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Cautes and Cautopates

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31: 22: 53: 155: 280:, tr. Richard Gordon. Edinburgh University Press (2000) p. 95: "No satisfactory etymology of the names Cautes and Cautopates has yet been offered, but it is certain which name applied to which: Cautes holds his torch up, Cautopates down. That it was possible to represent them sometimes simply by their phrygian caps shows that the Mithraists took their presence for granted (p. 49; fig. 9)." 188:
Cautes holds a burning torch pointed up, whereas Cautopates holds a burning torch pointed down. Cautopates is usually depicted on the left, but not always. They are often shown standing with their legs crossed, but not always.
30: 21: 192:
The two torch-bearers are often interpreted as symbols of light, one for the rising, the other for the setting sun. Cautopates could also represent death, while Cautes might represent new life.
218:
J. Vermasaren shows Mithras, the unconquerable sun, and his two torch-bearers, Cautes, sunrise, and Cautopates, sunset, equally sized in a 3-branch pine tree, visible at
203:. Thus, represented on the left and right of the Tauroctony, they become a realistic cadre of the celestial equator and the constellations included between the two 60: 52: 138:. If eclipses of the sun and moon formed part of Mithraic symbolism, they could also represent the ascending and descending 369: 344: 195:
An alternative interpretation advanced by David Ulansey is that Cautes represents the spring
131: 8: 384: 177:
Both are depicted as smaller than Mithras to emphasize his significance, and both wear
118:
dines. So attendants Cautes and Cautopates are supposed to represent the stations of
86:. Cautes holds his torch raised up, and Cautopates holds his torch pointed downward. 135: 154: 107: 378: 208: 182: 159: 103: 139: 83: 39: 260: 235: 204: 79: 162: 143: 130:, or equivalently the ascending (spring) and descending (autumnal) 46:, details of the torchbearers Cautes and Cautopates, 2nd century AD 223: 219: 200: 196: 127: 119: 115: 95: 75: 64: 293:, tr. R. Gordon, Edinburgh University Press (2000) p. 95–6. 240: 123: 99: 98:
either represents the sun, or is a close friend of the sun god
43: 178: 185:, to emphasize the supposed oriental origins of the cult. 346:
CIMRM 1247 – Two-sided relief on pivot with side-panels
226:. Vermasaren suggests they form a Mithraic "Trinity". 263:for a fuller discussion. See also Cumont, Franz. 376: 126:respectively, or perhaps the spring and autumn 74:are torch-bearers depicted attending the god 319:, Oxford University Press (1989) p. 62. 328: 78:in the icons of the ancient Roman cult of 153: 51: 59:from a group of Mithras figures in the 377: 317:The Origins of the Mithraic Mysteries 265:Oriental Religions in Roman Paganism 13: 14: 396: 363: 89: 132:nodes of the Sun's apparent path 29: 20: 329:Vermaseren, M. J. (1963), 337: 322: 309: 296: 283: 270: 253: 1: 246: 165:relief. At bottom are Cautes 149: 61:Museo Archeologico Regionale 7: 333:, London: Chatto and Windus 229: 42:fresco in the mithraeum of 10: 401: 199:and Cautopates the autumn 181:style garments, notably a 304:The Roman cult of Mithras 291:The Roman cult of Mithras 278:The Roman cult of Mithras 331:Mithras: the Secret God 174: 68: 158:Banquet scene on the 157: 72:Cautes and Cautopates 55: 140:nodes where the Moon 94:In Mithraic images, 175: 112:the invincible sun 69: 392: 357: 356: 355: 353: 341: 335: 334: 326: 320: 313: 307: 302:Manfred Clauss, 300: 294: 289:Manfred Clauss, 287: 281: 274: 268: 257: 217: 136:celestial sphere 67:, 3rd century AD 33: 24: 400: 399: 395: 394: 393: 391: 390: 389: 375: 374: 366: 361: 360: 351: 349: 343: 342: 338: 327: 323: 315:David Ulansey, 314: 310: 301: 297: 288: 284: 276:Manfred Claus, 275: 271: 258: 254: 249: 232: 215: 169:and Cautopates 152: 92: 50: 49: 48: 47: 36: 35: 34: 26: 25: 12: 11: 5: 398: 388: 387: 373: 372: 365: 364:External links 362: 359: 358: 336: 321: 308: 295: 282: 269: 251: 250: 248: 245: 244: 243: 238: 231: 228: 151: 148: 91: 90:Interpretation 88: 38: 37: 28: 27: 19: 18: 17: 16: 15: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 397: 386: 383: 382: 380: 371: 368: 367: 348: 347: 340: 332: 325: 318: 312: 306:, p. 97. 305: 299: 292: 286: 279: 273: 266: 262: 256: 252: 242: 239: 237: 234: 233: 227: 225: 221: 212: 210: 209:Age of Taurus 206: 202: 198: 193: 190: 186: 184: 180: 172: 168: 164: 161: 156: 147: 145: 141: 137: 133: 129: 125: 121: 117: 113: 109: 105: 101: 97: 87: 85: 81: 77: 73: 66: 62: 58: 54: 45: 41: 32: 23: 370:UCL, Mithras 352:February 17, 350:, retrieved 345: 339: 330: 324: 316: 311: 303: 298: 290: 285: 277: 272: 264: 255: 213: 194: 191: 187: 183:Phrygian cap 176: 170: 166: 160:Fiano Romano 142:crosses the 114:) with whom 111: 104:Sol Invictus 93: 71: 70: 56: 207:during the 82:, known as 247:References 150:Depictions 84:Tauroctony 40:Tauroctony 385:Mithraism 261:Mithraism 236:Mithraism 205:equinoxes 128:equinoxes 80:Mithraism 379:Category 230:See also 163:Mithraic 144:ecliptic 267:(1911). 224:Germany 220:Dieburg 201:equinox 197:equinox 179:Persian 134:on the 120:sunrise 116:Mithras 96:Mithras 76:Mithras 65:Palermo 241:Selene 216:  124:sunset 100:Helios 57:Cautes 108:Latin 44:Capua 354:2017 259:See 122:and 171:(r) 167:(l) 102:or 381:: 222:, 214:M. 211:. 146:. 110:: 63:, 173:. 106:(

Index



Tauroctony
Capua

Museo Archeologico Regionale
Palermo
Mithras
Mithraism
Tauroctony
Mithras
Helios
Sol Invictus
Latin
Mithras
sunrise
sunset
equinoxes
nodes of the Sun's apparent path
celestial sphere
nodes where the Moon
ecliptic

Fiano Romano
Mithraic
Persian
Phrygian cap
equinox
equinox
equinoxes

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