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.

Det här avsnittet är hämtat från ett öppet RSS-flöde och publiceras inte av Podme. Det kan innehålla reklam.

Avsnitt(620)

Hannibal: Battle by the Trebia

Hannibal: Battle by the Trebia

It’s 218 BC, and Hannibal has made the mammoth journey across the Alps en route to Italy, accompanied by his army, their horses, and their elephants. But the real battle is yet to come, and in this fa...

7 Jan 202145min

How Ancient Egypt Stayed Egyptian

How Ancient Egypt Stayed Egyptian

The length of time between the rule of Cleopatra and the erection of the Pyramids is the same as that between now and the birth of Jesus Christ. With that in mind, it is perhaps no surprise that some ...

3 Jan 202155min

El Kurru: Egypt's Nubian Pharaohs

El Kurru: Egypt's Nubian Pharaohs

In the 8th and 7th centuries BC, Ancient Egypt was ruled by an extraordinary dynasty. This was the 25th Dynasty, also known as the Nubian Dynasty because of their Kushite roots. They maintained their ...

31 Dec 202056min

Hatshepsut: Egypt's Hidden Pharaoh

Hatshepsut: Egypt's Hidden Pharaoh

Hatshepsut – whose name means “foremost of noblewomen” – was an exceptional figure in the history of Ancient Egypt. Only the second woman in history to assume the title of pharaoh, during her reign sh...

27 Dec 20201h 4min

Saturnalia: Bonus Episode!

Saturnalia: Bonus Episode!

In this episode from the History Hit archive, Dan talks to Kevin Butcher about the Roman festival of Saturnalia. Held between the 17 and 23 December, Saturnalia invloved plenty of drinking, gift-givin...

22 Dec 202026min

Hannibal: Crossing the Alps

Hannibal: Crossing the Alps

In 218 BCE, Hannibal Barca's Carthaginian army, accompanied by horses and elephants, completed one of the most audacious military marches of ancient Mediterranean history. Setting off from southeast S...

20 Dec 202028min

Thucydides: Thoughts on the Athenian Empire

Thucydides: Thoughts on the Athenian Empire

From 478 BCE until 404 BCE, a collection of Greek city-states were united under the leadership of Athens. Beyond inscriptions and a few minor sources, there is very little to tell us about life within...

17 Dec 202040min

Populärt inom Historia

massmordarpodden
kod-katastrof
historiska-brott
motiv
p3-historia
olosta-mord
historiepodden-se
rss-historiska-brottslingar
historianu-med-urban-lindstedt
rss-massmordarpodden
rss-brottsligt
rss-seriemordarpodden
rss-historien-om-2
militarhistoriepodden
krigshistoriepodden
harrisons-dramatiska-historia
nu-blir-det-historia
bedragare
rss-folkets-historia
palmemordet