Mystery Cults

This week let's go way back in time to talk about Mystery Cults! Mystery religions were religious cults in Ancient Greece and Rome. Participation was reserved to initiates and secrecy was kept as to the particulars of the initiation and the cult practice in general. But how did these sects function within their societies? Were they accepted? Were there conflicts? Talking just about this one aspect of life in Ancient Greece and Rome can give great insight into how people back then lived their daily lives. There were tons of Mystery Cults flourishing in the Ancient world, but two in particular seem to stand out as having special significance; the Mysteries of Isis and the Mitraic Mysteries. Isis is a goddess of Ancient Egyptian origin, whose worship spread throughout the Greco-Roman world. Her worshippers included men as well as women. The Mithraic Mysteries were popular accross the Roman empire. There's evidence that some women worshipped Mithras, but his popularity centered around the Roman military, which was, of course, male. I hope you enjoy this week's show!