CIMRM 777 - Aion. Merida, Spain.

A statue from the Merida Mithraeum.

CIMRM entry

777. Marble statue (H. 1.75), found in 1902 and 1913. Mus. Merida, Inv. No. 86. Cumont in CRAI 1905, 148ff and fig.; Revista di Archivos, 1904, 220f; Paris in AA 1906, 171; RRS IV, 295 No. 6; Leite de Vasconcellos, Religoes, III, fig. 151; Gomez Moreno, Materiales, Pl. XXXII, fig. 37 (all these figures without its head, which was discovered in 1913); Melida in BAH 1914,,450 No. 8 and Pl. V; Cat. Badajoz, No. 1085; Paris in RA XXIV, 1914, 7f No. 7 and fig. 5; Legge in Proc. Soc. Bibl. Arch., XXXVII, 1915, 156 and Pl. XIX, 3; Lianez, Mer., 179 and fig. 60; Leipoldt, XVI and fig. 42; Pidal, Hist. Esp., II, 440 and fig. 248; Garcia y Bellido, Culto, fig. 8. See fig. 211. On a round pedestal, a naked Aion in rigid attitude with a curly youthful head. He is entwined by the serpent; the five coils leave the genitalia and the breast, on which a lion's head, uncovered. Against his l. leg a tree-trunk, with a buck's head attached to it. Also in the other leg an affixture is still visible. Both arms are broken off.

The account in Revista di Archivos is online and states that a series of marble statues were discovered at Merida, and that this is mentioned by "Sr. Valverde" in his book on statues and Roman remains in Baena. "Sr. Valverde" appears to be Francisco Valverde y Perales (d. 1913), whose book is entitled Antiguedades y vestigios de Baena.