Mithras: Kult und Mysterien

by Manfred Clauss

German

Genres: History, Religion, Nonfiction, Classics, Archaeology, Paganism, Spirituality

Hardcover

First published January 28, 2001

Reviews

[Pattie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adore this book, have grangerized my copy, and highly recommend it as the go-to on the subject.

If titles by Gordon weren't so expensive, and if Hinnell had published more, it MIGHT have competition, but when I need facts that are easily gotten, this is the book I reach for. Eminently readable, as close to exhaustive as you can get in under 230 pages, it is THE primer on an extraordinary subject.

[Fred Kohn · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is really nothing bad to say about this book. Its "just the facts, ma'am" presentation can get a bit dry at points, but that is just the author's pointed way of staying away from the sensationalist speculation that abounds in studies of ancient religions. Personally, I found that a refreshing change of pace.

[Jon Sorensen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book as an introduction to the Roman mystery cult of Mithraism that flourished in the 2 and 3rd century. Highly recommended.

[Kyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

The authoritative text on Mithraism, still unsurpassed.

[Moises Crespo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mithras appears in the historical record in the late 1st century A.D., and disappears from it in the late 4th century A.D. Unlike the major mythological figures of Graeco-Roman religion, such as Jupiter and Hercules, no ancient source preserves the mythology of the god. All of our information is therefore derived from depictions on monuments, and the limited mentions of the cult in literary sources. I dare to say all other sources where hide or destroyed in order to make room for the new christian religion.

The temples of Mithras were always an underground cave, similar to those found recently underneath Teotihuacan Quetzalcoatl Pyramid and Cholula, Puebla in Mexico. The Tauroctony as it is known today, appears in the same format everywhere only with minor variations.

The cult was all male. There were seven degrees of initiation. Different ritual meals were associated with each stage.

The ancient writer Justin Martyr referred to one of the ritual meals of the cult as being a parody of Christianity. Consequently, various modern myths came into being. These appear as fact in older scholarly literature, and sometimes in non-specialist academic literature even today. For the most part these errors appear in non-scholarly literature.

Having found that every ancient cult finds its way into the surface of the public eye, by adapting its rites and essential meaning to the benefit of a few, I do believe that serious research and study is a most for understanding modern religions. These book is a parallel view of early Christianity.

[Rodrigo Éker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Una introducción muy completa al universo de Mithras: el Dios, sus mitos, sus sitios de peregrinaje y el rol que cumplió en la Antigua Roma. Con un lenguaje apto para todo lector, el autor compenetra con el mundo de la arqueología y la religión de uno de los más fascinantes cultos de la Antigüedad. Ya sea que tengas un interés histórico, arqueológico, cultural o religioso en este texto, se trata una lectura accesible y amena que no deja duda sin responder. Una lástima que aún no se ha editado en español.

[A.M. Swink · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very good translation of the most comprehensive overview we have compiled in book form describing and analyzing the pieces of evidence we had collected by the mid-1980s regarding Mithras and Mithraism. Much more has been uncovered in the decades since, so I would really appreciate all those new finds to be collated in book form, as this information is in desperate need of an updated addendum.

[Ella]

Read for REL 237: Gnostic Christianity

[Dagne567 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tõsine raamat, mis tegi selgeks, et tõenäoliselt on vale praktiliselt kõik, mida vanas üldajaloo õpikus Mithra kultuse kohta kirjutati :)