Monumentum
Coin of Septimius Severus and god on horseback
Coin of Istrus, Moesia Inferior, showing Caracalla on one side and a god on horseback (Mithras ?) on the other.
Coin of Septimius Severus and MithrasCoinweek
The New Mithraeum
10 Mar 2022
Updated on Jul 2024
TNMM 518
A god on horseback on coins from Istros or Histria, in Moesia Inferior, modern Istria, Romania. On the obverse is Septimius Severus, on the reverse a god. The god wears a polos (a crown worn by gods and goddesses in the ancient Orient) and is dressed like an Eastern god. The bird (raven) and torch on the left indicate that it is maybe Mithras.
He also has a beard, although Mithras is traditionally depicted as a beardless young man. These attributes could again be attributed to Persian influences. This type of coin seems to have been struck only during the reigns of Septimius Severus and Gordian III.
References
- Steve Benner for CoinWeek (2023) The Cult of Mithras on Ancient Coins.
