Cult Relief of the Mithraic Mysteries

Illustration

Pierre A. Thomé
by Marcuc Cyron
published on 24 March 2015
Cult Relief of the Mithraic Mysteries Download Full Size Image

Mithras looks away from the dying bull, up to the moon. Also, Mithras has a few little helpers that accompany him in taking the bull's fertility: a dog and a snake drink from the bull's blood, and a scorpion stings the bulls scrotum. A raven sits on the bull's tail that ends in ears of corn. The raven could have played the role of a mediator between Mithras and the sun god Sol invictus, with whom Mithras will share the meat of the bull. He looks down at the scene from the upper left corner.

2nd or 3rd century CE. Römisch-Germanisches Museum, Cologne, Germany.

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APA Style

Cyron, M. (2015, March 24). Cult Relief of the Mithraic Mysteries. World History Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://www.worldhistory.org/image/3725/cult-relief-of-the-mithraic-mysteries/

Chicago Style

Cyron, Marcuc. "Cult Relief of the Mithraic Mysteries." World History Encyclopedia. Last modified March 24, 2015. https://www.worldhistory.org/image/3725/cult-relief-of-the-mithraic-mysteries/.

MLA Style

Cyron, Marcuc. "Cult Relief of the Mithraic Mysteries." World History Encyclopedia. World History Encyclopedia, 24 Mar 2015. Web. 31 Oct 2024.

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