Guided Pathway

On December 9, 1928 Warburg and Bing, in Rome, made their way to the Villa Farnese. Afterward Warburg recorded in the Tagebuch “Colleague Bing’s” observation that Europa on the Bull appeared in the attitude of Mithras; she added the corrective comment: “more accurately: bull-killing Nike, who is also connected with the Mithras type.” Warburg placed a Nike relief in the Terme Museum (#19) at the right edge of Panel 8, juxtaposed with a relief of the tauroctony (#18). Similarities and distinctions were thus made apparent: the divinized allegorical figure representing victory kneels on the bull, facing left (the direction arbitrary), holding the knife prior to the kill, while Mithras, facing to the right (the direction fixed), is shown having plunged the knife into the bull’s flank, and the generative blood is seen to fall. The Mithraic relief is replete with elements bearing mythic significance: the slaying takes place in a cave; the bull’s tail blossoms into ears of corn; dog, serpent, scorpion, and raven lend their presence. As implied through the juxtaposition with Nike, Mithras was to be seen as a triumphant savior figure, and this in turn reinforced the contrast with the failed Phaeton discovered on the rotating image from Dieburg (#10.1–2).