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> Christianity's most potent rival in the early Roman Empire Christianity’s rivals in the early Roman Empire were basically every other faith, because, unlike
by mr_toad 5y ago
> Christianity's most potent rival in the early Roman Empire
Christianity’s rivals in the early Roman Empire were basically every other faith, because, unlike most Roman religions they were monotheistic. Arguably their most potent political rival was the imperial cult.
The Persians, who were mostly Zoroastrian, were a major rival, but mostly for more mundane reasons.
- Ericson2314 5y agoThe story refers to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mithraism https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mithraism, not Zoroastrian proper. The old synthetic polytheisms were all pomp and circumstance, with the elite atheists, and poor treating it more like fortune telling + some light collective obligations for sacrifices and whatnot + entertainment. They weren't a serious competitor on religious grounds as there was no fervor of belief. Mithraism, on the other hand, was another "new-age cult". Like today's, the older religious origins (Zoroastrianism) probably did more to legitimize it / add mystique than actually reflects a strong continuity of belief. Mithraism had the zeal and singular focus to be an actual competitor to Christrianity.