Cautes from Boppard

TNMM 80

A statue of Cautes was discovered at Bodobrica (modern Boppard, Rhein-Hunsrück-Kreis, Germany) between 1939 and 1941, within the area of the late Roman fortification. The fort itself is dated to the 4th century, though it remains possible that the statue belongs to an earlier phase of the settlement. The presence of Mithraic worship in the western provinces during Late Antiquity makes such a chronological overlap plausible, even if it cannot be demonstrated with certainty.

The figure represents Cautes standing before a tree or rock, both motifs well established within Mithraic symbolism. A bucranium appears in close association with the figure, an iconographic feature that is rare in representations of the torchbearers. The combination of the standing Cautes, the tree or rock, and the bucranium places the monument within a highly specific and uncommon visual tradition.

The exact archaeological context of the find is poorly documented. According to early reports, the statue was found on Hindenburgstraße 48, corresponding to the southern sector of the late Roman fort. Although the existence of a Mithraic sanctuary in this area was suggested, no systematic excavations were conducted, and the hypothesis remains unconfirmed. The lack of stratigraphic data limits any precise interpretation of the monument’s function or original setting.