The Mysteries of Mithra [Paperback]

Franz Cumont (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 1956

The colorful Mithraic religion originated in Persia, enjoyed enormous popularity in Europe, and was ultimately destroyed by Christianity. This definitive treatment of Mithra by a leading authority on classical religions pieces together its mysteries: the principle characteristics of the god Mithra, the rituals, the teachings, the liturgy and much more. With 70 illustrations.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Kessinger Publishing reprints over 1,500 similar titles all available through Amazon.com. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 239 pages
• Publisher: Dover Publications; 2 edition (June 1, 1956)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0486203239
• ISBN-13: 978-0486203232
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,140,564 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The book that sparked the interest in mithraism, March 10, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (Trondheim, Norway) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Mysteries of Mithra (Paperback)

Originally published in 1902, this was the book that started the modern interest in the Mithras-cult, and it is a must for anyone who wants to balance the more freaked-out stories of the cult. The author describes the cult of Mithras and points out most of the fundamental things that we know about it. Although many findings and theories have come since this book was written, it is still a good place to start if you want to read about this cult, or about mystery-religions in general.

I liked the book because it gives a serious and sober account of the cult. Even though it is fairly old, it is a book against which other books on the same subject can be measured.

27 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars An awful reprint of a good book., September 22, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Mysteries of Mithra (Paperback)

This reprint is of a lower-than-fax quality.
Take page 19 for instance: the seven coins of the original edition are reproduced as seven black spots.
This is a good book, but you better buy a used copy of the original edition instead of this grimy reprint.

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Welcome to Mithraism, April 5, 2002

By 

Blah (New York, New York) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Mysteries of Mithra (Paperback)

Cumont's work is generally considered to be the quintessential work on the Mithraic cult. His book presents a well researched and easily readably description of this religion. Mostly he focuses upon how the religion was spread in the Roman Empire, where it originated and some of its basic dogmas. However, if you are looking for a description of the secret initiation rituals you will have to look elsewhere. While he does mention these rituals in brief, there is no extensive description or analysis on them.