Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 13.djvu/710

* MITHRAS. 632 MITLA. division of Alexander's kingdom, the god was ii prominent divinity in Cilicia. C'appadoiia, and C'ommagenc, though practically unknown in the Greek world. From these rejjions his worsliip came to the West through the Humans. altliuugU it is not mentioned by contemporary writers till the first century of our era, and the earliest Latin inscriptions belong to the early second century. The cult with its mysteries Avas popu- lar in the army and quickly spread over the whole Roman world, as its monuments in all the frontier j)rovinees plainly show. The nature of the religion is obscure, as the sacred writings have perished and information must be drawn either from the writings of Christian adver- saries or from the representations in the numer- ous places of worship. It seems clear that the basis of the cult was derived from the Mazdean worship, but with a considerable mi.turc of Chaldsean worship of the heavenly bodies. Mithras seems to have owed his prominence to the belief that he was the source of all life, and could also redeem the souls of the dead anil bring them into the better world. This worsliip was celebrated in underground chambers of small size, to which only those who belonged to the higher degrees were admitted, and was jirobably conducted according to elaborate ritual pre- scriptions. The ceremonies included a sort of baptism to remove sins, anointing, and a sacred meal of bread and water, while a consecrated wine believed to possess wonderful power played a prominent part. The mysteries containe(l seven degrees, of which the first tliree seem to have been probationary and not to have admitted to the sacred ceremonies. The degrees arc given in tliis order: (1) Coro J or Raven; (2) Gruphus or Griffin; (3) Miles or Soldier; (4) Leo or Lion; (.')) Perscs or Persian; (6) flelioclromos or Courier of the Sun; (7) Patres or Fathers, who were at the head of the cult, and whose chief was the Pater palruin. The other initiates called themselves brethren (fratrcs). Women seem to have been excluded from the rites. The nature of the initiation is not known. The un- doubted similarity in much cif this worship with the new religion of Cliristianity seems only to have made the battle between the rivals bitterer, and with the triumph of Christianity began the destruction of the ^lithras worship, and bv the end of the fourth century it seems to have been practically extinct in the West. Consult: Cu- niont. Textes ct moniiinnits ftfiiin's 7rln1ifs aux vii/strres tie Milhnin (Hrussels, 1804-001 ; id.. Lrs mifxteres de Milhrnn (2d ed., Paris, 10021 ; id., in The Of,,,! CiiKrt (Chicago. Xovember. 1002). MITHRIDATES, mlth'rrda'tez (also Mith- radates, from OPers. MiOra, the stm-god -f- diita, given, p. p. of <l<i-, to give I. An old Persian name, common throughout the Kast. borne by several kings of Pont us. The most celebrated of them and the greatest of the rulers of Pontns was Mithridates VI., snrnanied l^iipnlnr and Ploiii/- sun, but commonly called Mithridates the CJreat. lie was burn at Sinope about li.r. 1.14. and suc- ceeded his father, !Mithri<lates V.. abotit B.C. 121. At the age of about twenty he took the reins of government into his own hands. Little that is certain is known of the early part of his reign. He soon subdued the tribes along the northern coast of the Euxine as far as the Tauric Cherso- nese and incorporated the Kingdom of Bosporus; he then prepared to extend his conquests south of the Kuxine, and invaded Cappaducia and Bitliy- nia. Here he encountered the Romans. He waged three wars with them, known as the First. Sec- ond, and Third Mithridatic Wars — the First, B.C. 88-84; the Second, B.C. 83-82; the Third. B.C. 74- (i.j. The immediate cause of the First Mithridatic War was the invasion of the territories of Mith- ridates by Xicomedes, King of Bithynia. at the in- stigation of the Romans. Mithridates quickly compelled Xicomedes to withdraw, but was in the end defeated by the Roman general Flavius Fim- bria, while his general Archelaus was defeated in tireece by Sulla. It was in the course of this war that Jlitliridates issued an order to all the cities of Asia to put to death, on the same day, all the Roman and Italian citizens wlio were to be found within their walls. Eighty tliousand Romans and Italians are said to have perished in this massacre. As a result of the First Jlith- ridatie War, Mithridates consented to abandon all his conquests in Asia, to pay a sum of 2000 talents, and to surrender to the llomans a fleet of seventy ships. The Second Mithridatic War was due to the invasion of Jlithridates's do- minions by the Roman general Murena. The war was in the main favorable to ilitliridates, but was short-lived, ilurena being soon ordered by Sulla to withdraw. In B.C. 74 Xicomedes 111., King of Bithynia. died, leaving his dominions by will to the Romans. Jlithridates claimed that Xicomedes had left >a legitimate son, and at once prei)ared to assert the hitter's right. The Third Mithridatic W;ir ensued. At first alone, and then supported liy his son-in-law. Tigranes. King of Armenia, ilithridates successfully opposed the Roman forces under Lueullus, but in B.C. C6 the conduct of the war was intrusted to Pompey. ilithridates was then obliged to re- treat beyond the Euxine, where, besieged by his son, Pharnaces, who had rebelled against hira and had been proclaimed King, he took his own life at Panticapaum in n.c. 03. Mithri- dates was a siJecinieii of the true Eastern despot, but he possesse<l great ability and extraordi- nary energy and ])erseverance. His want of suc- cess was owing not to his defects as a general, but to the impossibility of raising and train- ing an army capable of coping with the Roman legions. He had received a Greek education at Sinope, could speak more than twenty dilferent languages, and had a taste and appreciation for art and science. He owned a magnificent collec- tion of pictures, statues, and engraved gems. In the e.-tiniafion of tlic J!nm:iMs. be was the most formidable opponent they had ever encountered. Consult Reinach, MUhridate Eupntor (Paris, 1890). MITLA, m.-'tla. or MICTLAN. A small town situated thirty miles east nf (lie city of (laxaca, in Southern NIexieo. It is notable as being the site of one of the most famous and remarkable groups of American rtiins. The surnnuidings are mountainous and inclose a wide, fertile val- ley, in which, near the banks of a stream, are located the ancient buihlings still in a good state of preservation. They consist of five great clusters which have been ternied : ( 1 ) the group of the Cathrilic Estnl)lishmeMt ; (2) the Colunms; (3) the Arrovo; (4) the Adobe; and (.5) the South Side; in all occupying an area of about 2000 feet in width. Other foundations of razed buildings exist in the vicinity, and at some dis-