The taurobolium (less frequently cnobohmn, the ofierincr of the ram) became a part of the rites of the cnft after the middle of the 1st century The mystic, swathed in linen as if prepared for burial, descended, while the spectators sang dirges, into a pit which was covered with lattice-work. The blood of the slaughtered animal streamed through the openings in "the platform on the mystic belo\v, who ea.'erly caught it, bathing himself with it and drmkinc it. When he ascended, red and dripping, from the pit, he was regarded as born again to eternal life, and was received by his associates with divine honours (Prudentius, Penstephanon, x. 1048). The idea of his re-birth was further emphasized by the nourishment of milk which was given him, as thout'h he were a new-born babe. The te«roW««« was not always regarded as lasting in its efl-ects, but might be repeated by the individual after the lapse o! twenty years in order to re-invigorate his spiritual life. In this respect it dittered wholly from the Christian baptism by water, which was per- raanent and repeated only conditionally. The in- fluence ot the taurobolium on the formation of the sacramental doctrine of the Church could have been only very slight. It is more likely that the Chris-
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MYSTERY, MYSTERIES
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tiaii idea of cleansing and purification ' in the blood of the Lamb' (Kev 7'^) intluenced the taurobulium. The source of the rite and even of its name is con- jectural. It is not strictly Phrygian ; it nuiy be traced to the peoples of Syria, and even further to the deserts of Arabia. Cuniont has changed his mind more than once concerning its origin, and his various conclusions are subjected by Toutain to sceptical criticism (Cumont, Orie.ntiil liilujions, p. 66 tr. ; Toutain, Lcs Cultes pn'icns, ii. SGtl'.j.
It was not until the second half of the 2nd cent, that the cult of Attisand Cybele began to command an extensive attention and interest in the Western world. In the time of Irenoeus it was already present in Lj-ons, which became the centre of its extension in this part of the Roman Empire (Tou- tain, Lcs Cultes paiens, ii. 112-114). It had been brought thither by a few of its devotees, whose missionary zeal may have been inspired by the success of the Church in her missionary enterprise. Two factors greatly aided the spread of the cult. One was the taurobolium already mentioned. Its assurance of spiritual purification and immortality gave it an inestimable value in the eyes of the con- verts. To have ex|ierienced the taurobolium was to be free of sin either temporarily or permanently, aud to possess, with this cleansing, the grant of a happy life hereafter. The other factor was the agrarian character of the cult. What promises to men an abundance of food is also dear to them. Consequently, the processions aro)ind the sown fields with the image of Cybele borne aloft, the accompanying songs and dances in her honour, the resulting assurance of a rich harvest, increased the capacity of the cult to win the affections of the common people. Thus a joyful life here and the anticipationof a joyful life hereafter made it a centre of attraction wherever it went. By the middle of the 3rd cent, its taurobolia, at first private, had become public, and were ottered even for the wel- fare of the imperial family. By this time the cult had established itself in Gaul, Spain, and Africa. Where its sanctuary stood in Rome, the original centre of its propagandism, rises now the dome of the cathedral of St. Peter.
(/) The mysteries of Persia. — Mithras was the centre of devotion and worship in the Persian cult. In early Persian times he was associated with the highest god, Ahura, and afterwards was a modifica- tion of liim. Specifically he was the god of light — that is, the light of day. Daily from the eastern to the western horizon he rode in his chariot drawn by four white horses. In him the dawn, the brightness of the noon, and the sunset glow were embodied. He was also the god of vegeta- tion, not because he possessed a chthonic character, but because his warming light quickened the seed and brought forth the abundant harvest. It is pos- sible that Mithras also was remotely a chthonic deitj', like Deraeter and Attis. His association with the cave, his worship in the underground chamber, and the representations of vegetable life on his monuments, might imply it. But as he is portrayeil in Persian mythology he was a celestial deity and is devoid of all chthonic features (J. Grill, Die persisrhe Uli/sterienreliqion im romischen licich iind das Christcntum, Tubingen, 1903, p. 28). The life-giving power of Mithras was naturally e.\- tended by human reflexion to the moral sphere. He was regarded as the inspirer of truthfulness, honesty, and bravery in his subjects. Before liim the oath was taken, and he was the avenger of the violation of treaties. Under the Persian kings he became, as their protector, the god of war. Thus he was a soldier's deity, which, in part, explains his charm for Roman legionaries. As the deity to whom appeal was made in battle, he became also a mediator between gods and men,
and ruled the realm intermediate between the abode of Ahura and that of Ahrinian.