CIMRM 833-834 - Arimanius / Lion-headed statue from York. (RIB 641)


By Carole Raddato. From Wikimedia Commons.

Hübner in Jahrbuch des Vereins von Altertumsfreunden im Rheinlande1 LVIII, 1876, 147ff and Pl. VIII, 1 (Online here).

From History of York site.

RIB 641. This material from Steedman.

RIB 641. This material from Steedman.

By Roger Pearse, 12th July 2018. Note that the statue is small - about a foot tall.

By Roger Pearse, 12th July 2018

A headless statue of the Lion-headed god, here possibly labelled as Arimanius in a partially preserved inscription below. The statue was found in 1874 under the city wall of York during the construction of the New [i.e. present] Railway Station. The statue is currently in the Yorkshire Museum. The overall length is 58cm; the widest point measures 33cm; the depth is 22cm at the part bearing the inscription and the statue is 19cm deep.

Described by Steedman as follows:2

Beck adds:3

CIMRM entry.

Text.

D[EO] VOL(USIUS)ΔIRƎ
ARIMANI V(OTUM)
- possibly followed by SLMDD (solvens libens mento dono dedit)

In Line 1 the end of the "Ǝ" is worn away.
In Line 2 the "M" has a ligature making it "MA", and the "N" has a ligature making it "NI". In the last letter, only the start of the V is visible.

Translation: "Volusius Ireneaus to the god Arimanes a gift (willingly and deservedly fulfilling his vow)".5

Literature.

  • John R. Hinnells, Mithraic Studies vol. 1, p. 460. This tells us that the York inscription to Arimanius is TMMM vol. 2, p. 392, mon. no. 271, fig. 310, inscription no. 474. = CIMRM 833 f. Published with plate by L. Hübner, 'Denkmäler des Aeon', Jahrbücher des Vereins von Alterthumsfreunden im Rheinlande (contd. as Bonner Jahrbücher), LVIII, 1876, p. 147-54, plate VIII, 1. Apparently there is an explicit differentiation where the Modena Mithras-Phanes is concerned (n.23).

  • More may be found here. Found in 1875. Inscription "Volusius Irenaeus Arimanio votum solvit" according to Legge - but Bianchi has a different view.

  • CIMRM 833 = RIB 641 (from York); three dedications to Arimanius: CIMRM 222 (from Ostia); 369 (from Rome); 1773 and 1775 (from Carnuntum).

  • RIB641: RIB641. "A headless statue with a partially preserved inscription below. The statue was found in 1874 under the city wall of York during the construction of the New [i.e. present] Railway Station. The statue is currently in the Yorkshire Museum." Has details of the item.

  • R.L.Gordon, "Cumont and the doctrines of Mithraism," in: Hinnells Mithraic Studies vol.1, p.221, n.25.


1See also Bonner Jahrbücher.
2Marjon Steedman, Workshop II: York 2008. Report on RIB 641.
3R. Beck, "Mithraism since Franz Cumont", ANRW, p.2034-5
4See also Bonner Jahrbücher.
5This material from Steedman.

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