The Unconquered Sun
Sol Invictus is regarded as the official Sun god of the later Roman Empire, and was made an official cult in 274 AD by the Roman emperor of the time, Aurelian. The term ‘Invictus’, which translates as the ‘Unconquered’, was also used as a religious title by multiple distinct divinities including Elagabalus and Mithras. From Aurelian to Constantine, the emperors of the Roman Empire favored the sun god, and this was evident in the many depictions of the Sol Invictus on their coinage. The worship of the sun god has been argued to have originally been a Greek state-religion, and began to overshadow other Eastern cults in regards to its significance, as a result of the establishment of Sol Invictus as a supreme god of the Roman Empire by Emperor Aurelian.
Mithras
Mithras was a deity worshipped in the Roman Empire whose origins trace back to Persia, and was a particularly popular cult amongst soldiers and merchants. Though we know very little about the worship of Mithras due to its secretive nature, it can be said that Sol Invictus played a prominent role in the religion of Mithraism. It was found that the title of Invictus was commonly applied to Mithras, and there are instances showing Mithras being paralleled to the sun god himself. This was shown in the archaeological discoveries, which included the finding of altars dedicated to Sol Invictus Mithras or Invicto Mythrae. Despite sometimes being referred to as one and the same, several iconic scenes depict Sol and Mithras as separate persons. The most recognizable scene that represents the two deities as distinct individuals includes a portrayal of Sol and Mithras sharing a banquet following the sacrifice of the sacred bull. Furthermore, several portrayals of the tauroctony scene were also found to have depicted Mithras looking over his shoulder towards a figure of Sol as he stabs the sacred bull with his right hand, as shown in the figure.
Mithras was a deity worshipped in the Roman Empire whose origins trace back to Persia, and was a particularly popular cult amongst soldiers and merchants. Though we know very little about the worship of Mithras due to its secretive nature, it can be said that Sol Invictus played a prominent role in the religion of Mithraism. It was found that the title of Invictus was commonly applied to Mithras, and there are instances showing Mithras being paralleled to the sun god himself. This was shown in the archaeological discoveries, which included the finding of altars dedicated to Sol Invictus Mithras or Invicto Mythrae. Despite sometimes being referred to as one and the same, several iconic scenes depict Sol and Mithras as separate persons. The most recognizable scene that represents the two deities as distinct individuals includes a portrayal of Sol and Mithras sharing a banquet following the sacrifice of the sacred bull. Furthermore, several portrayals of the tauroctony scene were also found to have depicted Mithras looking over his shoulder towards a figure of Sol as he stabs the sacred bull with his right hand, as shown in the figure.
Elagabalus
The deity Elagabalus, sometimes referred to as El-Gabal, was originally a provincial god from Syria. The cult was brought to Rome by Emperor Varius Avitus Bassianus, commonly referred to as Elagabalus after the deity to whom he was a high priest, and was the first god of the sun to be continuously entitled ‘Invictus’. Elagabalus promoted his deity’s position in Rome during his reign as Emperor by neglecting existing Roman Gods and even replacing Jupiter, the head of ancient Roman gods, with the deity Elagabalus under the name of Deus Sol Invictus (“The Unconquered Sun God”). His peculiar actions as an emperor resulted in his death in 222 AD, which consequently led to an end of the religion. Despite this, portrayals of the sun god continued to be found on the coins of future emperors.
The deity Elagabalus, sometimes referred to as El-Gabal, was originally a provincial god from Syria. The cult was brought to Rome by Emperor Varius Avitus Bassianus, commonly referred to as Elagabalus after the deity to whom he was a high priest, and was the first god of the sun to be continuously entitled ‘Invictus’. Elagabalus promoted his deity’s position in Rome during his reign as Emperor by neglecting existing Roman Gods and even replacing Jupiter, the head of ancient Roman gods, with the deity Elagabalus under the name of Deus Sol Invictus (“The Unconquered Sun God”). His peculiar actions as an emperor resulted in his death in 222 AD, which consequently led to an end of the religion. Despite this, portrayals of the sun god continued to be found on the coins of future emperors.