Marble tauroctony from Mithraeum III, Heddernheim

TNMM 1526 ↔ CIMRM 1128

Fragments of a white marble relief (H. 0.43 Br. 0.35 D. 0.02–0.025).

Wolff-Cumont, 37; MMM II 378l and fig. 293; Esp. Rec. Germ., 106 No. 159 and fig. See fig. 294.

The relief is arched. In its centre in a wreath of leaves is the representation of Mithras as a bullkiller. Lost: the god's l. arm; the foremost part of his r. arm, the flying cloak; the bull's head, part of one foreleg and the end of his tail. A belt runs round the bull's body. The dog leaps up against the bull, the scorpion is lost; of the serpent only the hindmost part is preserved; the raven's head is visible outside the wreath.

On either side a torchbearer, cross-legged. Cautes (r) holds in his l.h. a bow; of Cautopates (l) only the legs are preserved.

In the field stars are visible; one near the Phrygian cap of Cautes; one next to the l. leg and one next to the r. foot of Mithras; one above scene 5; one before the lion; one above the Capricorn; one in scene 10 (see infra). Four circlets are represented next to Mithras' head.

Around the main scene there are many other small representations:

1) Above the raven's head is a row of four altars which continues on the right side with a row of five altars.

2) Reclining figure in long hair and beard; he is dressed in a cloak which does not cover the upper part of his body. He rests on his l. arm and in his r. hand he holds an indistinct, oblong, thick object (Saturnus or Oceanus).

3) Behind him the bust of Luna with crescent on her forehead. The bust of Sol at the side is missing.

4) Mithras' rockbirth. The naked youth is in Phrygian cap and holds in the upraised hands a knife (r.h.) and a torch (l.h.). The l. arm is lost. Other scenes underneath it are:

5) A goat to the r.; head lost.

6) Capricorn to the r.

On the same height on the l. side:

7) Mithras carries the bull; the upper part is lost.

8) Mithras riding the bull which he holds by one of the horns.

9) Lion walking to the r.

In the upper border between a horizontal rim and the arch from l. to r.:

10) Mithras sitting on a rocky stone shoots his bow towards a rock before which a person kneels with raised hands. The upper part of Mithras' body is lost.

11) Three standing gods from l. to r. Naked Mercury with a marsupium in his r.h. and with a caduceus in the l.h. Next to him standing Mars in helmet, cuirass and paludamentum. He leans his l. arm on a shield which rests on the ground. In his r.h. he holds a lance. On the l. side of Mars stands Saturnus in a cloak, which does not cover the breast. He is in a beard and in a velum. The objects in his hands are indistinct.

12) Mithras in Oriental dress walking to the r. with a stick in his r.h. The breast, part of the head and his l.h. are lost.

13) Bull coming out of a little house.

14) Bull in a small boat.

Under the main scene and separated from it by a horizontal rim:

15) Standing person in beard and in mantle. Damaged. He lifts an indistinct oblong object in l.h.

16) Mithras in Oriental dress walking to the r. With his l.h. he lays a bent object (rhyton) on the head of Sol, who kneels down before him with joined hand. In his upraised r.h. Mithras holds an indistinct object (probably a piece of meat).

17) Mithras in Oriental dress reclining on a square kline. By his side Sol of whom only some traces are preserved. Other scenes, probably Sol ascending to heaven, are lost. Traces of painting: red on the outer edge of the relief, Mithras' nimbus, the bull's belt; yellow: the hairs of the figures and the lion; green: the dress of Luna and the leaf-crown, the kline in 17; the mantle in 15; blue the cap of Mithras.