Cautes and Cautopates

Cautes and Cautopates are the two attendants of Mithras in the ancient Roman cult of Mithraism. Because Mithras (Sol Invictus, Latin: "the invincible sun") represents the sun Cautes and Cautopates represent the stations of sunrise and sunset respectively. They appear in many depictions alongside Mithras.

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 Autumn 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)

ee also

* Mithraism
* Selene

External links

* [http://museums.ncl.ac.uk/archive/mithras/frames.htm Newcastle University explanation of Mithrae]