My pleasure, Levin. I can’t offer much advice on moving unless you’re heading to Europe, but perhaps some of our American members can guide you. Glad you found us too. Vale.
Salve Levin. A great place to start is https://www.mithraeum.eu/book/the-roman-cult-of-mithras_1990 by Manfred Clauss. Also, if you can find it, https://www.mithraeum.eu/news/the-mystery-of-mithras-exploring-the-heart-of-a-roman-cult exhibition catalogue is excellent, very up to date and full of articles by top scholars. For symbolism and ritual, Attilio Mastrocinque has a couple of excellent books. And if you read French and are interested in ancient philosophy (as I can tell from your book selection pic), https://www.mithraeum.eu/book/mithras-platonicus_1975 by Robert Turcan is well worth it. Curious to see which one catches your attention!
Strange! I am not in Rome, but I would expect it to be open every day, even more in the summer! Anyhow, here are their opening hours: https://turismoroma.it/es/node/43919
Update! Found a new post-classical monument, this one from the French Renaissance: https://www.mithraeum.eu/monument/771.
And from now on, all post-classical monuments will be available here: https://www.mithraeum.eu/quaere.php?tag=postclassical
Beautiful and unexpected piece, Pattie. Thanks for sharing. Do you have any more information about it besides the brief description on the British Museum page? CIMRM maybe?
Dear Joachim: To my knowledge, perhaps not the dative lionis, but the word leo is often found in the Mithraic context, as you may know. If this is of interest to you, I think the best way to find it in this database is to look for people who have been identified as leo because of an inscription. Here is the link: https://www.mithraeum.eu/persons.php?gra=4. Hope it helps!
Indeed, Stephen. The catalogue is highly recommendable for all audiences, academic, professional and the simply curious. By the way, some of its articles can be found on this very site thanks to the generous support of the publisher, the Musée Royal Mariemont.
This altar found in Lambèse, now Tazoult, Algeria, bears the inscription of a certain Celsianus for the health of two men to the god Sol Unconquered Mithras.
Actuarius and notarius, Celsianus dedicated an altar to Sol Mithras for the health of two illustrious men.
khaldi
Fabius Fabianus Vetilius Lucilianus. This character is known to be one person not two persons separated as you stated in your translation.
My translation :
To God alone / Invincible / Mithrae / for the health and / safety / of Caius Fabius Fabianus / Vetilius Lucilianus / legate of Augustus for the most p(aetore) c(larissimi) v(iri / Celsianus, attorney and notary, I make a vow with great love.
Hi Levin: It’s quite a common point of view in religious contexts to worrying about to what extent can libido distract some men and women from a supposed true purpose. It’s also probable that social factors played a part. In ancient societies (and not so ancient), sexual and gender roles were clearly defined. Just as there were no female soldiers or women had no political rights, to vote or to run for office, in ancient Rome, they also didn’t take part in many other areas of life. Roles were clearly marked and as you mention, women had some private cults where men weren’t allowed either. The cult of Mithras, in that regard, was simply a male one. I remember that not so long ago, and probably still today, there were lots of institutions and conferrees in Europe that were exclusively male, and until quite recently nobody really thought of that as discriminatory, but of course, times have changed (maybe not in essence but definitely in form!)
This catalogue proposes, thanks to the contributions of some 75 international experts, a new synthesis for a complex and fascinating cult that reflects the remarkable advances in our knowledge in recent decades.
I am researching the Latin inscription dedicated by Callimorphus to Mithras (EDCS-27800570 / CIL III 12135). Could you please let me know if you have any information about the current location or custody of this inscription?
Thank you very much for your help.
Best regards,
Dilara.
De oorspronkelijke Nederlandse uitgave van 1959 introduceerde het werk van Vermaseren, dat als klassiek geldt in de populaire studie van het mithraïsme en dat de belangstelling voor deze cultus blijvend heeft gevormd.
Saul cutting the oxen to pieces poses as Mithras Tauroctonos in this painting, which adorns the mantelpiece of Henry II’s bedroom at the Château d’Écouen near Paris.
In Plutarch’s Life of Alexander, the grieving Darius binds the eunuch Tireus by the light of Mithras to reveal the truth about his captive wife Statira, a solemn appeal that leads to unexpected praise for Alexander’s honor and restraint.
I’m working on this inscription, and I’m not sure if you’ve understood and translated it correctly. If you assume that the person dedicating the altar was Terentius Priscus Eucheta, son of Publius, it means that the word "curante" is not followed or preceded by any word in the ablative case. I think that Manfred Clauss’s idea (Cultores Mithrae, p. 20-21) that the altar was dedicated by Terentius Priscus "under the supervision/guidance of Eucheta" (Eucheta curante) is a better interpretation. The suggested translation then would be: "Terentius Priscus, son of Publius, dedicated (or presented as a gift according to the vow) to the god Invictus Nabarze, under the guidance of Eucheta and together with other worshipers."
I’m excited to finally have my copy of ‘Ritual and Epiphany in the Mysteries of Mithras’ by @peter.mark.adams! The book is now officially available. Feel free to share your thoughts—I’d love to hear what you all think!
