The Origins of the Mithraic Mysteries: Cosmology and Salvation in the Ancient World | 
 enlarge | Author: David Ulansey
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Category: Book
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Rating:  15 reviews
Sales Rank: 116458
Media: Paperback
Pages: 168
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.5
Dimensions (in): 8.2 x 5.5 x 0.5
ISBN: 0195067886
Dewey Decimal Number: 200
EAN: 9780195067880
Publication Date: March 28, 1991
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Product Description
In the centuries following the conquests of Alexander the Great the dramatic unification of the Mediterranean world created exceptionally fertile soil for the growth of new religions. Christianity, for example, was one of the innovative religious movements that arose during this time. However, Christianity had many competitors, and one of the most remarkable of these was the ancient Roman "mystery religion" of Mithraism. Like the other "mystery cults" of antiguity, Mithraism kept its beliefs strictly secret, revealing them only to initiates. As a result, the cult's teachings were never written down. However, the Mithraists filled their temples with an enigmatic iconography, an abundance of which has been unearthed by archaeologists. Until now, all attempts to decipher this iconography have proven fruitless. Most experts have been content with a vague hypothesis that the iconography somehow derived from ancient Iranian religion. In this groundbreaking work, David Ulansey offers a radically different theory. He argues that Mithraic iconography was actually an astronomical code, and that the cult began as a religious response to a startling scientific discovery. As his investigation proceeds, Ulansey penetrates step by step the mysteries concealed in Mithraic iconography, unitl finally he is able to reveal the central secret of the cult: a secret consisting of an ancient vision of the ultimate nature of the universe. Brimming with the excitement of discovery--and reading like an intellectual detective story--Ulansey's compelling book will intrigue scholars and general readers alike.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 10 more reviews...
 An archeological, mystical thriller January 27, 2001
daisy e miller (Pacific Grove, CA USA)
37 out of 38 found this review helpful
I devoured this book in a cheap, high-windowed hotel room in Rome on the eve of my first visit to the Mithraeum below the cathedral of San Clemente. It was the week before Easter and I was traveling with a group to whom I needed to explain something about Mithras. Being a religious studies major in college, I thought I knew all there was to know about this mysterious, seemingly dull cult of the Romans. How could I have guessed that this rainy April night, buried in a book, would so change my life? Ulansey brings to life a world, an era, a relationship to the stars which, in our time, is difficult to fathom. Ever since reading Origins Of The Mithraic Mysteries I am captivated by anything about Perseus; I am drawn to stare longingly at the name Tarsus on ancient maps. This sounds over-the-top effusive, but truly any other reaction from me would not do justice to his work. This is a rare scholarly investigation which extends out to the heavens themselves. Recommended to neophytes and mystics, the casually interested and committed scholars. My deepest thanks to the author (and to our mutual teacher, Paul Matthews who lent me the book).
Amazing! March 3, 2003
Bill Robertson (New York)
17 out of 17 found this review helpful
What an amazing book! Ulansey's explanation of the Mithraic Mysteries is one of those ideas that seems so obvious after you encounter it that you can't understand how no one thought of it before. Every piece of this ancient jigsaw puzzle ends up fitting together perfectly, and as other reviewers have said it is written so well that it is as much fun to read as a great detective novel. The last reviewer claimed that the book didn't reveal the "mystery" of Mithraism, but he must not have read the same book that I did, since the book certainly DOES reveal-- and in a mind-boggling and utterly convincing way-- the central secret of the Mithraic cult . The fact that this secret was an idea and not a ritual means only that the Mithraic cult was more like Gnosticism than it was like earlier mystery cults, but given its time period that makes perfect sense to me. I have rarely encountered an academic book (the book is from Oxford Press) that provides as much pure intellectual excitement as this one. If you have any interest in ancient religion you owe it to yourself to read this book-- especially since it's only 125 pages (without the footnotes), which means you can easily read it in a few hours. Once again-- amazing!
An excellent in-depth review on the Mithraic Mysteries October 25, 2001
GUIDO LORIS ROSATI (ROMA, RM Italy)
16 out of 16 found this review helpful
This book is simply great. The theories introduced by David Ulansey are absolutely innovative if compared to what is the current average knowledge of scholars, archeologist and experts on the religion of Mithra. The book provides large evidence in support of the theories, as well as disseminates intriguing questions and answers about cosmogony and salvation in the ancient world. Most of all it is a book written with an outstanding passion, but also very easy to read, and therefore may easily suit not only the scholar but also anyone interested in the subject, or simply curious and also students from high school onwards.
Absolutely riveting explanation of Mithraic origins! July 31, 2003
William Alexander (Los Angeles, CA United States)
18 out of 19 found this review helpful
Ulansey writes with such contagious enthusiasm that it is almost impossible to not share in his excitement as he unfolds his theory on the origins of Mithraism. This author clearly loves what he does and he engages the reader in a writing style that is not merely explanatory, but is exceptionally captivating and addicting. He writes not as a distant scholar, although his work is exceptional scholarship, he is a nearby instructor. On many occasions I said to myself "wow, amazing!". Though this work is short it is a complete and exceptional explanation of Mithraic origins. Describing the various iconography of this mystery religion, and the beliefs and intellectual environment of its birthplace of Tarsus, he effectively explains how the discovery of the rotation of the cosmic equator (known to us as the wobbling of the earth around its axis) that results in the movement of the familiar constellations led to a new astral religion that was extremely attractive and cohesive. The amazing 2nd century B.C.E. discovery by Hipparchus of the rotating cosmic equator presaged a new religion of a cosmic god that was exceedingly more powerful than any god imagined before him. A god that was powerful enough to move the entire heavens at will, that ruled the cosmic sphere, and had the ability to usher in entirely new ages of history. One can see echoes of Pauline Christianity in such ideas: Paul's cosmic Christ has exactly the same features and power. All of the iconography that is found in the ancient mithraeum (sp?) makes perfect sense in light of his extraordinary theory. One often wonders how ancient peoples could hold to beliefs that to the modern mind seem so mysterious and peculiar, but Ulansey essentially takes the reader back to the time period in question and relates how an earth-shattering discovery of how the heavens operated could easily lead to the founding of this new religion. Considering the relative simplicity of these people's astonomical understanding, it is easy to see how this could happen. The mystery of how Mithraism could originate and spread becomes obvious to the reader in the light of this knowledge. Ulansey focuses, as the title suggests, on the origins and not the practices and theology of ancient Mithraism. He only briefly alludes to some of the practices and belief systems. I found myself wanting to know more; most especially regarding the substance and significance of the new life imagined by the practice of the killing of the bull and the particular beliefs regarding the afterlife. The belief that the Milky Way contained the spirits of those entering and exiting this world is also fascinating. Really an outstanding book and extremely engaging; I read it in one sitting.
AN EXCELLENT OVERVIEW THAT ACCOMPLISHES IT'S INTENT August 24, 1998
lsal601@aol.net (MIDLAND, TEXAS)
14 out of 15 found this review helpful
The author is careful to document his sources and makes no assumptions in his evaluations. The book is specifically written to disclose the origins of the Mithraic Mysteries. Thus, specific discussions of rituals, etc. are left to the reader to obtain from other sources. I felt that the author did an excellent job in sticking to the intent of the book, and the book is a nice source for anyone interested in learning HOW Mithratism originally developed, and WHY it was so popular during the time of the first century A.D. You do not have to be a scholar to understand this work, and I applaud the author for a job well done.
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