The New Mithraeum
18 Jun 2009
Updated on 23 Aug 2022
Mithras puts his r. foot victoriously on the hind-leg of the bull and thrusts the dagger into its heart. The god is represented in Eastern attire: a short chiton with a tight-fitting string around the chest, a flying cloak adorned with stars, high boots and a Phrygian cap with a star on the point. Dog and snake want to lick the abundantly flowing blood; the scorpion clasps the testicles. The latter, however, belongs at the same time to the signs of the zodiac, which has been depicted round the scene.