Aion Chronos Mithras seven solar rays

The statue depicts the God Aion-Chronos Mithras, a figure discovered during excavations in the early 20th century for the construction of the Plaza de Toros in Mérida, Spain. This sculpture portrays the God emerging naked from a rock, with a serpent coiled around his body five times, leaving his chest and genitals visible. Atop the God’s chest is a lion’s head symbolizing the sun’s highest and most elevated point in the sky. To the left of his legs, there is a tree trunk with an attached head of a male goat (Capricorn). Additionally, there are notches on his head and shoulder blades, possibly intended for inserting bronze rays and wings, respectively. The support to the left of the sculpture, resembling a rock formation, could symbolize the “Petra Genitrix” from which Mithras was believed to have been born. This interpretation is supported by an inscription from the same sanctuary mentioning an “Ara Genesis,” alluding to the miraculous birth of Mithras.

Following ancient sources and the official research provided by the museum, one of our Hephaisteion sculptors has been able to reconstruct the statue very similarly to how it appeared in antiquity. The restoration included the face and back of the head, along with the lost head of the serpent, wings added to the statue according to the notches found on the shoulder blades, and the seven solar rays, one for each hole in the God’s head, reinstated to symbolize the connection with the sun. The arms have also been restored; the right arm holds Jupiter’s thunderbolt, while the left arm holds a staff suspended in the air. The serpent coiled around the body of Aion-Chronos-Mithras symbolizes the winding course of the sun over the year across the eight degrees of the ecliptic. This strip in the sky shows the sun’s path through the twelve constellations of the zodiac: Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces.

Macrobio, in his work “Saturnalia,” describes in detail the sun’s course through the zodiac, a strip in the sky extending eight degrees on either side of the ecliptic. This knowledge has been applied in the interpretation of the statue. The spring equinox in the northern hemisphere, when the sun enters Aries (March 21), and the autumn equinox, when the sun enters Libra (September 23), are represented in the statue. The summer solstice, when the sun enters Cancer (June 21), reaching Leo where the sun is at its highest point in the sky, and the winter solstice, when the sun enters Capricorn (December 21), are also symbolized.

The figure of Aion-Chronos Mithras symbolizes the deification of eternal time, inherited from the “Zervan Akarana” of the Persians. The restoration has been meticulously carried out to bring back this impressive deity to its most faithful state possible. In summary, the statue of Aion-Chronos Mithras is not only a testament to classical artistic mastery but also a rich representation of astronomical, allegorical, and philosophical knowledge. Macrobio, in “Saturnalia,” provides a comprehensive view of the sun’s course through the zodiac, combining science, allegory, mythology, and philosophy, which is reflected in this accurately restored work with great precision and respect for its historical, philosophical, and cultural context.

Additionally, it should be noted that Aion-Chronos-Mithras, also known as Zervan-Chronos or Mithraic Chronos, is a syncretic deity symbolizing infinite time, represented through the serpent’s coils and the lion’s head. This God is an important figure in Mithraism, a mystery religion that spread throughout the Roman Empire. Followers of Mithras, the principal deity of this religion, were initiated into the community through a rite composed of seven grades, each associated with a deity and a planet.

Finally, the sculpture of Aion-Chronos-Mithras stands out not only for its artistic quality, superior to the average of the works adorning Mithraic crypts but also for its symbolic richness and the historical-religious context it reflects. This discovery in Mérida is considered one of the most important of its kind in Spain and offers a valuable perspective on Mithraism in the Roman Empire.