Mithras rock-birth of Mithraeum III, Ptuj
TNMM 204 ↔ CIMRM 1593 & 1594
White marble stone (H. 0.74 Br. 0.51 D. 0.26) found near 6. Inv. No. 296.
The stone was given a rocky appearance and is concave at the back. On its front a very remarkable representation of Mithras's rockbirth. Cautes and Cautopates in Oriental dress assist Mithras at his rockbirth pulling him out by the arms. Mithras holds in his uplifted r.h. a knife and in his l.h. a torch. Above this scene a person in long hair and beard is reclining on the rock. The upper part of his body is naked. Beside him is a dagger (Saturnus). A Victoria flies towards him.
In the bottom rim an inscription:
CIMRM 1594
L.H. 0.025.
D(eo) S(oli) i(nvicto) M(ithrae) / pro sal(ute) officialium Apri prae/positi leg(ionum) V M(acedonicae) et XIII gem(inae) / Galli(enarum).
Officiates are staff officers.
Aper, the commander of both legions, is also mentioned in the following No. 1596.
Mastrocinque proposes that Mithras was born from a fertilized rock on which the sperm of Saturn-Kronos fell when he saw hypercosmic beauty in a dream.
In this particular monument, Victoria would be a representation of that sublime beauty that makes the patron god of the Mithraic Patres ejaculate, so that Mithras would be born thanks to this oniric vision.
Main inscription
References
Abramic, 18lff No. 244 and fig. 12B; Mostra 4, 719 No. 49; AIJ I, 149 No. 316 and fig. See fig. 408.
- Vermaseren, Maarten Jozef (1956) Corpus Inscriptionum et Monumentorum Religionis Mithriacae
- Attilio Mastrocinque (2017) The Mysteries of Mithras. A different account.
- Gabriel Simeoni (2023) The Father of Mithras.
