Depictions
Both are depicted as smaller than Mithras to emphasize his significance, and both wear Persian style garments, notably a Phrygian cap, to emphasize the legendary oriental origins of the cult¹. Cautes (Sunrise) holds a burning torch aloft, whereas Cautopates (Sunset) holds a burning torch on the floor - the far right picture shows this more clearly, but interestingly sunset precedes sunrise here, suggesting a rebirth cult. Another interpretation is that they represent the Equinoxes. Cautes represents the Spring Equinox and Cautopates the Autum Equinox. Thus, represented on the left and right of the Tauroctony, they become a realistic cadre of the Clestical Equator and the Constellations included between the two Equinoxes during the Age of Taurus.
References
¹ Disputed by many, who claim that it is an entirely Roman cult borrowing a foreign Gods name only; see Mithraism for a fuller discussion.
- Cumont, Franz. Oriental Religions in Roman Paganism (1911)
See also
External links
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Last updated on Saturday December 15, 2007 at 11:12:57 PST (GMT -0800)
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