Other Gods- Mithras

Mithra/Mitra/Mithras- a Zoroastrian god, Zoroastrianism was a religion founded by Zoroaster/ Zarathustra, a Persian. Mithra was adopted by both the Greeks and Romans, he was a god of Asha/Truth, Aban/Apas/The Waters, law, the harvest and cattle. He may have also been a sun god.

Sometimes his mother was said to be Anahita, the goddess of water, fertility, healing and wisdom. Sometimes she was his consort instead.

He was a member of the ahuric triad with Ahura Mazda, the highest deity, a god of light and wisdom, and Burz/Ahura Berezant/Apam Napat, the deity of water, making him an important deity. He helped Ahura Mazda battle evil. Sometimes Burz was replaced with Anahita.

With Rashnu, the god of justice, and Sraosha the deity of obedience and observance, he was a judge who passed judgement on people after death, they did this on the Chinvat Bridge, the bridge between the living and the dead.

In Zoroastrian scripture he was described as, "Mithra of wide pastures, of the thousand ears, and of the myriad eyes."
The Khordeh Avesta, a book of prayer, said about him, 'Who has a thousand ears, the well-shaped one, Who has ten thousand eyes, the exalted one, Who has wide knowledge, the helpful one, Who sleeps not, the ever wakeful. We sacrifice to Mithra, The lord of all countries, Whom Ahura Mazda created the most glorious.'

The Greeks called him Mithras and the Romans created the Mithraic mysteries/Mithraism, a mystery religion practised to him.

The Romans showed him being born from a rock, killing a bull and banqueting with Sol. He was born from the rock fully grown, wearing only a Phrygian cap and carrying a dagger in one hand and a torch in the other. Sometimes he carried a globe and sometimes there were flames coming from the rock and/or his cap. Sometimes Saturn was present to give Mithras his dagger.
The bull killing was known as tauroctony, and may have been purely Roman in origin, sometimes the bull's tail was depicted as an ear of wheat as was his blood, occasionally the blood was also shown as grapes. Sometimes in imagery there would be a dog and serpent reaching for the bull's wound and a scorpion reaching for its genitals. Some also had a bird, a chalice and/or a lion. Beings called Cautes and Cautopates were also present, Cautes holding a raised torch and Cautopates a lowered one. They were dressed the same as Mithras but shown as smaller than him. Usually Sol or Sol and Luna would be looking down at his deed. Often Mithras would be depicted as looking up at Sol. It is thought that by slaying the bull he brought life to the world. He was thought to have ridden the bull before killing it.
After killing the bull Mithras ate it with Sol, with the torchbearers present, one holding a caduceus.
He was also depicted ascending behind Sol in his chariot and shaking hands with him.

The myth of the bull could be connected to the myth of Gavaevodata, the primordial bovine of dual gender, one of six primordial creations of Ahura Mazda. Killed by Angra Mainyu, from its body came animal life and plants. Its soul, Goshorun, became the soul of all livestock. Angra Mainyu was an evil spirit, the creator of demons, created by Ahura Mazda. Mithras may have substituted for him in the killing of the life giving bull tale.

Sometimes he was linked to Phanes, hatching from a cosmic egg in his place. He was also known as Sol Invictus (the unconquered sun)

He was depicted as young, in a tunic, with boots and breeches,a Phrygian cap and sometimes a cloak, usually with a dagger in hand. He was sometimes shown in a gold chariot pulled by white horses.