The Mystery of Mithras: A Pagan Christmas?
The Ancients24 Des 2020

The Mystery of Mithras: A Pagan Christmas?

The clichéd Christmas: white snow, hot fires, mulled wine and a feast. This might not be the case were the holiday not to fall on 25 December and, although many things have been missed in 2020, the usual questions of whether this is the right date arrived reliably on time. So, for this episode, Tristan spoke to Professor Matthew McCarty to find out whether Christmas Day was really placed in December to supplant non-Christian worship, in particular that of Mithras. Matthew is Assistant Professor of Roman Archaeology at the University of British Columbia. He has been directing the field excavation of a mithraeum in Apulum (Romania), the first scientifically excavated mithraeum in the province of Dacia. In this festive episode, he shares his insight into the social dynamics of ritual practices in the sanctuary at Apulum and elsewhere.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episoder(598)

End of Ice Age Britain

End of Ice Age Britain

As Ice Age Britain thawed, temperatures surged, sea levels rose, and humans and animals faced a fight for survival. But this shift was anything but simple.In this final episode of our Ice Age miniseri...

23 Feb 202548min

The Persian Wars: Darius, Athens and the Battle of Marathon

The Persian Wars: Darius, Athens and the Battle of Marathon

490 BC. On the plains of Marathon, Athens faced down a mighty army of the Persian Empire - the superpower of the time It was an underdog clash that would echo throughout history. But how did it all be...

20 Feb 202558min

The Last Neanderthals

The Last Neanderthals

For hundreds of thousands of years Neanderthals have roamed the lands of what is today Europe and western Asia. But how did they survive, and what caused their decline?Tristan Hughes delves into the f...

16 Feb 202553min

The Scythians

The Scythians

Known as the barbarians of the north, the Scythians were expert horsemen that roamed the great steppe of Eurasia more than 2,000 years ago. But how much do we know about them?In today's episode of The...

13 Feb 202551min

Ice Age Australia

Ice Age Australia

Giant kangaroos. Killer wombats. Carnivorous lions. These beasts once roamed the barren landscape of Ice Age Australia - a vast supercontinent stretching from Papua New Guinea to Tasmania.Continuing o...

9 Feb 202559min

Hieroglyphs

Hieroglyphs

From twisted flax to one-legged ibises, Egyptian hieroglyphs offer a window into the heart of ancient Egypt. But how did this script really work?In this episode of The Ancients, Tristan Hughes speaks ...

6 Feb 202552min

Woolly Mammoths

Woolly Mammoths

Towering over 11 feet tall and weighing 6 tonnes, the Woolly Mammoth ruled the Ice Age. But how did these mighty beasts thrive for over 100,000 years—and why did they disappear?In this episode of The ...

2 Feb 20251h 3min

The Chinese Zodiac

The Chinese Zodiac

The Year of the Snake is here! But how did a legendary tale of twelve animals shape Chinese astronomy and culture for over 3,000 years?In this episode of The Ancients, Tristan Hughes is joined by Prof...

30 Jan 202539min

Populært innen Historie

rss-dette-ma-aldri-skje-igjen
henrettelsespodden
rss-katastrofe
rss-historiske-romanser
rss-benadet
historier-som-endret-norge
historier-som-endret-verden
rss-nadelose-nordmenn-gestapo
aftenposten-historie
rss-frontkjemperne
sektledere
med-egne-oyne
rss-gamle-greier
rss-strid-de-norske-borgerkrigene
historiepodden
taakeprat
sannhet-eller-konspirasjon
undersattene
vare-historier
historiepodden-ww2