The Cult of Mithras in the Roman fortress of Housestead

The Cult of Mithras in the Roman fortress of Housestead

Mithras wearing a Phrygian helmet and holding torches in both hands is the Roman god of light and the sun. This carving was discovered at the Roman fort Housestedt on Hadrian's Wall the largest Roman archaeological structure in Britain. The wall stretches past sparsely populated hills. Housestedt was an auxiliary fort on Hadrian's Wall that was in use for almost 300 years located west of Carrawburgh Fort. The Roman rock carving depicts the god Mithras emerging from a cosmic egg also known as the "Mithras rock-born" or "Mithras Petrogenitus".

The young Mitras is depicted naked, holding the globe in his left hand and a circle containing the six zodiac signs in his right.

This carving is a well-known example of a cult that was a major and mystical rival to early Christianity. The rock carving (1.33 m high, 0.82 m wide) is found between two altars approximately 0.66 m from the rear wall. Mithritism was a monotheistic mystical cult prevalent in the Roman Empire during the 1st century.

 

The rock carving, enclosed in an oval open circle at the top depicts the upper torso of the young, naked god Mithras with long curly hair. Mithra or the "Mystical Rituals of Mithras" was a Roman (1st-4th centuries AD) mystical cult that worshipped the god Mithras. Popular among Roman soldiers and merchants the cult held secret rituals in underground temples. Those undergoing training had to pass seven different levels. Traditions included communal feasts sacrifices and rituals that may have signified spiritual elevation to divine wisdom. It was largely suppressed by Christian authorities in the 4th century AD.