White marble tauroctony from Vintu de Jos

TNMM 1879 ↔ CIMRM 2000

White marble relief (H. 0.24 Br. 1.95 D. 0.03), found in the Mureș (Maros) at Vintu de Jos (Alvincz) near Apulum about 1859. Sibiu (= Nagy Szeben = Hermannstadt), Muzeul Regional (Museum Brukenthal). Inv. No. 1826.

Studniczka in AEMO VIII, 1884, 34 No. 71; Cumont in AErt 1893, 291; MMM II 313 No. 195 and fig. 171. See fig. 523.

The relief is almost identical with a monument from Apulum (see No. 1974) so that they may originate from the same work-shop. There are, however, the following differences:

1) The raven is not perched on a krater, but on a rocky stone.

2) The division of the nine altars is just the other way about: four on the r. and five on the l. of Mithras' head.

On neither monument the torch of Cautopates has been represented because there was not sufficient space. Cautes (l) holds an upraised torch in his r.h. and a staff in his l.h., with a piece of cloth attached to it. Traces of red colour.