Gratillonius worships neither Jupiter nor Christ but Mithras. That is diverse enough for me although it is not to the liking of the Roman authorities represented in Britain at that time by Magnus Clemens Maximus.
Gratillonius reflects that earthly rank counts for nothing either before Ahura-Mazda or before the Christian God. However, Christians include women. In Gratillonius' family, his father, brother and himself are Mithraists whereas his mother and sisters are Christians:
"Could that alone be why Christ was triumphing?" (p. 28)
Well, of course it is, or a major part of the reason. Those sisters will have their sons as well as their daughters baptized. In a generation or two, there will be no more Mithraists.
If women could not be initiated into the mystery of Mithras, then maybe Mithraism could have allied itself to the mystery of Demeter, Cybele, Isis, Athena or Semele etc? In any case, a potential world religion cannot exclude half the human race.
Mithraism would have triumphed over Christianity only by becoming more like Christianity. Maybe the story of Mithras sacrificing the Bull would have had to be historicized, happening under Caesar Augustus? The new age demanded a new historical beginning.
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
I seriously doubt orthodox Mithraists would have tolerated morphing their faith with the pagan goddesses you listed. Mithraism partly sprang from Zoroastrianism which, despite being a dualistic religion, was functionally monotheistic. Zoroastrians believe two Gods exist, the good god Ahura Mazda and the evil god Ahriman. But only Ahura Mazda deserved to be worshiped and honored. I remember how well Chesterton spoke of Zoroastrianism in THE EVERLASTING MAN.
Ad astra! Sean
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