The cult of Mithras in late antiquity : development, decline, and demise circa A.D. 270-430 / by David Walsh.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Walsh, David (Archaeologist), author.

Series:

Late Antique Archaeology (Supplementary Series) 2.

Late Antique Archaeology (Supplementary Series), 2352-5177 ; VOLUME 2

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Mithras (Zoroastrian deity)--Cult.

Mithras (Zoroastrian deity).

Mithraism.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (158 pages).

Place of Publication:

Leiden ; Boston : Brill, 2018.

Summary:

In The Cult of Mithras in Late Antiquity David Walsh explores how the cult of Mithras developed across the Third 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.

Contents:

Front Matter

Copyright page

Foreword

Illustrations

Abbreviations

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 circa AD 201–400

Late Antique Archaeology

Back Matter

Bibliography

Index.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on print version record and CIP data provided by publisher; resource not viewed.

ISBN:

90-04-38306-9

Publisher Number:

10.1163/9789004383067 DOI