There are few scholars among us who played a crucial role in changing the paradigm on how we think on ancient religions and magic. The great generation who started its career in the 1960s and 70s, after the age of Dumezil, Kerényi or Nock played a crucial role in reshaping the study of Roman religion, Mithraic studies and ancient magic as well.
One of these people is Richard L. Gordon. I am deeply honored to know him since 2011 when I met him first time in Budapest. In 2014-2016 we were colleagues at the Max Weber Kolleg in Erfurt and we are still in touch regularly.
I’m not sure I fully agree. This appears to be based on an overly literal reading that assumes that if the image isn’t a 1 for 1 image of the Tauroctony as commonly presented with the typical astronomical trappings that therefore it can’t be Mithraic which is an erroneous position in my view.
Furthermore there are images of Mithras himself slaying the bull without the dog, snake, scorpion and Zodiac wheel being present and this image is obviously a depiction of the Mithraic Tauroctony the central culminating event Mithraism and so a Mithraic interpretation can’t be ruled out.
The images depict the figure differently because it is obviously meant to be Attis or Mithras-Attis performing this event and the two were often conflated in ancient times as well which is why we need to be careful when dismissing something as Mithraic.
My interests lie at the intersection of ancient history, archaeology, classical philosophy, mythology, astrology and history of religions, with a particular fascination for mystery cults, ancient cosmology, and the symbolic language of initiation.
Grey sandstone slab from the Mithraeum at Königshoffen, a companion piece to the preceding, recording the same act of repainting a cult image by Caius Celsinius Matutinus, veteran of Legio VIII Augusta Alexandriana.
The film reveals the secret of the nearly 3,000-year-old inscription "The Door of Mher", the identities of the gods of the Van Kingdom pantheon, as well as the mathematical, geometric, astronomical and calendar knowledge of ancient priests-scientists.
![There are few scholars among us who played a crucial role in changing the paradigm on how we think on ancient religions and magic. The great generation who started its career in the 1960s and 70s, after the age of Dumezil, Kerényi or Nock played a crucial role in reshaping the study of Roman religion, Mithraic studies and ancient magic as well.
One of these people is Richard L. Gordon. I am deeply honored to know him since 2011 when I met him first time in Budapest. In 2014-2016 we were colleagues at the Max Weber Kolleg in Erfurt and we are still in touch regularly.
I am happy to share this long interview with him, an amazing kaleidoscope of 50 years of scholarship on Roman religion, Mithraic studies and ancient magic. Photo taken in Budapest in August 2023.
[ref:6af725c382862]](https://www.mithraeum.eu/album/post/c39ac5e8940d167a.jpeg)
Furthermore there are images of Mithras himself slaying the bull without the dog, snake, scorpion and Zodiac wheel being present and this image is obviously a depiction of the Mithraic Tauroctony the central culminating event Mithraism and so a Mithraic interpretation can’t be ruled out.
The images depict the figure differently because it is obviously meant to be Attis or Mithras-Attis performing this event and the two were often conflated in ancient times as well which is why we need to be careful when dismissing something as Mithraic.