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Monumentum

Primitive tauroctony relief from Sarmizegetusa

Yellowish marble tauroctony in two fragments from the Mithraeum at Sarmizegetusa, Dacia, executed in a primitive style with the bull represented obliquely.
Primitive tauroctony relief from Sarmizegetusa

Primitive tauroctony relief from Sarmizegetusa
CIMRM

 
The New Mithraeum
27 May 2026

TNMM 1926 ↔ CIMRM 2073

Relief in yellowish marble (H. 0.185 Br. 0.285 D. 0.02). In two fragments.

Studniczka in AEMO 1883, 207 No. 2; Kiraly, No. 93 and Pl. XI, 1; MMM II 284 No. 141 and fig. 131; LeRoy Campbell in Berytus XI, 1954, 46 No. 83. See fig. 556.

The primitive relief represents Mithras as a bullkiller. The raven on the flying cloak; the dog, the serpent, the scorpion. The cross-legged torchbearers Cautes (r) and Cautopates (l). In the upper corners the dressed busts of Sol (l) in radiate crown and of Luna (r).

In the bottom border an inscription:

References

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