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An ancient Roman limestone head of the god Mithras. His long curled locks of hair are covered by a forward-leaning Phrygian cap with beaded decoration. From a sculptural group, possibly depicting the famous scene of the god slaying a bull.
Palmyra.
Ca. 2nd – 3rd century AD.
Mithraism was an ancient Roman mystery cult that worshiped the god Mithras. Subterranean sanctuaries of the deity featured the iconic scene of the tauroctany, an image of Mithras slaying a sacred bull, as its centerpiece. Although the worship of Mithras was widespread across the Roman Empire, few details are known about the cult for certain. Mithras was identified as a sun god, and may have been connected with the ancient Persian god Mithra. The Roman Mithras is always depicted in non-Roman attire, including the distinctive Phrygian cap. His attendants Cautes and Cautopates wore similar dress.
cf.: cult reliefs of Mithras slaying the bull excavated at Dura-Europos, now in the Yale University Art Museum, inv. nos. 1935.97 and 1935.98. A inscription in Palmyrene script on one of the reliefs identifies the dedicator as the commander of a unit of Palmyrene archers. A statue from Sidon in the Louvre, inv. no. AO 22257, depicts Mithras carrying the bull on his shoulders.
Formerly in a French private collection, Nice, acquired in the 1930’s.
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