Mithras, born from the Tree of Life of Sabazios
Most Roman Mithraism followed the classical Persian version of Mithra's birth, where, according to myth, he was born without parents from a rock, immediately with a dagger in his hand. However, it seems that some Mithraeums followed a much less well-known version of Mithra's birth, which may have originated in Anatolia.
The birth of Mithra of Sabazios.
On the following reliefs, the horseman (who in later times was fully syncretized with Sabazios) is with three raised fingers, the sing of Sabazios in front of the symbol of the god Sabazios, or according to A. Fol, in front of his zoomorphic image.
On some of these reliefs, we can also see little Mithra in his characteristic Phrygian cap, standing under the Tree of Life.
On a substantial number of the several hundred thousand of known reliefs of the Thracian Horseman, which appeared at the same time with the reliefs of the Roman Mithraism, the horseman makes a gift, a sacrifice or sends the appeal in front of a sacrificial altar, behind which there are the Tree of Life and the serpent coiled around it.
The Tree of Life with the serpent coiled around it can be found also on the reliefs of the Roman Mithraism, the tree, from which Mithra was born.
Taking the serpent as an zoomorphic image, or more precisely a spirit of god Sabazios, he himself was identified with the Sun, explains the images of the Roman coins from Pautalia, Augusta Traniana and Serdica, on which the chthonic creature, the serpent, bears the sign of the Sun. The symbols engraved on the coins are interesting. There are three elements in them that connect them to Sabazios, the first of them being the sigh of the Sun. The second sign also leads to Sabazios is that some serpents are shown with beards, some have a crest too. The third element is more essential, the tip of the tail ending with three wheat ears, a symbol of fertility.
The three ears on the tail tip are identical to the ones found on the bull's tail from the reliefs of the so-called Roman Mithraism. [The mysteries of Mithra or the mysteries of Sabazios, Peter Georgiev]
Bronze plaque from Emporiae most likely depicts the same myth, but with more detailed Sabazian iconography.
On the right, we see the familiar and very typical iconography of Sabazios. The aforementioned Tree of Life, wrapped in a bearded serpent in a solar crown, the zoomorphic spirit of Sabazios himself. Below, we see the image of a woman with a child, which is often found on the Hands of Sabazios, as a cycle of fertility and life, which he represents.
On the left, we see the iconography mentioned above. Sabazios once again stands triumphantly on a bull. We also see the altar with offerings described above, with two Hands of Sabazios standing at its edges. From the Tree of Life on the left side, we see the moment of Mithra's birth, with his signature dagger depicted next to him, observed by Hermes. Above him, there is also a crescent moon with a star, the signature iconography of Mēn, with whom Sabazios was also completely syncretized. Incidentally, the same moon with stars appears in the iconography of Mithraism after Mithra kills the bull, as it is believed that after this, the cosmos is born from Mithra's cloak, while he himself becomes Sol Invictus. It is also said that the moment of the bull's killing is also observed by the moon god.
Sabazios performs his signature gesture, Benedictio Latina, blessing the newborn Mithra.
