CIMRM Supplement - Restored tauroctony from two fragments. Banjevic, now in Zadar, Croatia.

Two fragments of a double-sided and heavily restored Mithraic relief from Banhevac (near Stankovici), end of the 2nd-beginning of the 3rd c. AD. One half of the relief is a modern restoration.

The front depicts the tauroctony within the ring of the zodiac. At the top right Luna in a two-horse vehicle is shown, and beneath this is the altar on which stands cautopates. (The restored section shows Cautes and Sol).

The reverse probably displays the ritual meal. Mithras and Sol are depicted, plus two other participants as servants. The Moon and the Sun appear again in the upper corners.

From Richard L. Gordon, p.110:

From Zotović:

Bibliography

  • L. Zotović, "A Mithraic Relief from Banjevac," In: Journal of Mithraic Studies 2.2 (1978), pp. 189–191.
  • H.-G. Gundel, Zodiakos: Tierkreisbilder im Altertum. Kosmische Bezüge und Jenseitsvorstellungen im antiken Alltagsleben, Mainz (1992).
  • Richard Gordon, "Cosmic Order, Nature, and Personal Well-Being in the Roman Cult of Mithras", in: Holy Wealth: Accounting for This World and The Next in Religious Belief and Practice: Festschrift for John R. Hinnells, edited by Almut Hintze and Alan Williams (Iranica 24). Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz, 2017, p.93-130. Online at .


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