A study of the religious system of Mithraism, one of the 'mystery cults' popular in the Roman Empire contemporary with early Christianity. Mithraism is described from the point of view of the initiate engaging with its rich repertoire of symbols and practices.

Preliminary material /Maarten J. Vermaseren -- EINFÜHRUNG IN DIE GESCHICHTE UND NEUE PERSPEKTIVEN /CARSTEN COLPE -- RÖMISCHE RELIGION UND RELIGIÖSER UMBRUCH /H. S. VERSNEL -- KLEINASIEN HERKUNFTSLAND ORIENTALISCHER GOTTHEITEN /FRIEDRICH KARL DÖRNER -- MITHRAS IN DER RÖMERZEIT /MAARTEN J. VERMASEREN -- ISIS UND SARAPIS /LADISLAV VIDMAN -- ANDERE ÄGYPTISCHE GOTTHEITEN /GÜNTHER HÖLBL -- IUPITER DOLICHENUS /ELMAR SCHWERTHEIM -- JUPITER HELIOPOLITANUS /YOUSSEF HAJJAR -- DIE DEA SYRIA UND ANDERE SYRISCHE GOTTHEITEN IM IMPERIUM ROMANUM /HAN J. W. DRIJVERS -- KYBELE UND ATTIS /GABRIEL SANDERS -- ARTEMIS EPHESIA UND APHRODITE VON APHRODISIAS /ROBERT FLEISCHER -- DER SABAZIOS-KULT /RUDOLF FELLMANN -- MYSTERIEN (IN KULT UND RELIGION) UND PHILOSOPHIE /HEINRICH DÖRRIE -- FRÜHCHRISTLICHE RELIGION /ROELOF VAN DEN BROEK -- AUSEINANDERSETZUNG DES CHRISTENTUMS MIT DER UMWELT /BERNHARD KÖTTING -- GNOSIS /GILLES QUISPEL -- DER MANICHÄISMUS /ALEXANDER BÖHLIG -- DAS JUDENTUM /HANNELORE KÜNZL -- PAPYRI MAGICAE GRAECAE UND MAGISCHE GEMMEN /JACQUES SCHWARTZ -- THRAKISCHE UND DANUBISCHE REITERGÖTTER /MANFRED OPPERMANN -- INDEX /Maarten J. Vermaseren -- VERZEICHNIS DER IM TEXT GENANNTEN GEOGRAPHISCHEN NAMEN (KARTEN I UND II) /Maarten J. Vermaseren -- Geographische Karten I und II /Maarten J. Vermaseren -- ÉTUDES PRÉLIMINAIRES AUX RELIGIONS ORIENTALES DANS L'EMPIRE ROMAIN /Maarten J. Vermaseren.

Preliminary material -- GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE BUILDING AND PAINTINGS -- THE ICONOGRAPHY AND THE DATING OF THE PAINTINGS -- THE RELIGIOUS INTERPRETATION OF THE MITHRAEUM AND ITS PAINTINGS -- INDEX -- LIST OF PLATES -- PLATE.

Preliminary material -- INTRODUCTION -- SANCTUAIRES, COMMUNICATIONS ET COMMERCE -- LES SANCTUAIRES A VOCATION THÉRAPEUTIQUE -- APPENDICE I -- INTRODUCTION -- LE CLERGÉ -- LE PERSONNEL SUBALTERNE -- APPENDICE II -- APPENDICE III -- L'ÉVOLUTION DU DOMAINE SACRÉ A L'ÉPOQUE GRÉCO-ROMAINE -- STRUCTURES AGRAIRES ET TERMINOLOGIE -- APPENDICE IV -- INTRODUCTION -- LE «BUDGET» DES SANCTUAIRES -- L'ACCUMULATION DES RICHESSES -- APPENDICE V -- INTRODUCTION -- L'ADMINISTRATION DES SANCTUAIRES -- L'ATTITUDE DU POUVOIR TEMPOREL -- CONCLUSION -- NOTES - INTRODUCTION -- NOTES - PREMIÈRE PARTIE -- NOTES - DEUXIÈME PARTIE -- NOTES - TROISIÈME PARTIE -- NOTES - QUATRIÈME PARTIE -- NOTES - CINQUIÈME PARTIE -- INDEX ANAL YTIQUE -- II. INDEX PAR MATIÈRES -- INDEX DES PRINCIPAUX MOTS GRECS -- ÉTUDES PRÉLIMINAIRES AUX RELIGIONS ORIENTALES DANS L'EMPIRE ROMAIN.

Known as Mitra to the Indians, Mithra and Zarathustra (Zoroaster in Greek) to the Iranians, and Mithras to the Romans, this is the oldest of all living deities. Mithras was recognized as the greatest rival of Christianity, a greater threat even than the religion of Isis. If Rome had not become Christian, it would have become Mithrasian. Mithraisians had a sacrament that included wine as a symbol of sacrificial blood. Bread in wafers, or small loaves marked with a cross, was used to symbolize flesh. The priestly symbols were a staff, a ring, a hat, and a hooked sword/ members were called brothers, and priests were called "Father." Mithras was born on December 25th. He offered salvation based on faith, compassion, knowledge, and valor. He appealed to the poor, the slave and the freeman, as well as to the Roman aristocracy, the militia, and even to some emperors. The Christians sacked his temples, burned his books, and attacked his followers--they desecrated his temples, and built their own churches on the same foundations as the old Mithraic temples. Cooper examines Mithras and his religion in the most complete study ever done. He explores the various forms of this godworshiped from Lisbon to modrn Bangladesh, from the Scottish border to the Russian Steppesand investigates the worship. This is an exciting journey into living mythology, the history of a living god, and will fascinate modern Western readers who want to know more about the spiritual pathwhether they want to better understand contemporary Christianity, the basis of many contemporary ideaologies, mythology, or the Western Mystery Tradition.

Band 1.

Preliminary material -- EXACT PLACE WHERE THE FINDS WERE MADE KNOWN -- ASIA MINOR -- GRAECIA -- ITALIA -- AFRICA -- HISPANIA -- GALLIA -- GERMANIA -- MACEDONIA -- ILLYRICUM -- PANNONIA -- DACIA -- MOESIA -- CHERSONESUS TAURICA -- EXACT PLACE WHERE THE FINDS WERE MADE NOT KNOWN -- GENERAL INDEX -- ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS OF THE PLATES -- PLATE -- ÉTUDES PRÉLIMINAIRES AUX RELIGIONS ORIENTALES DANS L'EMPIRE ROMAIN.