Monumentum
Tauroctony relief of Sidon
The tauroctony relief of Sidon depicts the signs of the zodiac and the four seasons, among other familiar features.
Relieve de la Tauroctonia de Sidón, Líbano
Galdo Trounchky
The New Mithraeum
18 Jun 2009
Updated on 23 Sep 2023
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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.
Behind the bull there are four
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