In this pioneering 1902 work of historical-religious scholarship, the author sifts through ancient artifacts and texts to trace the rise of the Eastern religion of Mithra—the Zoroastrian divinity of oath and covenant—throughout the Roman Empire and its spread among the Roman legions. He compares and contrasts Mithraism with the competitor that eclipsed it: Christianity.
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Franz-Valéry-Marie Cumont (1868-1947) was a Belgian archaeologist and historian. He overcame religious discrimination at the University of Ghent to launch a brilliant career, studying the impact of Mithraism and other Eastern mystery religions on the Roman Empire. His writings include After-Life in Roman Paganism (1922) and Astrology and Religion Among the Greeks and Romans.