دین مهری

by Franz Cumont

این برگردانده‌ی پارسی از چاپ سوم نامه‌ی «رازهای دین مهر» انجام یافته که یکی از دفترهای روشن‌گر دین مهر و آیین‌ش است به زبان فرانسوی و به کوشش پیگیرانه‌ی فرانتز کومون پژوهش‌گر بلژیکی؛

Genres: Religion, History, Mythology, Philosophy, Spirituality, Theology, Cultural

209 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1900

About the author

Franz-Valéry-Marie Cumont (Aalst, Belgium, 3 January 1868 – Brussels, 25 August 1947) was a Belgian archaeologist and historian, a philologist and student of epigraphy, who brought these often isolated specialties to bear on the syncretic mystery religions of Late Antiquity, notably Mithraism. Cumont was a graduate of the University of Ghent (PhD, 1887). After receiving royal travelling fellowships, he undertook archaeology in Pontus and Armenia (published in 1906) and in Syria, but he is best known for his studies on the impact of Eastern mystery religions, particularly Mithraism, on the Roman Empire. Cumont's international credentials were brilliant, but his public circumspection was not enough. In 1910, Baron Edouard Descamps, the Catholic Minister of Sciences and Arts at the University of Ghent, refused to approve the faculty's unanimous recommendation of Cumont for the chair in Roman History, Cumont having been a professor there since 1906. There was a vigorous press campaign and student agitation in Cumont's favor, because the refusal was seen as blatant religious interference in the University's life. When another candidate was named, in 1912, Cumont resigned his positions at the University and at the Royal Museum in Brussels, left Belgium and henceforth divided his time between Paris and Rome.

He contributed to many standard encyclopedias, published voluminously and in 1922, under stressful political conditions, conducted digs on the shore of the Euphrates at the previously unknown site of Dura-Europos; he published his research there in 1926. He was a member of most of the European academies. In 1936 Franz Cumont was awarded the Francqui Prize on Human Sciences. In 1947, Franz Cumont donated his library and papers to the Academia Belgica in Rome, where they are accessible to researchers.

Reviews

[Erik Graff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anyone interested in the milieu within which Christianity became a world religion ought be familiar with Mithraism which, for a time, became cosmopolitan owing to its popularity amongst members of the Roman legions. Whether or not it was a competitor with the church for popularity, as Cumont suggests, is debated. Christianity had a broader appeal. As a mystery cult restricted to men and requiring initiations far more complicated and expensive than those incumbent upon Christians, I side against him.

[Truls Ljungström · Rating 4 out of 5]

Detta är en trovärdig bok. Den förklarar mycket av de element av teologin som är bevarade av Mithraskulten, och gör det med hänvisningar. Det beskrivna är ett fullödigt etiskt system, med fungerande religiös symbolik. Doktrinerna bakom väljer författaren att inte spekulera i. Denna ovilja att spekulera håller i sig. När författaren beskriver de arkeologiska lämningar som finns, gör den det nyktert och när den tolkar, skriver den ut att det är författarens gissning. Jag rekommenderar den varmt för de som är intresserade av antikens religioner.

[HAMiD · Rating 4 out of 5]

حالا شما بیا به این حضراتِ خرافه باز بفهمان که آنچه که به خوردت داده اند و به خوردِ دیگران داده ای به نام یقین مطلق! همه اش گرته برداری از همین به اصطلاح ادیانی است که شکل اسطوره گفته اند. بیا بفهمان که بیچاره ی بی شرفِ بی ناموس قطعیتی وجود ندارد که تو به وسیله ی آن سرزمینی را بر باد داده ای! دریغ از این که حقیقت آن چنان پیش روست و تو انکارش می کنی. دریغ

[Czarny Pies · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Les mystères de Mithra" (1900) reste toujours le livre de base sur le mithraïsme. L'auteur Franz Cumont a crée le premier catalogue des 150 mithréums, (lieux de culte mithriaques) que l'on découvert dans l'Empire romaine surtout près la frontière orientale.
Aux yeux de Cumont, le mithraïsme possédait la théologie des mages iraniens. Mithra était "le Logos émané de Dieu et participant à toute-puissance" (p. 169) Mithra était un déité solaire et l'héliolâtrie est "vaguement monothéiste". (p. 236) Le mithraïsme prônait "La doctrine de l'immortalité de l'âme était complétée par celle de la résurrection de la chair." (p. 175) Cumont semble croire finalement que le culte de Mithra était un adversaire de taille pour le christianisme qui aurait pu devenir la religion de l'empire romaine.
Évidement Cumont pousse trop loin ses conclusions. D'abord il n'y a pas de documents qui appuie sa thèse: "Les livres sacrées qui comprenait les prières récités ou chantés pendants les offices, le rituel des initiations et le cérémonial des fêtes on disparu." (p. 181) Cumont n'a que des preuves archéologiques; c'est-à-dire des œuvres d'art et des bâtiments. Plutôt qu'une religion, d'autres experts pensent que le mithraïsme n'était qu'une franc-maçonnerie de soldats. Ses rites et ses doctrines étaient des bricolages latins avec des bases iraniennes lointaines.
Néanmoins Cumont réussit à démontrer que le mithraïsme était le reflet de la grande tendance dans les croyances des romains pendant les cinq premiers siècles de l'Ère commun; c'est-à-dire que les romains ayant rejeté le paganisme cherchaient une religion monothéiste, ascétique, personnelle (ou non-public) et initiatique tout en offrant l'espoir de l'immortalité.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Five Stars for Professor Cumont's scholastic honesty. I wanted to peruse the subject of Mithraism because of the atheistic claim that Christianity came from the ancient religions and that even Jesus is myth and not an historical character.

Payam Nabarz wrote, "It seems there were no copyright concerns back in the years 200 B.C.E to 500 C.E. Otherwise, the competing religions would have been constantly fighting lawsuits."

Much of the similarity, which even early church fathers recognize, are of no concern for Christian faith because they do not bring into question the message of Scripture. So Jesus was not born on Dec. 25. I knew that all along!

Dr. Cumont points out, "The only domain in which we can ascertain in detail the extent to which Christianity imitated Mithraism is that of art."

This is a must read if you have been threatened with a crisis of faith because of the ramblings of would-be academicians like Bill Maher in his film 'Religulous', or the nastiness of a Hichens or Price.
Look for the Vicarious Atonement in Mithraism or with Prometheus. It isn't there. All myth offers is more bull [taurobolium] I couldn't resist. Sorry....

[Ben · Rating 2 out of 5]

Franz Cumont obviously did a great deal of research for this book, and is passionate about his subject. Unfortunately a lot of what he says here has been discounted by modern scholarship. His main point is that the Mithraic mysteries so popular among the Roman soldiery, and later the elite were directly linked to ancient Mazdean rituals, which has been shown to be erroneous. This somewhat lessens the impact of the book as a whole. He also overstates the influence of Mithraism on early Christianity.

[Amélia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Un peu outdated et n'explique pas forcément les mythes liés à Mithra mais permet d'en comprendre quelques aspects fondamentaux.

[Leon Sandler · Rating 2 out of 5]

An early, definitive study of the Roman Mithraic tradition. Unfortunately, much of Cumont's scholarship on the subject has been universally rejected. The chapter on Mithra from Fideler's "Jesus Christ, Sun of God" is perhaps more accurate in light of this modern research

[Gabriel Tamaș · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book serves as a decent introduction to the cult of Mithras. It obviously offers more than a Wikipedia article, but nevertheless it falls short as an academic work. It shows clear biases more than once, despite it trying to depict the cult as objective as possible. The age in which it was written (late 19th Century) couldn't be overseen though, and this made me be more indulgent when grading it. As I initially said, it is a decent introduction to the cult and the context in which it evolved and declined, yet any future readera should also rake in account it was written at the beginning of pure scientific literature.

[Jim D · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book ws recommended by a professor on the Great Courses as the most comprehensive look at the mystery cult of Mithra. It was written in 1902 and the text is sometimes difficult. However, the data provided is very interesting and thought provoking. I understand there are more modern looks at the topic that may shed more light on this mystery religion that came our of Persia , but this was a very good start.

[TrumanCoyote · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, I certainly learned some new words in that one. lol All decidedly verbose, no doubt in keeping with its ancient vintage (the preface being dated 1902)--which led to a few felicitous moments (though quite a lot of murk as well). And Franz comes across as rather snobby and provincial throughout.

[Гери · Rating 5 out of 5]

Една от малкото книги за Митра, евър, май тука са излизали само три книги по темата едната от които не ми върши работа понеже ми трябваше точно Митраизма в Римската империя. Пък и ми е семеен бог трябва да му отдам чест, хах!

[jesse · Rating 4 out of 5]

"I have trodden the threshold of Persephone, and having traversed all the elements I am returned to the earth. In the middle of the night I have seen the Sun scintillating with a pure light; I have approached the gods below and the gods above, and have worshipped them face to face."

[Hadi Firouzi · Rating 1 out of 5]

123 456

[Jean-pierre De villiers · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is basically a summary of the volumes of work that Cumont conducted on Mithras, his origins, how his mysteries spread, the Mithraeum's structure and the liturgy of Mithras. Cumont argues that Mithras in the Roman world originates from the Persian god Mithra, which is a reasonable theory, since the Indo-European god "Mitra" is mentioned in the Rig-Veda and it could have stayed in the east until Roman expansion facilitated its transfer to the west. I don't see why modern scholars are now trying to argue that Mithras in the Roman world is purely a Roman invention, it doesn't quite make sense. I'm not sure if it's politically motivated, due to western tensions with Iran today, or is just due to academics trying to justify their career and stroke their ego by trying to invent a revolutionary theory.
I appreciate Cumont's description of the symbolism of Mithras and his associated God, where modern scholars seem to focus more on the material aspect of him.

[Kendra · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting read, though outdated and dry. The book was originally published in 1903 and then reissued in 1956. Discusses the similarities and differences between Mithraism, and Christianity, and how Christianity came to dominate.

[Sean Mccarrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

While the copy of this book I had was inadequate, the book itself did a wonderful job at detailing the history of Mithraism.

[Peter J. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Boring at times, but gives good insight into some Masonic symbolism.