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Monumentum

Tauroctony of the Villa Borghese

This relief of Mithras slaying the bull was erected in Piazza del Campidoglio, moved to Villa Borghese and is now in the Louvre Museum.
  • Mithras killing the bull (c. 150 CE; Louvre-Lens)

    Mithras killing the bull (c. 150 CE; Louvre-Lens)
    Serge Ottaviani 

  • Unknown 

  • Grabado incluido en la obra dedicada al relieve de Villa Borghese de Lajard

    Grabado incluido en la obra dedicada al relieve de Villa Borghese de Lajard
    The New Mithraeum / Andreu Abuín (CC BY-SA) 

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  • Gravure d'Étienne Duperac dans Illustrations de fragments antiques, vers 1575

    Gravure d'Étienne Duperac dans Illustrations de fragments antiques, vers 1575 

 
 
The New Mithraeum
16 Jun 2009
Updated on Aug 2023
 

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White marble relief (H. 2.54 Br. 2.65), was erected on the Piazza Capitolino (Pignorius) in the 17th century, then transported to the Villa Borghese, nowadays Paris, Louvre, Inv. No. 1023. Second cent.

In a grotto Mithras tauroctone in the usual attitude and attire. The dog, the serpent and the scorpion are present; the raven is perched on the rocky border of the cave.

Cautes clasps with his l.h. the ears (two or three) from the bull's tail, he lifts with the r.h. his torch. Before the bull Cautopates is standing. with the torch pointed downwards. Both torchbearers are not cross-legged.

Related monuments

Mitreo del Campidoglio «lo perso»

This temple of Mithras on the north side of the Capitoline Hill in Rome no longer exists.