Lands of Asia layouts (Eng) 26.11.21

part iii | cultural and spiritual development
With his propitiatory bull sacrifice, Mithras delivers mankind from universal evil.
Hence another of his most important epithets – salutaris (the saviour).
Having accomplished this feat, Mithras summons his worshippers to a Last
Supper where the main Mithraic sacrament takes place – consecration of the wine
that embodies the sacred blood of the vanquished bull. After this, Mithras ascends
to heaven.
However, this mission of Mithras on Earth is still not complete. Later, when
the forces of evil in the person of Ahriman send humankind many misfortunes
and catastrophes, heralding the end of the world, Mithras will come to the aid of
humankind and perform several feats until he destroys evil in an all-consuming fire,
symbolising the purification and renewal of the whole world. At Mithras’ word, the
dead will rise again and assemble in one great gathering, where he, the god of justice,
will separate the good from the evil and offer the good communion with the blood of
the sacred bull and grant them immortality.
Thus, it is in Mithraism that the idea and formation of the ceremonial aspect of
Resurrection took shape – one of the main dogmas of the Christian Church.
In their service of God, the worshippers of Mithras (Mithraists) had to pass
through seven grades of initiation, ascending a ladder of spirituality as they advanced.
These grades were known as: Raven (Corax), Bride (Nymphus), Soldier (Miles),
Lion (Leo), Persian (Perses), Courier of the Sun (Heliodromus) and Father (Pater). 2
At the top of the last and highest grade, which required particular moral purity,
was the ‘Father of (the) Fathers’ (Pater Patrum), in whom some researchers see a
prototype of the future Roman Pope. The ‘Father of the Fathers’ presided over the
entire religious community, whose members called one another ‘brothers’ (fratres).
In a special ritual to purify their souls from corruption, they addressed each
other with the words ‘dear brother’, ate four cross-shaped loaves of bread, and drank
wine and water. The religious mysteries of the Mithraists included music, prayers
to the Sun, fires lit on altars, and on 25 December Mithraists observed their main
celebration: the birth of Mithras.
The rituals were performed by special persons – ‘priests’ (sacerdos) who performed
the three obligatory prayers: at dawn, midday and dusk, as well as the daily liturgy.
Another, specific ritual was performed when an initiate passed from one grade to
the next. For example, an initiate claiming the grade of a soldier was presented with
a wreath on a sword, which he would then place on his shoulder, saying: ‘Mithras
alone is my wreath’. After the rite had been performed he could not, under any
circumstances, either at a feast or for military exploits, lay the wreath on his head,
and would instead say to its bearers: ‘My wreath rests in my god’.
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