It is well known that Mithras was born from a rock. However, less has been written about the father of the solar god, and especially about how he conceived him.
The Mithriac votive sculpture comes from a clandestine excavation in the Tarquinia area. The criminal chain is active in archaeological areas of Rome and southern Etruria.
Ernest Renan suggested that without the rise of Christianity, we might all have embraced the cult of Mithras. Nevertheless, it has had a lasting influence on secret societies, religious movements and popular culture.
We propose to revisit a passage by the prolific author Marteen Vermaseren that highlights correspondences today forgotten between the Roman Mithras and its Eastern counterparts.
The Sanskrit and Hindi word for friend is “Mitra”. It is also the Nepali word for it. The Sinhala word is ‘mitura’. The word’s etymology has surprising, stark and vivid homosexual connotations.
The Digital Atlas of Roman Sanctuaries in the Danubian Provinces (DAS) is the first comprehensive and open access representation of sacralised spaces in the area.