When I traveled to Rome thirty Novembers ago I saw many wonderful historic sites and artifacts and artworks but one that made a particular impression was a mithraeum, or “temple” to the cult of Mithras, an early competitor to Christianity. The mithraeum was located beneath a medieval church in Rome. Indeed, many of the hundreds that have been discovered are beneath churches, and while Mithraism and Christianity competed in the realm of eastern-oriented mystery religions from the 1st to 4th centuries, Mithraism was suppressed along with paganism after the 4th century.

Gathering places of the Mithraic mysteries have been found from England to Hungary and the cult was a particular favorite of the Roman military. The basic worship was of Mithras, a sun-god borrowed from Persian mythology, and the key image was Mithras astride and slaying the sacred bull. This bloodletting offered salvation to the participants in the rituals, which included a ceremonial breaking of bread and wine and a promise of resurrection. Mithras is always wearing a Phrygian cap.

So, what was trending in 1st century Rome? Basically, eastern mystery religions, and you had two big choices. The first was Christianity, originally a Jewish sect that had taken a more Catholic approach and had established major centers in Jerusalem, Antioch, Alexandria and Rome. Part of its appeal was monotheism. One can imagine that the pantheon of traditional Roman gods was becoming a bit outdated in a globalized Mediterranean world. Part of its appeal was its Orientalism. The mysteries of the East were borrowed and reimagined. It also offered eternal salvation thanks to the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, who died for the sins of others.

The second choice was the cult of Mithras. It was also assembled from pieces of eastern mythology, including an adapted Zoroastrian Mithra and an adapted and adopted Osiris, the Egyptian god of resurrection. The rituals included a kind of agape, or ceremonial meal which struck contemporary Christians as a direct copy of their eucharist – complete with bread and wine. They even called the clerical officials “pater” (Father) and their altar illustrated the bloodletting that led to salvation.

So, which to choose? Well, there was one other aspect of Mithraism, and that was that it was male-only. Very popular with the military. In contrast, the early Christian church not only had female martyrs like Perpetua and Felicity, but was often spread – especially among the upper classes – by women. Constantine had his Helen in the 4th century, Augustine his Monica in the 5th and Volodymyr had his Olha in the 10th. Since its founding, more women than men have attended church, While excluded from clerical positions in most cases, women religious have always outnumbered men.

Sta Maria Maggiore, Milano.

One of the biggest challenges that Christianity presented to Roman Mediterranean culture was its focus on mercy and universal salvation. This ran completely counter to Roman ideas of justice, which admitted no humility, no mercy and certainly no forgiveness. In contrast, the message of Christ WAS forgiveness. It made no sense to Romans. For those initiated into the cult of Mithras, your hero and god was depicted literally in the act of killing something. (The technical term is tauroctony)

Mithraea offered resurrection, a full dose of eastern mystery, complete with a Phrygian cap, a ceremonial bloodletting, a meal and best of all – no girls. You could have your eastern mysteries without the kind of radical inclusion the Christians were preaching.

Ironically, once the Roman Empire adopted Christianity, the religion of mercy apparently showed none to the Mithraites and their theology of cruel justice.