Divine Masculinities: Mithras, Cybele, and the Shaping of Masculinity in the Early Roman Empire

Throughout the first and second century CE, as Rome sought to redefine itself as an increasingly diverse nation, the expectation of what it meant to be a proper Roman man shifted under the influx of foreign influence, specifically mystery cults such as Mithras and Cybele. This paper will explore the presentation and expectations of masculinity under the Roman Empire, as presented through cultic religious imagery. My research will examine the implications of artistic imagery associated with mystery cults, specifically the cults of Mithras and Cybele, on masculinity and manhood in Rome, the heart of the Roman Empire. By applying modern theories on gender, my research intends to expand upon prior research by contrasting and comparing the gender roles and identities of the members of the cults of Mithras and Cybele as perceived by the general population in Rome with the chosen gender identities of the cult’s members.