Mithra is the deity of covenants, truth and friendship. Mention of him appears in the mythology of various peoples of the East: from the ancient Iranians to the Romans. Ancient authors wrote of him as a god who is able to bless his faithful followers and punish the wicked, criminals and liars.
What is known about the ancient eastern deity?
Mithra is an Indo-Iranian deity that people associated with the concepts of friendship, peace and harmony. In myths, Mithra was something clear, close in form to the sun. He traveled across the sky in a golden (fiery) chariot and daily gave grace to people. The deity had a thousand eyes and ears, differed in intelligence and courage. In addition, according to some beliefs, this god could call rains and make the land fertile.
As the god Mithra was held in high esteem by various ancient peoples. Many worshiped him, he was sung in songs and mentioned in the scriptures. For example, among the Indo-Aryans, Mithra was one of the main Vedic deities. Among the supporters of Zoroastrianism, this is one of the good gods who follows the order established by Ahuramazda. In Mithraism, Miter is the one and only god on earth.
References to Mithra as the Sun God
In one of the ancient legends there is a mention that Mithra is a deity, which was the very embodiment of the sun. Mithra was closely associated with Ahuramazda (the Avestan deity, the creator of everything on earth) and Angra Mainyu (the god of darkness, the source of evil in Mazdaism). The ancient peoples believed in such a connection because, in their opinion, God constantly appeared from the light and went into darkness.
During the constant transition from light to darkness, Mithra was accompanied by the gods Rashnu and Sraosha. The Yazats (Zoroastrians worthy of veneration) also believed that Rashnu and Sraosha were brothers of Mithra, and that they traveled across the sky in a chariot shrouded in flame. Some said that Mithra and his brothers did not drive a chariot. For this, the goddess of fortune Asha existed, who also traveled with Mithra and his brothers.
Mithra - the guardian of order
In the collections of sacred texts of Zoroastrians, one can also find references to the fact that Mithra is not only the god of light and sun, but also the guardian of law and order. The ancient peoples believed that this god hears everyone, sees liars through and through, and none of mortal people has been given to deceive him. For example, in the Mihr-Yasht (the hymn of Mithra) it is said that people who create evil cannot hide from the wrath of a deity and his quick chariot. Without hesitation, he destroys opponents so that peace reigns in the world again.
Mithra - god of war
Among other things, Mithra is the god of war who fought on the side of those who revered him. Together with such gods as Aryaman (god of friendship), Arshtat (deity of honor), Hamvarati (goddess of valor) and Hvaran, he blessed righteous warriors and severely punished heretics, apostate gods.
In the holy book of Zoroastrianism, Avesta, Mithra was always next to Veretragna, the god of victory, to completely rid the world of the unrighteous and people who set foot on the path of evil. The previously mentioned Mihr-Yashte also says that Veretragna, turning into a wild boar, is fleeing to the battlefield near Mithra.
Religious cult of Mithras
In addition to the ancient Eastern deity, there is another meaning of the word Mithra. For example, among the Romans in the I-IV centuries BC. e. rumors were circulating about a mystical religious cult, which was called the Mysteries of Mithra.
Advocates of the cult gathered in underground sacred places dedicated to the deity Mithra, born of a rock, who sacrificed a bull, and performed various rituals. Only a select few who went through a complicated initiation process could fall into such a religious cult.
The Mysteries of Miter were especially popular in the border areas of the Roman Empire, among desperate army soldiers. Information about this has been preserved to this day in the form of many relevant monuments and other attractions.
The origin and end of Mithraism
Many experts in the field of mythology still cannot give a definitive answer to the question of what is Mithra and how did the Mysteries of Mithra appear. Some mythologists suggest that the cult arose as early as the beginning of the 1st century A.D. e. Other experts have speculations about the middle of I and beginning of II century BC. e. Basically, such opinions are based on the writings of the ancient Greek historian and philosopher Plutarch, who stated that the sea robbers who had been operating in the Mediterranean from the 2nd century BC. e. and up to 67-66 years BC. e., worshiped a deity of Indo-Iranian origin. But many archaeologists refute such assumptions, since the underground sacred places where the deity Mithra was worshiped, arose only at the end of the 1st century A.D. e.
Just as there is no consensus on the emergence of the cult of Mithra, scientists cannot say exactly when it ceased to exist. Some experts believe that at the beginning of the IV century the cult was no longer there. Others insist that the Mysteries of Mithra ceased to exist with the advent of Christianity.