The typical has relief, which is found in great abundance in the museums of Europe, invariably represents Mithras, under the form of a youth with conical cap and flying drapery, slaying the sacred bull, the scorpion attacking the genitals of the animal, the serpent drinking its blood, the dog springing towards the wound in its side, and frequently, in addition, the Sun-god, his messenger the raven, a fig-tree, a lion, a ewer, and torch-bearers. The relief is in some instances enclosed in a frame of figures and scenes in relief. The smaller reliefs Cumont arranges in two groups; (I) Infinite Time (Zrvan Akarana) called in Greek KpOpos, identified by theorists of that day with xpovos in Latin, Saturnus; Tellus and Atlas supporting the globe, representing the union of Earth and Heaven; Oceanus; the Fates; Infinite Time giving into the hand of his cessor Ormazd the thunderbolt, the symbol of authority; Ormazd struggling with a giant of evil—the Mithraic gigantomachy. (2) The birth of Mithras; then the god nude, cut ting fruit and leaves from a fig-tree in which is the bust of a deity, and before winch one of the winds is blowing upon Mithras; the god discharging an arrow against a rock from which springs a foun tain; the bull in a small boat, near which again occurs the figure of the animal under a roof about to be set on fire by two figures ; the bull in flight, with Mithras in pursuit ; Mithras bearing the bull on his shoulders; Helios kneeling before Mithras; Helios and Mithras clasping hands over an altar; Mithras with drawn bow on a run ning horse; Mithras and Helios banqueting; Mithras and Helios mounting the chariot of the latter and riding over the ocean.
These documents Cumont interprets tentatively as follows. The head of the divine hierarchy of Mithras was Infinite Time; Heaven and Earth were his offspring, and begat Ocean. From Heaven and Earth sprang the remaining members of a circle analogous to the Olympic gods. Ahriman was also the son of Time. Mithras was the most important member of the circle, the mediator between man and the supreme god.
The Mithras legend has been lost, and can be reconstructed only from the sculptures. Mithras was born of a rock, the marvel being seen only by certain shepherds, who brought gifts and adored him. Chilled by the wind, the new-born god went to a fig tree, partook of its fruit, and clothed himself in its leaves. He then undertook to vanquish the beings already in the world, and rendered subject to him first the Sun, with whom he concluded a treaty of friendship. Next, he captured the sacred bull which had been created by Ormazd. This by ()icier of the Sun, who sent his messenger the raven, he reluctantly sacrificed. From the dying animal sprang the life of the earth, although Ahriman sent his emissaries to prevent it. The soul of the bull rose to the celestial spheres and became the guardian of herds and flocks under the name of Silvanus. Mithras was through his deed the creator of life. Meanwhile Ahriman sent a terrible drought upon the land. Mithras defeated his purpose by discharging an arrow against a rock and miraculously drawing the water from it. Next Ahri
man sent a deluge, from which one man escaped in a boat with his cattle. Finally a fire desolated the earth, and only the crea tures of Ormazd escaped. Mithras, his work accomplished, ban queted with the Sun for the last time, and was taken by him in his chariot to the habitation of the immortals, whence he continued to protect the faithful.
As regards the organization of Mithraism, S. Jerome (Epist. 107, 2) and inscriptions preserve the knowledge that the mystic, sacratus, passed through seven degrees, which probably cor responded to the seven planetary spheres traversed by the soul in its ascent; Corax, Raven; Cryphius, Hidden (Kpitaos) (cyry phus, the mss. corrected by Hilberg from inscr. ; the initiate was perhaps veiled). Miles, Soldier, signifying the holy warfare against evil in the service of the god; Leo, Lion, symbolic of the element of fire ; Perses, Persian (cf. the Christian use of "Israel," "Zion," etc.) Heliodromus, Courier of the Sun; Pater, Father, a degree bringing the mystic among those who had the general direction of the cult for the rest of their lives.
Of the seven degrees, those mystics not yet beyond the third, Miles, were not in full communion, and were called ini-nperayeS (servants) ; while the fourth degree, Leo, admitted them into the class of the fully initiate, the (participants). No women were connected with the cult. A sacred communion of bread, water and possibly wine, compared by the Christian apologists to the Eucharist, was administered to the mystic who was entering upon one of the advanced degrees.
The Mithraic priest, sacerdos or antsstes, was sometimes also of the degree of pater. Tertullian (De praescr. haeret. 4o) calls the chief priest summits pontifex, probably the pater patrum who had general supervision of all the initiates in one city, and states that he could marry but once. According to the same author, there were Mithraic, as well as Christian, virgins et continentes. Each day of the week was marked by the adoration of a special planet, the sun being the most sacred of all.
The Mithraic community of worshippers, besides being a spirit ual fraternity, was a legal corporation enjoying the right of holding property, with temporal officials at its head, like any other sodalitas. The cult was supported mainly by voluntary contri bution. An abundance of epigraphic evidence testifies to the devotion of rich and poor alike.