism. Here we will support this statement with facts from the religion and customs of the Balkans.

2025

Not only among seemingly educated readers, but also among academic circles, the idea of the Persian origin of Roman Mithraism and Mithras still lives on. Despite the fact, that since the early seventies this thesis has been massively rejected. Despite the fact, that as early as the fifties, Stig Vikander, Leroy Campbell, and E. Will wrote about the Balkan origins of Roman Mithraism. Here we will support this statement with facts from the religion and customs of our ancestors. The two reliefs, depicted on the book cover, are on both sides of the same slab. Made by Thracian legionaries somewhere in Celtica, who spread throughout Europe their belief in the Sun and its master -the Thracian Mithra, the master of the seasons. On December 25, Mithras kills the old sun, the bull, an image of the Thracian god of fertility Sabazius, to give birth to Zagreus, the new sun -symbolized by the snake with a rooster's comb. And the survakars go to announce the birth of the infant. After Zagreus comes Dionysus, the inseminator; and then again the fruitful Sabazius -by the will of Mithras, the god of eternal time.

2025, ТРАКИЙСКИЯТ МИТРА

За балканския произход на Римския митраизъм пишат Стиг Викандер, Лерой Кембъл, Е. Вил. Тук ще подкрепим това твърдение с факти от религията и обичаите на балканите.

2025, ARYS, 21, pp. 241-275.

Objects with pierced holes for illumination are not an uncommon phenomenon in the Mithraic cult. The existence of this system of contrasts has already been noted in historiography, and there have been some attempts to collect various objects that would have been used to produce such lighting effects. Beyond the collection of such pieces or their anecdotal mention, it is interesting to examine the role they play in the arrangement of the mithraeum and to offer a systematic explanation that seeks to understand the function of the applied techniques. From the striking hollow altar at the Inveresk mithraeum in Scotland to the altar at Bingen or the twin altars at Mundelsheim in Germany, it is possible to trace the existence of certain ritual objects with perforations and artificial openings that were used to create a specific lighting effect in the Mithraic worship space. In this article we will therefore analyse the pierced reliefs and the altars themselves to identify specific ritual types, which focused on particular gods within the visual apparatus of the Mithraic sacred space.

2025, Tiempo Y Sociedad

funciones se inscriben en un mundo vinculado al ejército y a las religiones de carácter mistérico y oriental. La todavía escasa documentación sobre Mitra hace difícil poder definir el área de difusión de su culto, así como las fases de desarrollo y los aspectos sociales del mismo. Todo apunta a que los hispanos en general, y los astures en particular, mostrarían un escaso interés por las prácticas relacionadas con dicho culto, lo que explicaría su pronta desaparición en el marco de la religiosidad hispana antigua.

2025

A new translation of the Mithras Liturgy.

2025, Persica Antiqua. The International Journal of Ancient Iranian Studies

The silver plate from the British Museum (inv. 124091) usually attributed as depicting "Šābuhr killing deer"does not have a direct parallel in Sasanian iconography. The attempts were made to explain the image in perspective of relation to Mithraism, however no detailed analysis was done. The plate represents features typical for the Sasanian silver but, at the same time it is modelled upon Mithraic tauroctony. This makes the scene a possibly important argument in discussion regarding the very existence of Iranian Mithraism. The fact that the scene is not a direct copy of the Roman tauroctony arguments for association with Iranian imagery. The scene had to be understood in Iranian terms, despite referring to Roman depictions. This supports the view of Iranian, pre-Zoroastrian Mithraic cult.

2025, Contextualizing “Oriental” Cults. New Lights on the Evidence between the Danube and the Adriatic

This paper deals with Mithraic temples, the so-called mithraea, from the Roman province of Dalmatia. Since there is no scholarly consensus about the number of mithraea in Dalmatia, this paper looks closely at the sites usually identified as mithraea and offers their new evaluation based on the clearly established criteria: the existence of sculptural or epigraphic evidence explicitly related to the cult of Mithras. The paper further addresses their typology and provides an updated list of mithraea in natural settings in and outside Roman Dalmatia. Finally, the paper argues against the traditionally assumed primitive and rural character of Mithraic caves and rock-temples in Dalmatia.

2025, Diadora 38

The subject of this paper is the fragment of the marble statue of a nude young man from Pula, published so far only as a short entry without illustrations. The standard model used for the statue is analyzed and the identity of the mortal or deity represented is examined. Statues of gods and mortals developed from the same standard model are analyzed in order to narrow the list down to the most probable ones. The fragment of the Pula statue resembles most to some statues of Liber/Dionysus or the young Pan. Due to its fragmentary state, positive identification of the depicted character is not possible.

2025, Instituut voor het Archeologisch Patrimonium en de stad Tienen

2025, S. Petković, N. Gavrilović Vitas,Ancient cult in Balkans. Sanctuaries, temples, shrines and votive monuments, Belgrade 2024

The Roman province of Pannonia (later the two provinces of Pannonia Superior and Inferior) produced significant material evidence of Roman religious communication during its existence as part of the
Roman Empire. With a rapidly formed urban settlement system along the Limes, the two provinces produced,
in less than three centuries, at least 2.550 votive inscriptions and hundreds of formal (consecrated loca
sacra) and non-formal (private) sacralised spaces, mostly attested epigraphically and few of them archaeologically. This paper will present a preliminary list of archaeologically attested sacralised spaces (mostly
from macro and mesa spaces, both formal and non-formal sanctuaries) from Pannonia Superior and Inferior formed during the Principate (till 284 AD).

2025

The Roman cult of Mithras did not belong to sacra publica: it was never supported by the state with public funds and was never admitted to the official list of festivals. However, there are epigraphic sources testifying the relationship between Mithraic and the Imperial cult, which has not been studied up to this point. The closest possible relation is attested by dedications of officials of the Imperial cult (flamines or seviri Augustales), which will be presented, analysed and interpreted in this paper, just as the Mithraic inscriptions mentioning the Imperial attribute Augustus. On the basis of twenty inscrip tions I shall try to explain the relationship between the cult of Mithras and the Imperial cult.

2025, Actas del X Congreso de la Sociedad Española de Iranología (SEI) celebrado en Tbilisi los días 20 y 21 de octubre de 2022, pp. 101-132 · 1 abr. 2024

The king in the Achaemenid royal ideology was in charge of implanting and defending the cosmic order created by the supreme divinity of the Persian pantheon, Auramazdā. The god had given him a series of qualities to face the dangers that threatened the correct order of things, mainly those who were not under the imperial power or who rebelled against his domination. The border areas of the empire were dominated by chaos from this point of view. Its inhabitants and the natural spaces in which they lived represented divergences from what is normal and what is correct. The mission of the king, as an instrument of divinity, was to include these peripheral regions dominated by chaos in the divinely ordered world created by Auramazdā. That the Persian king, commanding his army, faced these natural obstacles and emerged victorious when meeting his enemies, was a significant proof of the king’s heroic character and of divine sanction on his person. After his heroic victory, these regions and his people became part of the ordered world, benefiting from the tranquility and prosperity that the pax persica imposed by the king and Auramazdā granted them.

2025

La obra editada por Alejandro G. Sinner y Víctor Revilla Calvo tiene como objetivo principal el análisis histórico de los fenómenos religiosos en Hispania para entender el cambio cultural y social de sus comunidades durante su conquista, así como las respuestas individuales y colectivas a los procesos derivados de la misma (p. 16). Como señalan ambos autores en la introducción de la obra, las transformaciones, principalmente culturales, que experimentan las comunidades hispanas entre los siglos III a.C. y I d.C. son estudiadas de acuerdo con las aportaciones de las teorías postcoloniales. En este sentido, se atiende a la construcción de la memoria de estas sociedades, y sus narrativas sobre el pasado, como elementos fundamentales en la elaboración de identidades que, a su vez, son respuestas, colectivas e individuales, a las vicisitudes del contexto. El espacio marco de estudio, la península ibérica, es definida como un "micro-continente"; un campo de análisis privilegiado no sólo por la duración del pro-SINNER, ALEJANDRO G. & REVILLA CALVO, VÍCTOR (EDS.) (2022). Religious Dynamics in a Microcontinent. Cult Places, Identities, and Cultural Change in Hispania.

2025

The study includes two inscriptions from Poetovio both on altars, one dedicated to Mithras, the other to Isis, both erected for the wellbeing of a person. In addition to the findspot they have in common that both persons mentioned in them were employees of the publicum portorium Illyrici customs office. This insight is the basis for the new additions to the study, as for both inscriptions it was possible to reinterpret the previously known inscriptions based on the pattern used by customs post employees, which could be observed on other inscriptions. The new addition will allow the two inscriptions to be included in the research on the operation and staffing of the Illyricum customs district.

2025, De fabel van Dorestad

De fabel van Dorestad

2024, Studiebijbel Magazine

2024

Plausible reconstructions of the seven Mithraic grade initiations

2024, Пешчаник

Након кратког осврта на основне податке из економске историје Ниша, који су сагледани у широком временскомо обухвату од средњег века до времена које је уследило непосредно по окончању Другог светског рата, у раду је публикован попис грађе која се чува у Историјском архиву Београда, у фонду ,,Трговинска комора Београда”. Документа се односе на град и срез Ниш у времену од 1930. до 1948. године. Како економска историја града и среза Ниша, није довољно проучена, ови прворазредни извори који у себи садрже финансијске податке могу бити предмет анализа економских историчара, односно, побројана архивска грађа може допринети изучавању економске и привредне историје Ниша и Нишког среза у наведеном времену. Стога, попис докумената који је приређен у овом раду има за циљ да истраживачима економске и привредне историје Ниша укаже на постојање ове грађе, како би она, у неким наредним истраживањима била коришћена.

2024, Theoretical Principles of Visual Arts

Mithraism, also known as the Religion of Mithras, is one of the ancient and
well-documented religions of the ancient East, with origins tracing back to
the second millennium BCE. Archaeological and religious sources indicate
that this ritual entered the Indian subcontinent and the Iranian plateau via
the Indo-European peoples. Over time, Mithraism spread westward as a
religious bricolage, affecting cultures from East to West and existing in the
West under the name Mithraism until the 4th century CE. Mithraea, or temples
dedicated to Mithras, represent significant centers of worship for Mithraists.
These sacred places were where the devotees gathered to carry out
their religious obligations and rituals. Notably, Mithraea display remarkable
artistic and architectural features, with one of the most iconic being the religious
depiction of the Tauroctony scene at the center of the altar. The Tauroctony
is a central motif within Mithraic worship, usually shown as a representation
of Mithras sacrificing a bull in the presence of his companions.
This scene, whether depicted in reliefs, sculptures, plaques, or paintings, is
not only an artistic expression but also an essential and inseparable part of
Mithraic cult centers. It is considered a key symbol of the Mithraic Mysteries,
a system of secret religious teachings and rituals associated with the cult
of Mithras.
The Tauroctony scene, showing Mithras in the act of bull-sacrifice, plays a
vital role in conveying the philosophical and theological principles of Mithraism.
This scene, drawn in various forms across the geographical spread
of Mithraism, reflects a consistent conceptualization of the cult’s underlying
beliefs, despite regional variations. The term Tauroctony, meaning
“bull-slaying,” was first used by the Roman poet Statius in the 1st century
CE in his epic Thebaid. The word and the scene it represents have been a
subject of scholarly interpretation ever since. German scholar Franz Stark
initially linked the Tauroctony motifs to stars and constellations, associating
each character in the scene with a counterpart in the zodiac. His work was
later contested by the Belgian scholar Franz Cumont, who proposed that the
Tauroctony motif had its roots in the ritual practice of sacrificing a bull and
bathing in its blood for the “Great Mother” goddess in Phrygia, Asia Minor.
As a result, scholars have proposed two distinct interpretations of Tauroctony:
an Eastern-Avestan interpretation and a Western-astronomical one.
While these interpretations differ, most agree that the ritual structure of
Tauroctony is central to understanding the eschatology and purpose of Mithraic practice.
Due to the lack of original written texts from the Mithraic religion, the Tauroctony scene serves as one of the few reliable
sources for studying Mithraism and its rituals. These visual representations not only demonstrate the religious affiliation of
the worshippers with Mithras, but also offer a glimpse into the timing and execution of their sacred rituals. As such, this motif
plays a pivotal role in understanding the cult of Mithras and the development of its religious art. The research into the Tauroctony
scene attempts to clarify several important aspects of Mithraism: its etymology, the origins of its artistic representations,
and how the scene evolved geographically and over time. This study seeks to identify the time and place of the earliest
known examples of the Tauroctony, the geographical framework of its expansion, and the artistic developments that took
place in different regions.
This paper examines and analyzes 61 examples of Tauroctony scenes from 19 different countries worldwide, using a descriptive-
analytical-statistical-comparative approach. The chosen examples were selected from regions with a small but notable
number of Tauroctony representations, as well as from books, scholarly articles, and catalogs. The study adopts a comparative
methodology, which assumes that Mithraism originated in the East and traces the spread of Tauroctony scenes from
East to West. The 61 selected samples provide a comprehensive view of the geographical spread of this religious symbol over
a period of approximately 900 years, offering valuable insights into how the Tauroctony motif evolved over time and space.
The study’s primary focus is the classification and typology of the Tauroctony scenes, which reveals key insights into the
artistic continuity and change within the Mithraic tradition. These changes are reflective of the different stages in the artistic
training of early Mithraic artists, as well as the distinct artistic schools that developed in various regions of the Mithraic
world. The 61 examples are categorized based on three main criteria: 1) the technical features of the Tauroctony scene, including
object type, gender, inscription, dimensions, the number of characters depicted, and symmetry; 2) the main characters
of the Tauroctony scene, such as Mithras, the bull, the snake, the dog, and the scorpion; and 3) the secondary characters,
which include the raven, Mithras’s companions, Sol and Luna, as well as additional elements like lions, stars, zodiac signs,
and aquatic animals. Once these scenes are classified, they can be further typologized into different types and styles. This
typology is essential for understanding how the Tauroctony scene was adapted to communicate particular theological or
philosophical ideas specific to each region.
The typology of Tauroctony scenes is crucial for understanding how they evolved over time. Each of the scenes within the
three categories can be depicted in several different forms or subspecies. This means that the Tauroctony scene had multiple
variations that differed based on the location, the community’s specific beliefs, and the local iconography. By analyzing
these variations, it becomes clear that the changes in the Tauroctony scenes were not random; rather, they reflect the
changing beliefs and religious ideologies of Mithraic practitioners as they spread across different cultures. The evolution
of these scenes provides insight into the theological concepts emphasized by Mithraic artists in different periods and geographical
locations.
The study concludes that there were three main artistic schools responsible for the creation of Tauroctony scenes: the Eastern,
Central, and Western schools. These schools correspond to the three primary geographical regions where Mithraism
flourished, with each region contributing distinct features to the representation of the Tauroctony. In each of these artistic
schools, changes in the design of the scenes occurred as the cult spread, shaped by regional beliefs and the preferences of
local communities. Some artistic features of the Tauroctony scene were created in one region and later exported to others,
while some features remained confined to their original location. These regional variations of the Tauroctony scene carry
valuable insights into the local religious beliefs, regional iconography, and the transmission of Mithraic rituals from one area
to another.
In terms of chronological development, the oldest known examples of Tauroctony scenes are from the Achaemenid period
in Egypt. The styles used in these early examples can be seen as the models for later representations of the Tauroctony scene.
Over time, as Mithraism spread from the East to the West, the artistic style of the Tauroctony scene evolved, with each region
incorporating its own cultural influences. This progression is evident in the changes in the portrayal of the main and
secondary characters, as well as the incorporation of additional elements like the zodiac signs, celestial bodies, and animals.
These variations reflect the diverse religious, astronomical, and cultural influences that shaped the Mithraic world.
In conclusion, the Tauroctony scene is a central and enduring symbol of Mithraism, representing both the religious beliefs
and the artistic traditions of Mithraic worshippers across different regions and periods. Through the study of the typology
and evolution of these scenes, this research highlights the adaptability and continuity of the Mithraic cult, offering insights
into how religious motifs evolved over time and how they were influenced by the changing social, cultural, and geographical
contexts of the Mithraic world.
Keywords: Tauroctony, Bull Slaying, Mithraeum, Mithraism, Mithras Worship

2024, Magyar Régészet

The Roman cult of Mithras has left us one of the richest groups of material sources from the 1st to the 5th century AD. The cult, emerging in the Roman Period, presumably in Rome, has almost two hundred archaeologically investigated sanctuaries and three thousand known reliefs and statues, with a significant concentration in the Danubian provinces, an area spanning from the Alps to the Black Sea. The study discusses the research history of some of the best-known Mithras sanctuaries in the region, the religious-historical and iconographic characteristics of the cult, as well as the archaeological and touristic potential of sanctuaries made accessible to visitors, particularly the ones in Poetovio and Aquincum.

2024

In Cirta city, a wide variety of cults coexisted, creating a mosaic of religious beliefs. Through the study of Roman archaeological remains, we delve into a world where
numerous cults and beliefs thrived, creating a true "city of a thousand gods." Through the examination of archaeological discoveries such as temples, mosaics, statues, lamps, and stelae, we reveal concrete evidence of this religious diversity. From local deities to imported cults, we uncover how the city served as a crossroads where different religious traditions intertwined, influencing the daily life and culture of its residents. We also explore the significance of archaeological remains in understanding this religious diversity. Architectural structures, symbols, and artistic representations provide valuable insights into beliefs, practices, and interactions among the various religious communities in Cirta.