Classical Texts and History • Mithra Iconography

The Mithra Iconography

According to Herodotus, the Persians “have no images of the gods, no temples nor altars, and consider the use of them a sign of folly. This comes, I think, from their not believing the gods to have the same nature with men, as the Greeks imagine”.15

It was probably like this during Herodotus’ time but three hundred years later Antiochus erected a monument in Comagena – a unified image of Apollo-Mithra-Helios-Hermes as the God of “all people”. On the relief, Mithra has a nimbus of light, similarly to Helios, he is dressed like the Persian Antiochus, wearing a Thracian- Phrygian hat and with a knife in hand. A knife – a distinguishing sign of the Roman Mithra.

On Artaxerxes’ relief, Mithra is portrayed with a nimbus of rays, too.


The images ascribed to Mithra in Persia can be counted on the fingers of one’s hand, but they have nothing to do with the iconography of the Roman Mithraism.


The Rigveda and Avesta texts do not depict Mithra as the sun,16 but as the bearer of light. This is the reason why he was portrayed with a sun nimbus. The identification of Mithra with the Sun is a later interpretation. However, the late Roman Mithra does not even have such a nimbus and this is the first difference from the images of the Persian Mithra.

• This image of Mithra and Sol [called Mithra's Banquet] is indicative – it defines Sol and Mithra as two very distinct characters, and Mithra as an object that has nothing to do with the Sun

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15 Herodotus, History, Clio, 131 (?)
16 In Avesta:

1. Zend Avesta, part 3, Yasna 1: The Sun (rises) on swift horses, Ahura Mazda'a eye, and to Mithra, the lord of provinces.
2. the Sun on horses, Ahura Mazda'a eye, and to Mithra, the lord of provinces.*
3. He (Mithra), first of the heavenly gods, reaches over Hara before the undying, swift-horsed sun (Chapter IV 13).
   
   * I'm not sure why there's duplication here