Mithra su monete romane e iraniche

This essay investigates the presence of Mithra on both Roman coins and in Iranian coinage. Although Mithraism was widespread in the Roman imperial age, however, the certain depiction of Mithra on Roman coins is very rare and found exclusively in provincial coinage, where local authorities could more freely express indigenous cults. The iconographic (and not only) ambiguity between Sol and Mithra makes the identification of these deities extremely problematic. Even in the Iranian world there are very few sure representations of Mithra, in some cases being certain only in the presence of Mithra’s name on the coin. Another remarkable similarity between Roman and Iranian coinage lies in the fact that in both of these cultures Mithraism played an important role in the conception of kingship.