Mithraism is a religion that competed with early Christianity for the first few centuries AD. Worship centered around shared feasts in an underground sanctuary known as a mithraeum. While the religion seems to have only survived for a relatively short time, it managed a wide geographic spread, with mithraea subsequently unearthed all across Europe and into the Middle East.
During the rebuilding of London after WWII, a mithraeum was discovered under the City of London. Now the site of the European headquarters of Bloomberg, the mithraeum is open to the public and offers a fascinating glimpse into ancient history as well as plenty of food for thought – How did Mithraism spread so far in an age where travel was not easy? Why did Mithraism not survive while other religions prospered?
