The Cult of Mithras in Late Antiquity
Development, Decline and Demise ca. A.D. 270-430
Author: David Walsh, 2018
Series: Late Antique Archaeology (Supplementary Series), Volume: 2
In The Cult of Mithras in Late Antiquity David Walsh explores how the cult of Mithras developed across the 3rd and 4th centuries A.D. and why by the early 5th century the cult had completely disappeared. Contrary to the traditional narrative that the cult was violently persecuted out of existence by Christians, Walsh demonstrates that the cult’s decline was a far more gradual process that resulted from a variety of factors. He also challenges the popular image of the cult as a monolithic entity, highlighting how by the 4th century Mithras had come to mean different things to different people in different places.
(Text by the author)
Contents:
Introduction
The Development of the Cult of Mithras in Late Antiquity
The Decline of the Cult I: The Evidence
The Decline of the Cult II: Explaining the Decline
The Fate of Mithraea
Conclusion
Gazetteer of Mithraea Active in the 4th c. and Those That Exhibit Evidence of Christian Iconoclasm
Mithraea Constructed and Repaired ca. AD 201–400
Late Antique Archaeology