MITHRA’S FOLLOWERS

Mithraism was an elitist cult of small, knowledgeable societies that never aimed to become a religion for the masses. Its members were often from the upper social classes. In fact, only a few of them were soldiers; most were merchants, travellers and civil servants working for the Roman Empire and some were close to the Emperor. They gathered in small, fraternal local communities and shared specific rituals and beliefs. They themselves financed the creation and upkeep of the sanctuary.

The Mithraic community’s social structure was built on a series of grades.

Women were not usually included as active followers. However, they could join in indirectly through family relations and in other ways by carrying out certain tasks such as preparing the meals.

Although private, the cult was known to the authorities and the mithraea blended easily into the urban space – they were not hidden. Close to their god, worshippers frequently made votive offerings and carved inscriptions to his glory. On rare occasions, these were even visible to the general public.

Followers of the religion at the Les Bolards site were probably Eastern or Italian merchants at first, and then, later, romanised locals.