Mithras

, a god of Persia, supposed to be the sun, or, according to others, Venus Urania. His worship was introduced at Rome, and the Romans raised him altars, on which was this ♦ inscription, Deo Soli Mithræ , or Soli Deo in vic to Mithræ . He is generally represented as a young man, whose head is covered with a turban, after the manner of the Persians. He supports his knee upon a bull that lies on the ground, and one of whose horns he holds in one hand, while with the other he plunges a dagger into his neck. Statius , Thebiad , bk. 1 , li. 720 .— Curtius , bk. 4 , ch. 13 .— Claudian , de consulatu Stilichonis , bk. 1 . ♦ ‘inc ript i on’ replaced with ‘inscription’