Mithraism

American  

[mith-ruh-iz-uhm] / ˈmɪθ rəˌɪz əm /

Also Mithraicism

noun

1. an ancient Persian religion in which Mithras was worshiped, involving secret rituals to which only men were admitted: a major competitor of Christianity in the Roman empire during the 2nd and 3rd centuries a.d.

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Mithraism British  

/ ˈmɪθreɪˌɪzəm, mɪθˈreɪɪˌsɪzəm, mɪθˈreɪɪk /

noun

1. the ancient Persian religion of Mithras. It spread to the Roman Empire during the first three centuries _ad

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• Mithraistic
  adjective
• Mithraist
  noun
• Mithraic
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of Mithraism

Mithra(s) + -ism

Example Sentences

According to Dr. Mehravari, the origins of Yalda date back to pre-Zoroastrian Mithraism, the worship of the god of the sun.

From New York Times • Dec. 6, 2021

Roman soldiers campaigning in Persia brought Mithraism back to Rome since Mithras’s identity as a former soldier made his worship all the more appealing to members of the Roman military.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2020

“Yalda” means birth, and in the pre-Zoroastrian religion Mithraism, the god of the sun was believed to have been born on the longest night of the year.

From New York Times • Dec. 5, 2014

An authority on the ancient religions of Mithraism and Zoroastrianism, Koenig has written several books, articles and a dictionary on this subject.

From Time Magazine Archive

The doctrine came from the far East, and teachers only sought to harmonize it with the new worship, as they also did with Mithraism.

From The Eliminator; or, Skeleton Keys to Sacerdotal Secrets by Westbrook, Richard B.