Monumentum
Head of Mithras from Santo Stefano Rotondo
The head was part of a stucco relief of the Tauroctony found under the church of Santo Stefano Rotondo in Rome
The New Mithraeum
10 Jul 2009
Updated on 16 Jan 2022
Head of Mithras found in San Stefano Rotondo, Rome
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The niche contained a stucco high-relief tauroctony, as is proven by the presence, on the white plaster in the niche, guide-marks for fixing it in, and there are the remains of great iron nails (pl. XVIII, 2) in the niche, nails which are also embedded in the remains of the relief. Many fragments were found of the group; red from the coat of Mithras, brown from the bull, but not enough to reassemble it. The relief was 1.2m wide, filling the whole niche.
But from this relief the head of Mithras (inv. n. 205826) has survived (pl. I). It is 26cm high, and gilded.
But from this relief the head of Mithras (inv. n. 205826) has survived (pl. I). It is 26cm high, and gilded.