Today (25th December) is the day in the later Roman empire when people celebrated the winter solstice and the birthday of the sun god Sol Invictus
Sol Invictus
Sol Invictus was the official sun god of the later Roman Empire and a patron of soldiers. On 25 December AD 274, the Roman emperor Aurelian made it an official cult alongside the traditional Roman cults. Scholars disagree about whether the new deity was a refoundation of the ancient Lati…
Why do we celebrate Sol Invictus' birthday on 25 December?
Today (25th December) is the day in the later Roman empire when people celebrated the winter solstice and the birthday of the sun god Sol Invictus: the day was called ‘dies natalis Invicti’. Sol Invictus (the ‘unconquered sun’ or ‘unconquerable sun’) drove a racing-chariot ( quadriga) drawn by four horses.
Who is the sun god Sol Invictus?
Who Is Sol Invictus? The god of the Unconquered Sun, Sol Invictus, was the official sun god of the later Empire of Rome. The Emperor Aurelian reintroduced the sun god and cult in 274 AD.
Who was SolSol Invictus in ancient Rome?
Sol Invictus ("Unconquered Sun") was the official sun god of the later Roman Empire and a patron of soldiers. On 25 December AD 274, the Roman emperor Aurelian made it an official cult alongside the traditional Roman cults. Scholars disagree about whether the new deity was a refoundation of the ancient Latin cult of Sol,...
When did Sol Invictus become an official religion in Rome?
Some fifty years later, on 25 December AD 274, the Roman emperor Aurelian did succeed to establish the cult of Sol Invictus as an official religion, alongside the traditional Roman cults.
How was Sol Worshipped?
Sol, in Roman religion, name of two distinct sun gods at Rome. The original Sol, or Sol Indiges, had a shrine on the Quirinal, an annual sacrifice on August 9, and another shrine, together with Luna, the moon goddess, in the Circus Maximus.
Where did Sol Invictus come from?
In AD 219, not long after Elagabalus arrived from Syria, where he had been the hereditary priest of the sun god Elagabal in Emesa, Sol Invictus (the Invincible or Unconquerable Sun) was introduced to Rome as its principal deity.
When did Sol Invictus start?
Around 274 AD, Emperor Aurelian set December 25—the winter solstice at the time—for the celebration of Sol Invictus who was the “Unconquered Sun” god.
Why is Christmas on Sol Invictus?
According to some historians, Christmas was set to December 25th because it was the date of the festival of Sol Invictus. This idea became popular especially in the 18th and 19th centuries. Some argue that Christianity assimilated the religion of Sol Invictus and that Jesus himself was Sol Invictus.
How do you celebrate Saturnalia?
Saturnalia is a joyous holiday and Romans shared it with friends and family. Give small presents, including presents of food or sweets, or candles or lamps. Attach a clever note or a short witty poem to your gifts. Read the Roman poet Martial ("Xenia" and "Apophoreta") for some authentic examples from Roman times.
What does Sol Invictus celebrate?
Winter solstice, alternatively called Yule or Sol Invictus, is a pagan celebration Emperor Aurelian established in 272 CE after his troops were inspired by a divine power on the battlefield. He declared Dec. 25 as the birthdate of the “Invincible Sun” and made the day a feast-day.
When was Christmas first celebrated?
December 25, 336 AD (Rome)Christmas / Date of first occurrenceThe celebration of Christmas started in Rome about 336, but it did not become a major Christian festival until the 9th century.
Why do we celebrate Christmas?
Christians celebrate Christmas Day as the anniversary of the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, a spiritual leader whose teachings form the basis of their religion.
What is the meaning of Sol Invictus?
Sol Invictus, the god of the sun, was one of the most important gods and he symbolised victory, as he defeated darkness and rose every morning. Sol Invictus was the patron of Roman soldiers.
Where is Sol Invictus in the Roman mosaic?
The mosaic is in Tomb M, in the necropolis underneath St Peter’s basilica in Rome.
What were the chariot races in Rome?
Chariot-races for both quadrigae and bigae were presented in Roman circuses. The Circus Maximus in Rome included a temple of Sol (dedicated to Sol Invictus) and a temple of Luna: the temple of Sol included a statue of Sol driving his quadriga and four horses.
What were the Roman circuses?
Roman circuses around the Roman empire featured statues of Sol and Luna in their central barriers. The central barrier ( spina) of the Circus Maximus also featured an Egyptian obelisk which represented a shaft of sunlight and was dedicated to Sol. The festival of Sol Invictus on the 25th December in the later Roman empire combined the festivals ...
Who was the patron of Roman soldiers?
Sol Invictus was the patron of Roman soldiers. (See The Cult of Sol Invictus b y G H Halsberghe (1972) and Roman circuses: arenas for chariot-racing by John Humphrey (1986) .) Only important cults were celebrated with games ( Ludi circenses) in the Roman circus.
Who created the cult of Sol Invictus?
The Roman emperor Aurelian created the cult of Sol Invictus during his reign in AD 270-275 (in the 3rd century) and, on his coins, Sol was described as ‘Dominus Im perii Romani’, the official deity of the Roman empire. The cult of Sol Invictus was centred in Rome but it was followed across the Roman empire. Sol Invictus, the god of the sun, was one ...
Who drove the quadriga?
Sol Invictus (the ‘unconquered sun’ or ‘unconquerable sun’) drove a racing-chariot ( quadriga) drawn by four horses. The Romans interpreted the sun as Sol racing his quadriga across the sky from sunrise to sunset…. Sol was associated with Luna, the goddess of the moon, who drove a chariot ( biga) drawn by two horses.
What day did Sol die?
The Romans believed Sol died on December 21, before being reborn three days later on December 25. December 21 and the three days that follow are the shortest – and therefore darkest – days of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. There are also a number of popular theories that connect the Christian religion to the sun and astrology.
Who introduced the Sun god?
The Emperor Aurelian reintroduced the sun god and cult in 274 AD. The Emperor Constantine, also known as Constantine the Great, made the practice of Christianity legal in Rome, but continued to have his coins inscribed with the words, “Sol Invicto Comiti”, which means Committed to the Invincible Sun. The birthday of the unconquered sun was ...
What did Constantine see in the victory of the Roman Empire?
Seemingly, Constantine associated his victory with the power of the sun, and viewed Sol Invictus as very similar to the Christian god. His adoption of Christianity in the Roman Empire was more likely a matter of political strategy than religious conviction.
What did Constantine see on the cross?
As he decided to take the Christian route, he claimed to see a radiant cross above the sun that was scripted with the words “ In hoc signo vinces ”, which means “by this sign conquer”. This was painted on the shields of his army prior to entering the battle. Constantine’s forces prevailed.
When is the birthday of the Sun?
The birthday of the unconquered sun was celebrated at the Roman festival of Dies Natalis Solis Invicti on December 25, and it is often theorized that Constantine had a hand in selecting this day as the celebration date of the birth of Christ as well.
Why is December 25th considered Christmas Day?
There still remain questions concerning the choice of December 25 as the date of Christmas Day. Some people believe the date on which we celebrate the birth of Christ was chosen after the Sol Invictus pagan celebration, while others claim that December 25 was chosen as Christmas Day first. The Romans believed Sol died on December 21, before being reborn three days later on December 25. December 21 and the three days that follow are the shortest – and therefore darkest – days of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.
What was the importance of Sol Invictus?
A variety of influences contributed to the importance of Sol Invictus, the Invincible Sun, in imperial ideology of the third century ce. It was an age of religious syncretism and growing monotheism, when philosophers and common people alike increasingly viewed all divinities as emanations of one supreme divine force.
When was Sol Invictus first attested?
First attested for Sol in 158 ce, it was almost certainly borrowed by the god from the emperor's own panoply of titles. The pervasive influence of imperial propaganda, together with the popularity of Mithraism in the third century, assured Sol Invictus an influence upon other divine formulations, Christian as well as pagan.
Who was the vicegerent of the supreme god?
Thus Sol Invi ctus was the natural associate of the emperor, who ruled the earth as the vicegerent of the supreme god. The symbolism of the Pantheon built by the emperor Hadrian (117 – 138) had already intimately linked the emperor and Sol as the visible manifestations of the beneficent and omnipotent supreme god.
Who instituted the festival of December 25?
The story goes that the Roman emperor Aurelian instituted the festival on December 25 in 274 to be celebrated on that day thereafter. The problem with this particular statement is — you guessed it — there is no direct evidence for this institution in association with this day.
Why did the early Christians celebrate December 25th?
To explain why others, including Bar-Salibi, thought that the date was December 25, the scholiast claimed that “it is said” that the early Christians did this to supplant a feast day for the rising of the sun (Hijmans, “Sol Invictus,” 379, 396).
When was Jesus' birth celebrated?
This is demonstrable from a homily by John Chrysostom given in Antioch in 386 ( Homily on the Day of the Birth of Our Savior Jesus Christ 1), wherein he mentions that it has not been ten years since they have celebrated Jesus’s birth on December 25, but that it had been celebrated in the West long before that time.
Who issued the decree in 354?
Likewise, the tale that gets passed around about Liberius, the bishop of Rome, issuing a decree in 354 establishing this practice is just that: a mere tale. It has no grounding in history, nor can anyone point to an actual decree, hence why no citation ever accompanies this claim.
Who is the second king of Rome after Romulus?
This latter celebration is clearly distinct from the ritual that he connects to Numa — the legendary second king of Rome after Romulus — of celebrating the invincible sun after Saturnalia but before the New Year ( Orations 155A–156D).
