Sol Invictus
Roman sun deity
Sol Invictus was a Roman sun god whose cult became prominent in the late empire, particularly under Emperor Aurelian in the third century CE.
The Latin means "unconquered sun." December 25th was celebrated as the god's birthday—a date later adopted for Christmas.
The phrase sometimes appears in discussions of solar symbolism or the pagan roots of Christian holidays.
Divine personification of daylight's source
- radianceGlowing luminous quality
- chariotAncient horse-drawn fighter's vehicle
- goldenBright yellow, or precious
- lightVisible electromagnetic radiation
heat · fire · Apollo · Helios · Mithras · Ra · celestial · eternal
Never overcome or subdued
- invincibleIncapable of being defeated
- eternalLasting without end
- rebirthSpiritual or physical regeneration
- victoryDefeating an opponent
triumph · resurrection · hope · renewal · continuity · sovereignty · divine right · cosmic order
Emperor who embraced Christianity
- state religionGovernment-backed official faith
- coinageInvented term or currency
- legionsGreat many, or armies
- emperorMale ruler of empire
patron deity · temple · syncretism · pontifex
sun god
Divine personification of daylight's source
- radianceGlowing luminous quality
- chariotAncient horse-drawn fighter's vehicle
- goldenBright yellow, or precious
light · heat · fire · Apollo · Helios · Mithras · Ra · celestial · eternal · invincible
unconquered
Never overcome or subdued
- invincibleIncapable of being defeated
- eternalLasting without end
- rebirthSpiritual or physical regeneration
victory · triumph · resurrection · hope · renewal · continuity · sovereignty · divine right · cosmic order · immortality
Constantine
Emperor who embraced Christianity
- state religionGovernment-backed official faith
- coinageInvented term or currency
- legionsGreat many, or armies
emperor · patron deity · temple · syncretism · pontifex
sacrifice
Giving up something precious
festival · priest · temple · procession · libation · incense · hymns · prayer · sacred fire · votives
- Sun godsRa, Helios, Apollo, Amaterasu, Liza
- sun worshipsun god, sun goddess, sun worship, sun temple, Ra
- Roman religionJupiter, Mars, Venus, Apollo, Neptune
- star worshipsun worship, solar deities, lunar deities, Ra, Helios
- sunsol, solar, sunlight, sunspots, sunshine
- Syncretic DeitiesAmun-Ra, Hermes Trismegistus, Shakti, Papa Legba, Baron Samedi
Sol Invictusdying god
Deity who perishes cyclically
mortal · conquered · vanquished · Erebus · Osiris
Sol InvictusChrist
The anointed savior
Jesus Christ · Christianity · Son of God · Mithras · Isis
desolate, consolation, solitaire, parasol, soliloquy, solstice, dissolute, solipsism, Invictus