Interpretation Tauroctony

cimrm 966(v.i): tauroctony bas-relief sarrebourg mithraeum (pons saravi, gallia belgica). @ cour d or museum, metz, france.

within framework of cumontian supposition mithraic mysteries roman form of mazdaism , (now obsolete) traditional view held tauroctony represented zoroastrianism s cosmological myth of killing of primordial bovine. myth recounted in bundahishn, 9th-century ad zoroastrian text.

in myth, evil spirit ahriman (not mithras) slays primordial creature gavaevodata represented bovine. tale, cumont interpolated unwilling hand of avestan mithra on command of sun, speculating there must have once existed tale in mithra takes role texts assign ahriman. cumontian characterization of iranian mithra has long been discarded not merely unsupported iranian texts but—given mithra s role in iranian scripture guardian of livestock, , stock epithet protector of pastures —is in serious conflict known iranian theology . put: unlike roman mithras, iranian mithra not bull-killing.

parthian relief of bird on of bull, zahhak castle, east azerbaijan, iran. similar relief found on parthian belt bucket.

recently, iconographic reliefs of bird , bull, found in iran, have been compared tauractony iranian scholars.

modern astrological interpretations

cimrm 1935: tauroctonous mithras maros porto mithraeum (mureş port, romania). @ brukenthal national museum.

in wake of 1970s dismantling of cumontian transfer scenario, cumont s trivialization of astronomical/astrological aspects of mysteries intellectual diversions designed amuse neophytes has yielded general recognition astronomical/astrological aspects part of fundamental premises of cult. recognition not new; [s]ince time of celsus (around 178), author of alēthēs logos, has been known [via origen s contra celsum] mithraic mysteries relate fixed stars , planets. in post-cumontian period, recognition first revived stanley insler (second congress, 1975), pointed out tauroctony interpreted solely in terms of greco-roman understanding of astronomical phenomena. likewise, dr. richard l. gordon (1976) cautioned against overlooking importance of cult s astronomical symbolism. 4 contemporaneous articles (1976–1977) dr. roger beck stressed role of astronomy/astrology in context of greco-roman religious thought. beck thought ironic cumont, himself 1 of eminent scholars of ancient astrology, should have been unaware of implication. [cumont s] preoccupation les traditiones iraniennes had blinkered him.

accordingly, since 1970s, zodiacal symbolism in scene has provoked speculation cult relief represents sort of star-map code poses riddle of mithras identity. beck (2006) summarizes them follows:

alessandro bausani [1979]: tauroctonous mithras leo;
michael speidel [1980]: ... orion;
karl-gustav sandelin [1988]: ... auriga;
david ulansey [1989]: ... perseus;
john david north [1990]: ... betelgeuse;
roger beck [1994]: ... sun in leo.
maria weiss [1994, 1998]: ... night sky.

additionally, stanley insler [1978] , bruno jacobs [1999] identify entire bull-killing scene heliacal setting of taurus. in 2006, roger beck found these approaches lacked persuasiveness because ungrounded in proper contextual soil. there no consensus on issue.

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