Mythras Core Rules

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Besides the main cult icon, a number of mithraea had several secondary tauroctonies, and some small portable versions, probably meant for private devotion, have also been found. [29] Banquet [ edit ] The name Mithras (Latin, equivalent to Greek " Μίθρας" [11]) is a form of Mithra, the name of an old, pre-Zoroastrian, and, later on, Zoroastrian, god [g] [h] – a relationship understood by Mithraic scholars since the days of Franz Cumont. [i] After this, Celsus, desiring to exhibit his learning in his treatise against us, quotes also certain Persian mysteries, where he says: ' These things are obscurely hinted at in the accounts of the Persians, and especially in the mysteries of Mithras, which are celebrated among them...'" Ernest Renan suggested in 1882 that, under different circumstances, Mithraism might have risen to the prominence of modern-day Christianity. Renan wrote: "If the growth of Christianity had been arrested by some mortal malady, the world would have been Mithraic". [151] [bn] An early example of the Greek form of the name is in a 4thcenturyBCE work by Xenophon, the Cyropaedia, which is a biography of the Persian king Cyrus the Great. [13]

But serious talk aside, I've found that I can run my classic AD&D adventures, and even my Goodman Games Dungeon Crawl Classics (3rd Ed.) adventures, with minimal conversion. "Minimal conversion" in this case really means: "Knowing the module well enough to run it for a group, and just plugging in CF numbers where needed." As a general rule, I've only needed to convert the monsters with individual names. Call it one extra hour of prep work, max, for a game that runs 1 to 3 sessions. Clauss noted in 1990 that overall, only about 14% of Mithraic names inscribed before 250CE identify the initiate's grade – and hence questioned the traditional view that all initiates belonged to one of the seven grades. [58] Clauss argues that the grades represented a distinct class of priests, sacerdotes. Gordon maintains the former theory of Merkelbach and others, especially noting such examples as Dura where all names are associated with a Mithraic grade. Some scholars maintain that practice may have differed over time, or from one Mithraeum to another. Boyce, an academic researcher on ancient Iranian religions, writes that even though Roman Mithraism seems to have had less Iranian content than ancient Romans or modern historians used to think, nonetheless "as the name Mithras alone shows, this content was of some importance". [n] Iconography [ edit ] Relief of Mithras as bull-slayer from Neuenheim near Heidelberg, framed by scenes from Mithras' life. The religion and its followers faced persecution in the 4th century from Christianization, and Mithraism came to an end at some point between its last decade and the 5th century. Ulansey states that "Mithraism declined with the rise to power of Christianity, until the beginning of the fifth century, when Christianity became strong enough to exterminate by force rival religions such as Mithraism." [be]

References

There have been different views among scholars as to whether this text is an expression of Mithraism as such. Franz Cumont argued that it isn't; [100] (p 12) Marvin Meyer thinks it is; [97] (pp 180–182) but the Greek title is just "Helioi Mithrai" ( ʽΗλιωι Μιθραι). The name " FLAVIUS" for an imperial freedman dates it between 70–136CE. The Greek section refers to a pater of the cult named Lollius Rufus, evidence of the existence of the rank system at this early date. [14] For the most part, mithraea tend to be small, externally undistinguished, and cheaply constructed; the cult generally preferring to create a new centre rather than expand an existing one. The mithraeum represented the cave to which Mithras carried and then killed the bull; and where stone vaulting could not be afforded, the effect would be imitated with lath and plaster. They are commonly located close to springs or streams; fresh water appears to have been required for some Mithraic rituals, and a basin is often incorporated into the structure. [4] (p 73) There is usually a narthex or ante-chamber at the entrance, and often other ancillary rooms for storage and the preparation of food. The extant mithraea present us with actual physical remains of the architectural structures of the sacred spaces of the Mithraic cult. Mithraeum is a modern coinage and mithraists referred to their sacred structures as speleum or antrum (cave), crypta (underground hallway or corridor), fanum (sacred or holy place), or even templum (a temple or a sacred space). [aa]

A passage in the Caesares of Julian the Apostate refers to "commandments of Mithras". [af] Tertullian, in his treatise "On the Military Crown" records that Mithraists in the army were officially excused from wearing celebratory coronets on the basis of the Mithraic initiation ritual that included refusing a proffered crown, because "their only crown was Mithras". [69] History and development [ edit ] Mithras before the Roman Mysteries [ edit ] Mithras-Helios, with solar rays and in Iranian dress, [70] with AntiochusI of Commagene. ( Mt.Nemrut, 1stcentury BCE) 4th-century relief of the investiture of the Sasanian king Ardashir II. Mithra stands on a Lotus Flower on the left holding a Barsom. [70] The first important expansion of the mysteries in the Empire seems to have occurred relatively rapidly late in the reign of Antoninus Pius and under Marcus Aurelius(9). By that date, it is clear, the mysteries were fully institutionalised and capable of relatively stereotyped self-reproduction through the medium of an agreed, and highly complex, symbolic system reduced in iconography and architecture to a readable set of 'signs'. Yet we have good reason to believe that the establishment of at least some of those signs is to be dated at least as early as the Flavian period or in the very earliest years of the second century. Beyond that we cannot go..." [125] (pp150–151) The name Mithras comes from a root mei- (which implies the idea of exchange), accompanied by an instrumental suffix. It was therefore a means of exchange, the 'contract' which rules human relations and is the basis of social life. In Sanskrit, mitra means 'friend' or 'friendship', like mihr in Persian. In Zend, mithra means precisely the 'contract', which eventually became deified, following the same procedure as Venus, the 'charm' for the Romans. We find him invoked with Varuna in an agreement concluded circaThe cult of Mithras never became one of those supported by the state with public funds, and was never admitted to the official list of festivals celebrated by the state and army – at any rate as far as the latter is known to us from the Feriale Duranum, the religious calendar of the units at Dura-Europos in Coele Syria;" [where there was a Mithraeum] "the same is true of all the other mystery cults too." He adds that at the individual level, various individuals did hold roles both in the state cults and the priesthood of Mithras. [4] (p 24) The above example would indicate combatant 1 currently has 3 hp on their head, and -3 on the right leg, and combatant 2 has 0 on their left leg and -5 on their Abdomen. You can assume max HP for any location that isn't recorded. The basis for this belief is that 25 December was also the Persian day of celebration for Sol, the sun god, with whom Mithras was closely linked. However, because so little is known about the cult of Mithraism, scholars cannot be certain. 10. Mithraism was a rival of early Christianity

Archaeologist Lewis M. Hopfe notes that there are only three mithraea in Roman Syria, in contrast to further west. He writes: "Archaeology indicates that Roman Mithraism had its epicenter in Rome ... the fully developed religion known as Mithraism seems to have begun in Rome and been carried to Syria by soldiers and merchants." [az] According to the 4thcentury Historia Augusta, the emperor Commodus participated in its mysteries [127] but it never became one of the state cults. [bd] Clauss suggests that a statement by Porphyry, that people initiated into the Lion grade must keep their hands pure from everything that brings pain and harm and is impure, means that moral demands were made upon members of congregations. [ae] The original editor of the text, Albrecht Dieterich, claimed that it recorded an authentic Mithraic ritual, but this claim was rejected by Cumont, who felt that the references to Mithras in the text were merely the result of an extravagant syncretism evident in magical traditions. Until recently, most scholars followed Cumont in refusing to see any authentic Mithraic doctrine in the Mithras Liturgy. — D. Ulansey (1991) [9] (p 105) Despite the discovery of a hidden temple that promised to unearth the secrets of Mithras, relatively little is known about the cult and how they worshipped. Nonetheless, here are 10 facts revealing what we do know about Roman London’s mysterious god. 1. The secretive cult worshiped a bull-killing god called MithrasNote, however, that no inscription naming Arimanius has been found engraved on a lion-headed figure. All of the dedications to the name Arimanius are inscribed on altars without figures. [ citation needed] This theory has since been contested. Leonard Boyle wrote in 1987 that "too much ... has been made of the 'threat' of Mithraism to Christianity", [153] According to C.M. Daniels, [77] whether any of this relates to the origins of the mysteries is unclear. [aj] I'm new to Mythras and have bought the classic fantasy, expert set and Ettin marsh module. I used to love the flavour of AD&D many years ago and when I read about classic fantasy I was sold. After going through the books the nostalgia hit me and am looking forward to anything related that comes out. The Ettin marsh module is classic AD&D for me and I love it. I remember for me the old UK modules where the best, more realism with a bit of grit. India's sacred literature refers to him since the hymns of the Rig Veda. But it was in Iran where Mithras rose to the greatest prominence: Rebounding after the reforms of Zarathustra, Mithras became one of the great gods of the Achaemenian emperors and to this very day he is worshipped in India and Iran by Parsees and Zarathustrians. [16]

Admission into the community was completed with a handshake with the pater, just as Mithras and Sol shook hands. The initiates were thus referred to as syndexioi (those united by the handshake). The term is used in an inscription by Proficentius [b] Mythras is the new name for RuneQuest 6th Edition, the acclaimed roleplaying system developed by The Design Mechanism. Almost no Mithraic scripture or first-hand account of its highly secret rituals survives; [o] with the exception of the aforementioned oath and catechism, and the document known as the Mithras Liturgy, from 4th century Egypt, whose status as a Mithraist text has been questioned by scholars including Franz Cumont. [x] [47] The walls of mithraea were commonly whitewashed, and where this survives, it tends to carry extensive repositories of graffiti; and these, together with inscriptions on Mithraic monuments, form the main source for Mithraic texts. [48] Feasting [ edit ] here Mithras is given the epithet "the great god", and is identified with the sun god Helios. [98] [99]In the mixed religion of the later Achaemenid period, however, the Zoroastrian aspects clearly dominate the heathen aspects. The sacrifice of the bull, abhorred by every Zoroastrian, is never mentioned. When Alexander the Great conquered the Persian empire about 330 bce, the old structure of society appears to have broken down completely, and about the worship of Mithra in Persia no more is heard. Mithraism declined with the rise to power of Christianity, until the beginning of the fifth century, when Christianity became strong enough to exterminate by force rival religions such as Mithraism." [129] Cumont's ... argument was straightforward and may be summarized succinctly: The name of the god of the cult, Mithras, is the Latin (and Greek) form of the name of an ancient Iranian god, Mithra; in addition, the Romans believed that their cult was connected with Persia (as the Romans called Iran); therefore we may assume that Roman Mithraism is nothing other than the Iranian cult of Mithra transplanted into the Roman Empire. — D. Ulansey (1991) [9] (p 8) while Hans Dieter Betz sees it as a synthesis of Greek, Egyptian, and Mithraic traditions. [100] [101] Modern debate on origin [ edit ] Cumont's hypothesis: from Persian state religion [ edit ] Augustan-era intaglio depicting a tauroctony ( Walters Art Museum) 4th-century relief of the investiture of the Sasanian king Ardashir II. Mithra stands on a lotus flower on the left holding a barsom. [102] Soldiers were strongly represented amongst Mithraists, and also merchants, customs officials and minor bureaucrats. Few, if any, initiates came from leading aristocratic or senatorial families until the 'pagan revival' of the mid-4th century; but there were always considerable numbers of freedmen and slaves. [4] (p 39) Ethics [ edit ]