A convincing explanation of the origin of the mysteries of Mithras has posed a challenge that several writers since the days of Franz Cumont have attempted to successfully resolve. According to Cumont, Mithraism was the Romanized form of Mazdaism which was subsequently established in Asia Minor as a mystic cult.
In this article, I surveyed the history of various proposed scientific theories about the secret formation of Mithraism in the eastern Roman provinces. Moreover, I analyzed the structure of the cult of the Tyrian god Melqart, compared it with the cult of Mithras, and found some significant similarities in both the myths and rituals of the two sects.
