Editing Mithraism (section)

====Dio Cassius====
The historian [[Dio Cassius]] (2nd to 3rd&nbsp;century&nbsp;CE) tells how the name of Mithras was spoken during the state visit to Rome of [[Tiridates I of Armenia]], during the reign of [[Nero]]. (Tiridates was the son of [[Vonones II of Parthia]], and his coronation by Nero in 66&nbsp;CE confirmed the end of a war between [[Parthia]] and Rome.) Dio Cassius writes that Tiridates, as he was about to receive his crown, told the Roman emperor that he revered him "as Mithras".<ref>{{cite book |author=[[Dio Cassius]] |title={{grey|[no title cited]}} |at=63.5.2}}</ref> Roger Beck thinks it possible that this episode contributed to the emergence of Mithraism as a popular religion in Rome.{{efn|
In the Cumontian scenario this episode cannot mark the definitive moment of transfer, for Mithraism in that scenario was already established in Rome, albeit on a scale too small to have left any trace in the historical or archaeological record. Nevertheless, it could have been a spur to Mithraism's emergence on to the larger stage of popular appeal.<ref>{{cite encyclopaedia
 |last          = Beck
 |first         = Roger
 |date          = 2002-07-20
 |df            = dmy-all
 |title         = Mithraism
 |encyclopaedia = [[Encyclopaedia Iranica]]
 |edition       = online
 |url           = http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/mithraism
 |access-date   = 2011-05-15
 |archive-date  = 20 May 2020
 |archive-url   = https://web.archive.org/web/20200520055846/http://iranicaonline.org/articles/mithraism
 |url-status    = live
}}</ref>
}}