The Mystery of Mithras: A Pagan Christmas?
The Ancients24 Dec 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.

Avsnitt(599)

Origins of the Wheel

Origins of the Wheel

It is one of the most pivotal inventions in human history - the wheel.New research suggests that the wheel was first created by prehistoric miners in the Carpathian Mountains to transport copper. Tris...

5 Dec 202452min

The First South Americans

The First South Americans

The prehistoric archaeology of South America is fascinating and constantly developing.Tristan Hughes is joined by Dr. Tom Dillehay to discuss how early humans navigated their migration from North to S...

1 Dec 202446min

Fall of the Etruscans

Fall of the Etruscans

Before Rome came the Etruscans - they were the dominant culture in ancient Italy in the centuries before Rome's imperial expansion. But how did they fall?In this episode of the Ancients, Tristan Hughe...

28 Nov 202455min

Tower of Babel

Tower of Babel

The Tower of Babel story is iconic. Featured in the Book of Genesis, it explains how different languages came to be across the world. But what are its origins?Join Tristan Hughes and Prof. Lloyd Llewe...

24 Nov 202447min

Ice Age America

Ice Age America

A group of hunter-gatherers encounter diverse habitats full of creatures they’ve never seen before. A land of opportunity, but also danger.Join host Tristan Hughes and expert Dr David Meltzer as they ...

21 Nov 202449min

Emperor Macrinus: Usurper of Rome

Emperor Macrinus: Usurper of Rome

Denzel Washington stars as Emperor Macrinus in the epic new movie Gladiator II, but who exactly was this shadowy ruler of Rome?Join Tristan Hughes as he sits down with Dr Alex Imrie and Matilda Brown ...

17 Nov 202456min

Caracalla & Geta: The Real Emperors of Gladiator II

Caracalla & Geta: The Real Emperors of Gladiator II

The new Hollywood blockbuster Gladiator II features two of Rome's most villainous emperors - the brothers Caracalla and Geta.And in today's episode of The Ancients were delving into the real history o...

14 Nov 202454min

The Minotaur

The Minotaur

Half man and half bull, the Minotaur is one of the most famous, and scariest, monsters of Greek mythology.The story goes that it was trapped in a great labyrinth beneath Knossos on the island of Crete...

10 Nov 202450min

Populärt inom Historia

motiv
massmordarpodden
historiska-brott
p3-historia
olosta-mord
historiepodden-se
rss-massmordarpodden
rss-seriemordarpodden
historianu-med-urban-lindstedt
rss-brottsligt
rss-historien-om
vetenskapsradion-historia
krigshistoriepodden
harrisons-dramatiska-historia
konspirationsteorier
podme-bio-4
nu-blir-det-historia
palmemordet
rss-arkiv-stieg
rss-borgvattnets-hemligheter