Source

The Roman Cult of Mithras: The God and His Mysteries

Manfred Clauss is a historian of Roman religion, and this academic study, published by Edinburgh University Press, is one of the standard modern treatments of the Mithraic mysteries, working from the archaeological remains of Mithraea, inscriptions and iconography rather than from later esoteric reinterpretations of Mithras. Its particular strength is honesty about the limits of the evidence, since no Mithraic scripture survives, Clauss is explicit about which claims are secure from inscriptions and which are informed reconstruction from imagery and comparison with other mystery cults. That transparency about uncertainty is unusual and valuable. Its limit is the limit of the underlying evidence itself, much about Mithraic ritual and belief remains genuinely unknown and the book does not pretend otherwise.

Facts

Assessment

Reliability Tier

Manfred Clauss's scholarly survey of the Roman cult of Mithras covering its iconography, temple architecture, initiatory grades and geographic spread, published by Edinburgh University Press; a modern reconstruction from images and inscriptions, since no Mithraic scripture survives.

Notes

Manfred Clauss's scholarly survey of the Roman cult of Mithras, covering its iconography, temple architecture, initiatory grades and geographic spread, drawing on the archaeological and epigraphic evidence. Use for established facts about Mithraic cult practice and material culture; like Beck's study, a modern reconstruction from images and inscriptions rather than a documented creed, since no Mithraic scripture survives.

Citation

Author

Manfred Clauss

Publisher

Edinburgh University Press

Publication Year

2000

URL

https://archive.org/details/romancultofmithr0000clau

Source Type

academic monograph

Connections

Associated With

Mithras

This source names Mithras directly: "later esoteric reinterpretations of Mithras."

Source The Roman Cult of Mithras: The God and His MysteriesManfred Clauss

Claims Backed By This Source (94 claims)

This source backs 94 claims across the atlas. As facts: 65 well-attested, 4 scholarly debate. As cited relationships: 8 holds, 1 connected. Plus 16 entities citing it as a general reference with no single fact or relationship attached.

Disposition By Topic

Doctrines, 40 claims: 27 well-attested, 4 scholarly debate, 4 holds, 5 general references.
Articles, 12 claims: 10 well-attested, 2 general references.
Open Questions, 9 claims: 7 well-attested, 1 connected, 1 general references.
Sources, 9 claims: 8 well-attested, 1 holds.
Deities, 5 claims: 3 well-attested, 1 holds, 1 general references.
Sacred Sites, 5 claims: 2 well-attested, 1 holds, 2 general references.
Subcategories, 5 claims: 4 well-attested, 1 general references.
Religions, 4 claims: 3 well-attested, 1 general references.
Bodies of Water, 2 claims: 1 well-attested, 1 general references.
Cultures, 2 claims: 1 holds, 1 general references.
Empires & Polities, 1 claims: 1 general references.