Illuminating Mithraic Iconography: Mithras, God of Light, as the Milky Way

Abstract

Although the iconography of the ancient Roman cult of Mithras is not thoroughly understood, it has been suggested by a number of scholars that the image of the deity sacrificing a bull (the tauroctony) referenced two constellations, namely Taurus and Scorpius. Roger Beck, Stanley Insler and others theorise that the animals of the tauroctony scene symbolise a trail of constellations between Taurus (the bull) and Scorpius (the scorpion). Building on the notion that the tauroctony may represent a simplified star map, this article details how Mithras’ body is analogous to the path of the Milky Way that bridges Taurus and Scorpius. This bifurcated section of the Milky Way mirrors the silhouette, scale and centrality of Mithras within the ancient reliefs. The concept of Mithras as the god of light and lord of genesis also resonates with the luminosity of the Milky Way, and with the location of the traditional soul gates at Taurus-Gemini and Scorpius Sagittarius, gates which were believed to represent the celestial portals for the soul at birth and death, respectively.