Histoire&Mythologie on Nostr: Fragment of a Roman Mosaic depicting Mithras 1st century AD. Mithra is said to have ...

Fragment of a Roman Mosaic depicting Mithras
1st century AD.
Mithra is said to have been born in a cave on December 25. The myth of his birth is also associated with a certain rebirth and the celebration of light... a story quite well known due to its remake.
Beyond that, Mithras, the Persian god of creation and light, inspired the mystery religion of Mithraism that spread across the Roman Empire. This cult, limited to men, was popular among Roman soldiers in the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD. In Persian mythology, Mithras sacrificed a white bull sent by the sun god. The bull's death transformed it into the moon, and Mithras's cloak became the sky, stars, and planets. This sacrificial scene, known as Tauroctony, took place in a cave, observed by Luna and Sol, the moon and sun gods, respectively. Mithras is often depicted with his attendants, Cautes and Cautopates, and animals like a dog, raven, snake, and scorpion.
The central medallion in a mosaic shows the birth of Mithras emerging from a cave, flanked by his attendants, and with the raven flying above, symbolizing the creation myth and an initial stage of initiation into the cult.