THE LEGEND OF MITHRA IN THE WEST

It all began with Sol, the sun god, who brought light to Heaven and Earth by travelling on his celestial chariot.

One day, his young, inexperienced and mortal son Phaethon borrowed the chariot. He lost control and fell, upsetting the cosmic order and causing drought and desolation on Earth.

So Jupiter created Mithras from a rock in a cave, in the shape of a young man dressed in a Phrygian cap, carrying a dagger, a torch and a bow. Two shepherds, Cautes and Cautopates, greeted him and became his divine companions.

His first act was to shoot an arrow into a rock causing a spring to flow, bringing an end to drought. Nature began to come back to life, but this alone was not enough. He needed to vanquish the sacred bull, whose life force would enable the world to regenerate. Mithras spied the bull in the mountains and hunted it down to a temple. Once he had brought it under control, he carried the animal out on his shoulders and took it to a cavern. A raven, a messenger of the gods, ordered him to stab the beast right in its heart. The bull’s vital energy spread across the land and wheat burst forth from its tail and its wound.

However, a fight rooted in jealousy broke out between Mithras and Sol. Mithras got the upper hand in this fight and Sol acknowledged his superiority. He then offered him his radiant crown, but Mithras refused, recognising his importance and thus he became an invincible and unvanquished cosmic sun god: Sol Invictus.
The gods sealed an alliance and a lavish banquet was organised. Mithras then ascended to the heavens with Sol to ensure the smooth running of the universe.