1, The cult of Mithras was Christianity's main rival at the time of Constantine.

2, Contemporary sources described Mithra as having 10,000 ears and eyes, and as riding a gleaming white chariot above the clouds.

3, During his travels, Mithra was thought to see all - nothing could be concealed from his gaze.

4, Why is Mithras shown wearing a Phrygian cap?

5, Mithras thus became the giver of authority and victory to the Imperial House.

6, According to the Avesta , Mithras could decide when different periods of world history were completed.

7, It was based on worship of the god Mithras and derives from the Persian and Indic god Mithra and other Zoroastrian deities .

8, Mithras is associated with Perseus, whose constellation is above that of the bull. A serpent, a scorpion, a dog, and a raven are present, also thought to represent associated constellations.

9, It is tempting to identify the Roman Mithras with the Persian Mithra, except that there is no known Persian legend or text about Mithra killing a bull or being associated with other animals.

10, As 'God of Truth and Integrity',[http:///mithras.html] Mithras was invoked in solemn oaths to pledge the fulfillment of contracts and punish liars .

11, Mithras was seen as the protector of just souls from demons seeking to drag them down to Hell, and the guide of these souls to Paradise.

12, The Persians called Mithras 'The Mediator' since he was believed to stand between the light of Ahura-Mazda and the darkness of Ahriman.

13, According to Persian mythology, Mithras was born of a virgin given the title 'Mother of God'.

14, Romans encountered worship of the deity Mithras as part of Zoroastrianism in the eastern provinces of the empire, particularly in Asia Minor (now modern Turkey).

15, Mithras was worshipped as guardian of arms, and patron of soldiers and armies.

16, In Armenian tradition, Mithras was believed to shut himself up in a cave from which he emerged once a year, born anew.

17, The divine duty of Mithras was to ensure general prosperity through good contractual relations between men.

18, These cave temples were created in the image of the World Cave that Mithras had created, according to the Persian creation myth.

19, Plutarch 's Life of Pompey also makes it clear that the worship of Mithras was well known at that time.

20, In the Avesta, the holy book of the religion of Zarathustra, Ahura-Mazda was said to have created Mithras in order to guarantee the authority of contracts and the keeping of promises.

21, The ideas of a Divine Man incarnating, dying and being reborn, were already popular mystical doctrines in these communities, and it was not hard to replace Mithras or Osiris with Christ.

22, The ancient Romans held year-end celebrations to honor Saturn( the harvest god) and Mithras( the god of light).

23, For over three hundred years the rulers of the Roman Empire worshipped the god Mithras .

24, Beneath the uppermost church lies a 4th-century church, and beneath this lies the dark, dank temple, with its altar bearing a carving of the god Mithras slaying a bull.