Mithras

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A deity in ancient Roman religion associated with light, truth, and the sun, often depicted as slaying a bull as part of a sacred ritual
2. A figure from mystery cults in ancient Rome, regarded as a protector against evil and often represented in intricate frescoes and sculptures
3. An important god in the Mithraic mysteries, with worship practices that included initiation rites, communal meals, and a focus on salvation and immortality

Etymology: Mithras was a god long before he was a mystery cult. His name comes from Old Persian "Mithra", a deity of covenant and contract, and Indo-Iranian religion gave him a place among the gods of oaths and light. When Roman soldiers and traders encountered his worship in the eastern provinces, they adopted the Latinised form "Mithras" and built a secretive religion around him, meeting in underground chambers called mithraea, many of which survive today. English borrowed the name directly from Latin, so it kept its Roman spelling rather than passing through French or another intermediary. The same ancient name is also the source of several relatives that look quite different: "mitre", the tall headdress of bishops, and "Mehr", a Persian word, are doublets descended from that one root. The word itself has stayed in scholarly and historical use, mainly in discussions of Roman religion.

Synonyms: Mithras, Mithraism