The solar calendar has been adopted in one form or another by agrarian societies from time immemorial for obvious reasons. Peasant and landlord have to know exactly when to sow the seeds, irrigate the land, fertilize the soil, and harvest the crop. Keen observers could not fail to notice the death of life-giving earth in winter and its resurrection in spring and it was a matter of time before prince and priest would construct an edifice -material as well as spiritual- around those natural phenomena in the form of numerous religions the central theme and common denominator of which revolved around those recurrent and cyclical events.
Examples abound particularly in the Near East that birthed the first agrarian societies in Mesopotamia and Egypt. The cults of Egyptian Osiris, Canaanite Adonis, Christianity itself are but few of those. Mithraism originated in ancient Iran whence it spread to the Hellenistic & Roman World. It had been practiced throughout the Roman Empire from the first to the 4th century C.E.
Seen in this plate are two basaltic sculptures of Mithras slaying the bull, a central ritual in this cult where the spilled blood renovates the fertility of the soil it irrigates. Both were found at or near Seeaa, a village in Soueida Governorate in Southern Syria and both date from the third century of the Common Era.
The top sculpture is 72 cm x 58 cm x 10 cm as far as dimensions are concerned. It was discovered in 1919 by an archaeological expedition from Princeton University and had been stored for a while at the Teacher's College at Mezze Boulevard before it changed location to the National Museum of Damascus, where it currently resides.
The bottom figure features the same motif and was studied by Dr. Salim Abdul Haq in the early 1950's. It is 112 cm x 106 cm x 4.5 cm in size. It also is a possession of the Museum.
It is to be regretted that many such ancient sculptures have been transferred from their original sites to be recycled in relatively modern residences which has resulted in the deformation, and potentially the loss of those priceless treasures. Such has been the case throughout Syria including Damascus and the large cities.
Examples abound particularly in the Near East that birthed the first agrarian societies in Mesopotamia and Egypt. The cults of Egyptian Osiris, Canaanite Adonis, Christianity itself are but few of those. Mithraism originated in ancient Iran whence it spread to the Hellenistic & Roman World. It had been practiced throughout the Roman Empire from the first to the 4th century C.E.
Seen in this plate are two basaltic sculptures of Mithras slaying the bull, a central ritual in this cult where the spilled blood renovates the fertility of the soil it irrigates. Both were found at or near Seeaa, a village in Soueida Governorate in Southern Syria and both date from the third century of the Common Era.
The top sculpture is 72 cm x 58 cm x 10 cm as far as dimensions are concerned. It was discovered in 1919 by an archaeological expedition from Princeton University and had been stored for a while at the Teacher's College at Mezze Boulevard before it changed location to the National Museum of Damascus, where it currently resides.
The bottom figure features the same motif and was studied by Dr. Salim Abdul Haq in the early 1950's. It is 112 cm x 106 cm x 4.5 cm in size. It also is a possession of the Museum.
It is to be regretted that many such ancient sculptures have been transferred from their original sites to be recycled in relatively modern residences which has resulted in the deformation, and potentially the loss of those priceless treasures. Such has been the case throughout Syria including Damascus and the large cities.
Thomas M. Weber
Sculptures from Roman Syria
Wernersche Verlagsgesellschaft. Worms
2006
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