Mithras petrogenitus from Villa Giustiniani

TNMM 124 ↔ CIMRM 590 & 591

Marble statue, in 1662 'at a sculptor's behind the Capitol' (ms. Gudius), afterwards in the Villa Giustiniani. Acquired by E. Hill, professor in the Faculty of Medicine at Dublin (1781-1830) and bequeathed by him to the Library of the Trinity College at Dublin.

The naked torso of Mithras emerging from a rock. The long, wavy hair is partly covered by the Phrygian cap. In his raised r.h. he holds a bunch of grapes and a part of cloth (see note). He leans his l.h. on the rock, on which a dagger-sheath, an arrow, a bow and the dagger. On either side stands a torchbearer in Eastern attire; cross-legged. Cautopates (r) pointing his torch downwards with his l.h., pressing his r.h. against his face. Cautes raises his torch with both hands. The two torchbearers look towards the bunch of grapes. On the front of the rock an inscription.

The foremost part of Mithras' upraised r.arm with the bunch of grapes seems to be lost now. Probably it is a false restoration instead of an original hand with torch. Fig. 164 however, shows a plaster cast with the bunch. Professor H. W. Parke informed me, that he noted on examining the figure a circular depression some four inches below the neck at the back. It looks like some earlier point of attachment or support. But, so he writes, I cannot be certain.

As Beck points out, the the bunch of grapes may be original since the discovery of the Tauroctony of Absalmos in which an infant Mithras reaches for grapes overhead.