Sol Invictus

The official sun god of the later Roman empire. Sol Invictus ("Invincible Sun") was the official sun god of the later Roman empire.

In 274 Aurelian made it an official cult alongside the traditional Roman cults. The god was favored by all emperors after Aurelian and appeared on their coins until Constantine. The last inscription referring to Sol Invictus dates to 387 AD and there were enough devotees in the 5th century that Augustine found it necessary to preach against them. A festival on 25 December is sometimes thought to be responsible for the date of Christmas.