Roman Pagan celebrations in December hold major similarities to modern-day Christmas festivities, but how did they come to be?

In ancient Kurdish languages, Yelda meant "created light," referring to the birth of Mithra, the sun and light god.

Mithras is somewhat of a mystery among the gods of the Roman pantheon, as he appeared in historical records in the late first century CE then just as quickly vanished by the fourth century CE.

In the same way, the Persian god Mithras was popular with the Roman legions – many of whose soldiers had served in Persia – and shrines to him have been found in Britain, Syria, and across ...

His research centers on the Roman cult of Mithras, the archaeology of religion during the Principate period, and the religious history of Dacia. Through his work, he explores how religion intersected ...

If you head to the Colosseum, Vatican and other popular city landmarks, historian Guy de la Bédoyère reveals how to spot the ...

Fragment of a white marble statue (H. 0.34 Br. 0.37 D. 0.13). Vienna (Wien), Kunsthistorisches Museum. Inv. No. I, 363. Found in the 19th century in Deutsch-Altenburg. Part of a representation of ...

Ordinary folks have taken Nicholas out of the church, traded his vestments for a fur-trimmed red suit, and given him a sleigh ...

Christmas is probably the most popular religious festival which has survived into a post-Christian, secular age. Though ...

In Scandinavia, the Norse celebrated Yule from December 21, the winter solstice, through January. In recognition of the return of the sun, fathers and sons would bring home large logs, which they ...