Sol Invictus (Unconquered Sun) is a solar deity who appeared in the Roman Empire in the IIIe century. It takes up aspects of the mythology of Apollo and the cult of Mithras, enjoying great popularity in the Roman army.
Sol Invictus, the unconquered sun and Sunday rest
The Emperor Aurelian (270-275) assured him an official place in Rome by proclaiming that the unconquered Sun was the principal patron of the Roman Empire and by making December 25 (the winter solstice then fell on , the spring equinox having been fixed at before the amendment of the Council of Nicaea) an official holiday called the "birthday of the Sun" (from Latin the birth is alone and the victorious).
This festival then comes to be placed in the extension of the Saturnalia, an ancient and most important festival period in Rome. A temple is dedicated to the Sun on the Campus Martius, and decorated with the spoils brought back from Palmyra; this temple is served by a new college of priests, the Solis pontificates.
One of his successors, Constantine Ier, the first Roman emperor converted to Christianity, was at the beginning of his reign a follower of the Unconquered Sun, as evidenced by his monetary issues. He made Sunday (called in Rome "day of the sun") a day of rest in homage to the Sol Invictus by a law of .
The first Christians already celebrated Sunday as the day of Christ's resurrection and the "first day of the week," and gathered for a Eucharist on Sunday evening.. However, one of the messianic titles applied to Jesus being "sun of righteousness", a syncretism with Roman solar symbolism was carried out in a Christian context..
During the Christianization of the Roman Empire, the celebration of the birth of Jesus of Nazareth on by the Christians of Rome gradually replaced the cult of Sol Invictus.
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On this day, the Romans celebrated the birth day of the Sun God, Sol Invictus. Emperor Constantine I made Sunday (the day of the sun) a day of rest. Later, Christians replaced the Dies natalis solis invicti with Christmas because Jesus was the Sun of Justice. #mythology #myth #legend #calendar #25December #solinvictus #rome #jesus
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