Mithras - God

[Mithras]

Hi!<br>
<br>
I've used the monker 'Mithras' on the internet for years now, way before I got into re-enactment. I once wrote a book called WARRIOR CULTS that featured a chapter on this god, and I was very impressed with the whole religion.<br>
<br>
Anyway ... my question is, could Mithras stand as a viable name for either a soldier from 190 - 200 AD or a slave from the same period? I know that many gladiator slaves had very strange names, such as Cupid and Ganymede.<br>
<br>
Or is the name too close to the bone?<br>
<br>
Secondly, I've put Mithras on my 3rdC shield - and based it on a Dura Europus design of an 'Eastern God'. Unfortunately the god's right hand was obscured. What might be in Mithras' right hand???<br>
<br>
Here is my shield at present: img78.photobucket.com/alb...dspear.jpg<br>
<br>
Sensible suggestions appreciated!<br>
<br>
<p>Paul Elliott<br>
<br>
<strong>Heroes of Delphi</strong> - Classical Greece gone D20<br>
<strong>Zenobia</strong> - Fantasy RPG in the Eastern Roman Empire<br>
<strong>Warlords of Alexander</strong> - Kingdoms in conflict for the ruins of Alexander's Empire<br>
<br>
www.geocities.com/mithrapolis/games.html</p><i></i>

[Anonymous]

Hmmm... With the spear, his traditional sword/dagger seems redundant. So how about...<br>
<br>
A victor's wreath?<br>
<br>
The head of the leontocephalic?<br>
<br>
Some stars or something representing the cosmos (as in Mithras Kosmokrator)?<br>
<br>
The torch of Cautes/Cautopates?<br>
<br>
Just a few suggestions, make of them what you will. <p></p><i></i>

[Anonymous]

You need a [bloody] bull over his head <p>-ANDY aka "Roman Dude" Svaviter in Modo, Fortiter in Re<br>
<br>
www.higgins.org </p><i></i>

[Robert Vermaat]

Hi Paul,<br>
<br>
I found this image which looks like yours, instead of the common Mithras-with-the-bull images:<br>
<img src="http://library.ups.edu/instruct/ricig/art361/mithras.jpg" style="border:0;"/><br>
<br>
Be sure to look at this site, big article of <strong>9</strong> pages with sketches of more Mithraic images.<br>
<br>
Here's a [url=http://www.panpipes.com/mithras.jpg" target="top]FRESCO [/url]which could be another alternative (to big to show here).<br>
<br>
Valete,<br>
Valerius/Robert <p></p><i>Edited by: <A HREF=http://p200.ezboard.com/bromanarmytalk.showUserPublicProfile?gid=vortigernstudies>Vortigern Studies</A> at: 6/16/04 7:49 am<br></i>

[Anonymous]

An interesting theory on Mithra or his Roman avatar.<br>
Lots of good detailed pictures of the god.<br>
www.well.com/user/davidu/mithras.html <p></p><i>Edited by: <A HREF=http://p200.ezboard.com/bromanarmytalk.showUserPublicProfile?gid=antoninuslucretius@romanarmytalk>Antoninus Lucretius</A> <IMG HEIGHT=10 WIDTH=10 SRC="http://lucretius.homestead.com/files/Cesar_triste.jpg" BORDER=0> at: 6/16/04 12:18 pm<br></i>

[Mithras]

Thanks for the links. What is that in his hand? A hat? A frisbee? A plate?<br>
<br>
<p></p><i></i>

[Dan Diffendale]

Probably a <em>patera</em>, a small saucer for making libations. <p></p><i></i>