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

Of Aryan origin, Mithraism was one of the Oriental sects that contended for control of the declining Roman Empire.

From Time Magazine Archive

A certain severity in Mithraism, which marked it off honourably from other worships of the East, also weakened it as a popular and enduring force.

From Roman Society from Nero to Marcus Aurelius by Dill, Samuel