The Search for Iconographic Variation in Roman Mithraism

This paper concerns the interpretation of iconography in the absence of any confirmatory textual explanation. Variations in iconographical representation are often considered as indicators of doctrinal variation rather than in the context of artistic style. This is particularly important when the icons examined are apparently of primary significance in the belief system under scrutiny. A detailed analysis of one specific example of Mithraic iconography reveals significant variations, both in location and in composition. Throughout the Roman Empire, significant differences have also occurred between examples found within the same regions, making the suggestion that iconographic variation equals theological variation difficult to sustain. In support of the work of E. Will, this paper suggests that regional artistic influences may have played a greater significance in the development of Mithraic icons than many present academics would allow. Further, this paper suggests that the evidence indicates that the Mithraic canon of iconographic representation was sufficiently flexible for the individualization of Mithraic monuments, and for elements of one scene to be ‘borrowed’ and incorporated into another.