1. Mystery Religions

2. What They?
A mystery religion is one that is only available to those who have been initiated.
To outsiders, its workings are a mystery.
What we know about these religions has to be worked out from descriptions, depictions and cross-cultural studies.
"Because of this element of secrecy, we are ill-informed as to the beliefs and practices of the various mystery faiths. We know that they had a general likeness to one another".

3. Impact on the state-Religion
Most mystery religions promised the faithful happiness in the afterlife; something which the state-religion did not.
This may have contributed to the decline of the state religion.
“Today not even children, except those so small they get into the baths free, believe the nonsense about ghosts, underground kingdoms and rivers, with black frogs croaking in the Styx, and thousands of corpses rowed across in a tiny boat.” – Juvenal (Early 2nd century CE.)

4. Isis
This goddess was originally worshipped in Egypt, where she was believed to be the daughter of the sun-god Ra and the wife of Osiris.
Romans seem to have been drawn to the character’s myths of love and sacrifice, death and resurrection.
Unlike Christianity, the central figure came from a distant past.
On March 5th every year, the festival of Isis commemorated the return of spring. It was the main ceremony for this religion.

5. How did it look?
“The procession of the saviour goddess began. Women in white robes, with wreaths of spring flowers on their heads and arrayed in jewels, scattered petals on the ground. Others held bright mirrors behind their backs, turning them reverently towards the passing goddess…
A crowd of men and women came with lamps, firebrands and wax torches. They worshipped Isis, daughter of the heavenly stars, with these man-made lights. Then came the sound of beautiful music on pipes and flutes, and a chosen chorus of youths, dressed for the festival in white clothes, sang a lovely hymn… Now the multitudes of initiates poured in, those who knew the sacred mysteries: men and women of all classes and ages, conspicuous in their pure white linen robes. The women’s hair was oiled and covered in bright cloth; the men’s heads were completely shaven, their bald heads shining like stars on earth, to honour this wonderful religion. They shook bronze, silver and gold rattles which made a high, tinkling sound.”
Apuleius, The Golden Ass

6. The Villa of Mysteries
The Villa of the Mysteries is a well- preserved suburban Roman villa on the outskirts of Pompeii.
It is famous for the series of frescos in one room, which are thought to show the initiation of a young woman into a Greco- Roman mystery cult.
These are now probably the best known of the relatively rare survivals of Ancient Roman painting.
Like the rest of the Roman city of Pompeii, the villa was buried in the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79.

8. About the Villa
The Villa is named for the paintings in one room of the residence.
This space may have been a triclinium, and is decorated with very fine frescoes, believed to be painted in the early-middle 1st century.
Although the actual subject of the frescoes is debated, the most common interpretation of the images is scenes of the initiation of a woman into a special cult of Dionysus, a mystery cult.
One of the defining features that help identify this as a Dionysian- related mural is the depiction of maenads. These devotees are often depicted dancing with swirling drapery and were found first on Greek pottery, many of which were made before the cult spread to Italy.

9. The Friezes
Based on the subject matter and order of each fresco, they are intended to be read as a single narrative.
Women and satyrs are featured prominently.
Because of the widely accepted theory of the mural depicting an initiation from the cult of Dionysus, some think that the room with the frescoes was used to conduct rituals and celebrations related to the god.

10. Astrologers
Astrologers believed they could forecast future events based on the positions of the stars.
They were HUGELY influential in Roman society.
Emperors often had an astrologer in their retinue.
Some emperors had unconvincing astrologers killed.

11. Curses and Spells
Romans also tried to influence their futures through the use of witchcraft and incantations.
Curses (defixiones) were written on lead tablets and hung on walls. Some of them were phenomenally violent.

12. The Skinny Mystery religions were open only to initiates.
Many sprang up throughout Roman history, notably Isis and Mithras.
The promise of happiness in the afterlife may have weakened the state religion.
Festival of Isis on March 5th welcomed in the spring.
The cult had specific objects (lamps, firebrands, torches, mirrors), clothing (white robes/ wreaths of spring flowers) and sacred rattles made of precious metals.
Villa of Mysteries is identified by its friezes showing an initiation rite.
Astrologers carried great influence (while they lived).
Other occult/ superstitious rites lived alongside these other religions.

13. Sources Taylor, David. Roman Society. Bristol Classical Press, 2001.
Barnes, Ernest William, The Rise of Christianity. Geikie Press 2007