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Undergraduate
Classics Teaching Collections |
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Forward |
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| Name: |
Mithraic
Tauroctony |
| Picture: |
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| Description: |
Walbrook
Mithraeum, London. Museum of London. H. 0.53m. Marble zodiacal tauroctony.
Mithras slays the bull, accompanied by Cautes and Cautopates, within
the wheel of the zodiac, representing the cosmos. At the top left,
outside the wheel, Sol-Helios ascends the heavens in his biga; Luna
descends in her chariot at the top right. The heads of two wind-gods
are placed bottom left (Boreas) and right (Zephyros). Inscription:
Ulpius Silvanus Factus / Arausione Emeritus / Leg(iones) II Aus(ustae)
/ Votum Solvit. ('Ulpius Silvanus, veteran of the Second Legion Augusta,
fulfilled his vow having become (a Mithraist) at Orange.') |
| Date: |
150-300 A.D. |
| Discussion: |
Mithraism
in the west is known through the sculptural record, which is extensive
due to the mithraea being located underground or in caves. Mithras
was the Persian god of light, and his mystery cult proved enormously
popular Empire-wide, especially amongst soldiers (see, for example,
the temple at Carrawburgh on Hadrian's Wall). Tauroctonies (bull-slaying
scenes) employed certain figures and symbols relating to the mystery
cult. The celestial twins, Cautes (torch held upwards) and Cautopates
(torch held downwards) represent life and death, light and darkness,
and the spring and autumn equinoxes; they are basically an extension
of Mithras himself, and may be associated with the Greek Dioskouri,
Kastor and Polydeukes. Mithras ruled (but did not create) the cosmos
-- Sol, Luna and the Winds all took part in the creation of the universe,
and their role is to help Mithras in moving the heavens towards celestial
harmony (see the tauroctony at Augusta Treverorum for a fine example
of this). The Winds also helped the ascent and descent of the Soul,
which was placed in the guardianship of Mithras. See Toynbee 1962:
153. |
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