Joe’s Reviews > The Mysteries of Mithra > Status Update

An overall interesting book though one where the author’s biases are on full display, not to mention his racism. Not to mention, the scholarship is a century out of date. Still worth a read, albeit with reservations. Definitely sparked an interest in Mithraism and Zoroastrianism.

Cumont harps on about the supernatural in Mithraism, forgetting all the supernatural bollocks endemic to Christianity and its father religion, Judaism. Clearly, he was a Christian, as was most of the West and most of scholarship. Now, thankfully, most of academia takes a secular perspective even if they are among the faithful.

The antagonism between Mithraism and Christianity comes as no surprise, both are apocalyptic death cults with mediators to their respective Gods, and a life after death with an eventual bodily resurrection. Helluva lot of coincidences, though I doubt any copying occurred. These were common tropes in cults and religions of the time. Christianity just won the ‘spiritual battle’ to use a barf inducing term.

There’s a lot about Hellenic paganism that seems… wrong, but maybe Im ill informed. Also Cumont calling astrology pseudo-science made my day LMAO.

Also tons of racism in this book too, holee. Sober sense of the Latins, you know the white folk, and the primitive pagan zeal of the ‘Orientals.’ Good lord.

This is truly fascinating and makes me want to explore more of Mithra and the religion he originates from. Zoroastrianism is definitely fascinating, chiefly for its influence on Judaism and Christianity, but also just mythologically. I know most of the information in this is a century out of date, but it’s still intriguing

The cults of Mithra are truly fascinating to learn about, especially the far reach of it, expanding into most of Asia and eventually Rome. Hell, even in Armenia, which I didn’t know.