The Origins of the Mithraic Mysteries: Cosmology and Salvation in the Ancient WorldOxford University Press, 1991 - 154 pagina's In the centuries following the conquests of Alexander the Great the dramatic unification of the Mediterranean world created exceptionally fertile soil for the growth of new religions. Christianity, for example, was one of the innovative religious movements that arose during this time. However, Christianity had many competitors, and one of the most remarkable of these was the ancient Roman "mystery religion" of Mithraism. Like the other "mystery cults" of antiquity, Mithraism kept its beliefs strictly secret, revealing them only to initiates. As a result, the cult's teachings were never written down. However, the Mithraists filled their temples with an enigmatic iconography, an abundance of which has been unearthed by archaeologists. Until now, all attempts to decipher this iconography have proven fruitless. Most experts have been content with a vague hypothesis that the iconography somehow derived from ancient Iranian religion. In this groundbreaking work, David Ulansey offers a radically different theory. He argues that Mithraic iconography was actually an astronomical code, and that the cult began as a religious response to a startling scientific discovery. As his investigation proceeds, Ulansey penetrates step by step the mysteries concealed in Mithraic iconography, until finally he is able to reveal the central secret of the cult: a secret consisting of an ancient vision of the ultimate nature of the universe. Brimming with the excitement of discovery--and reading like an intellectual detective story--Ulansey's compelling book will intrigue scholars and general readers alike. |
Inhoudsopgave
The Mysteries of Mithras | 3 |
Mithras and Perseus | 25 |
The Perseus Cult of Tarsus | 40 |
Mithras and the Celestial Equator | 57 |
Hipparchus and the Discovery of the Precession of the Equinoxes | 76 |
Mithridates Eupator and the Name Mithras | 89 |
Mithras and Helios | 103 |
The LionHeaded God and the Gorgon | 116 |
141 | |
Overige edities - Alles bekijken
The Origins of the Mithraic Mysteries: Cosmology and Salvation in the ... David Ulansey Fragmentweergave - 1989 |
Veelvoorkomende woorden en zinsdelen
ancient Apollo Aratos astral astrology astronomical Athenodorus attribute axis Bausani bull-slaying Cautes Cautopates celestial equator century B.C.E. chapter Cicero Cilicia CIMRM circles city of Tarsus coins connection constellation constellation Perseus constellation Taurus cosmic sphere cosmos cult depicted Dioscuroi discovery divinity earth ecliptic evidence fact fixed stars Franz Cumont globe Gorgon Graeco-Roman Greek Magical Papyri Helios Hinnells Hipparchus Ibid important interpretation Iranian kosmokrator lion lion-bull combat Milky Mith mithraeum Mithraic iconography Mithraic mysteries Mithraic Studies Mithraic tauroctony Mithraic torchbearers Mithraism Mithras and Helios Mithras and Perseus Mithridates namely origins of Mithraism Orion Persian Phaethon Phrygian cap Plutarch's pole Porphyry Posidonius position precession R. L. Gordon religion reproduced by permission Roger Beck role Roman says scene scholars scorpion Scorpius significance snake Speidel spring equinox Stoic symbol Tarsian Tarsus tauroctony tauroctony figures tauroctony represents Taurus Taurus and Scorpius theory tion torch University Press world age zodiac