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Of the several religions vying with Christianity at the beginning of our era, Mithraism was the most important. The unifying influence of the Roman Empire made a single universal religion possible. The mass movements of soldiers, slaves, and merchants through the Empire provided the physical means for the spread of this religion from Asia Minor into Europe. Once introduced, about the middle of the first century, it became disseminated with remarkable rapidity in the western world, especially where a military influence predominated.
'Mithraism exalted the manly virtues as best exemplified in military life.' Mithra himself embodied all the qualities desired by the little boy; he even assisted at his own birth, procreating himself with his mother, excluding the father. The killing of the bull, a constant element in the portrayals of Mithra's exploits, depicted the castration of the father, evidenced also in other ways. But the anxiety over the fear of being castrated led to renunciation of heterosexuality, the exclusion of all women from the religion, and an increasing trend toward homosexuality.
Mithraism eradicated the incestuous wish for the mother, and neutralized the fear of castration. It gave the common man, the poverty stricken masses of the later periods of the Roman Empire, some ethical and moral guidance, and held out hope for a life beyond the grave. It differed from Christianity in demanding less renunciation of aggressiveness, and it did not insist on 'brotherly love'. Because of its strikingly stabilizing influence on the army, it was actively fostered by numerous leaders.