mystērĭum, ii, n., = μυστήριον, a secret service, secret rites, secret worship of a deity, divine mystery (class.; cf. arcanum).
I Lit., of the mysteries of Ceres, otherwise called sacra Eleusinia, Cic. N. D. 2, 24, 62; id. Leg. 2, 14, 35: mysteria Attica, Tert. Apol. 39: mysteria Cereris initiorum enuntiare, Just. 5, 1, 1: mysteria facere, to celebrate the sacred mysteries , Nep. Alcib. 3, 6.—Also, the festival on which these mysteries were celebrated : in quem diem Romana incidant mysteria, the festival of the goddess Bona Dea, Cic. Att. 6, 1, 26; 5, 21, 14 sq.—
II Transf., in gen., a secret thing, secret, mystery : rhetorum mysteria, Cic. Tusc. 4, 25, 55; id. de Or. 1, 47, 206: epistolae nostrae tantum habent mysteriorum, id. Att. 4, 18, 1: accipe congestas, mysteria frivolas nugas, Aus. Ep. 4, 67.—
III (Eccl. Lat.)
A Something transcending mere human intelligence : mysterium evangelii, Vulg. Eph. 6, 19: mysterium sicut evangelizaverat per prophetas, id. Apoc. 10, 7: mysteria regni caelorum, id. Matt. 13, 11.—
2 Of Antichrist, Vulg. Apoc. 17, 5: mysterium iniquitatis, id. 2 Thess. 2, 7. —
B The Lord's supper : mysterium celebrat, Ambros. in 1 Cor. 11, 27.