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Monumentum

Rectangular tauroctony from Sarmizegetusa

Rectangular white marble tauroctony relief from the Mithraeum at Sarmizegetusa, Dacia, depicting Mithras killing the bull with dog, serpent, and scorpion.
Rectangular tauroctony from Sarmizegetusa

Rectangular tauroctony from Sarmizegetusa
CIMRM

 
The New Mithraeum
27 May 2026

TNMM 1938 ↔ CIMRM 2085

Rectangular relief in white marble (H. 0.24 Br. 0.31 D. 0.04). Timișoara (= Temesvár), Museum (Inv. No. 2649).

Studniczka, 208 No. 7; Kiraly, 34 No. 99; MMM II 302f No. 179 and fig. 160; LeRoy Campbell in Berytus XI, 1954, 46 No. 82. See fig. 561.

Mithras kills the bull whose tail ends in corn-ears. The raven is perched on the flying cloak; the dog, the serpent, the scorpion, the cross-legged torchbearers Cautes (r) and Cautopates (l). They hold torches upwards or downwards in each hand. The busts of Sol (l) and of Luna (r) in the upper corners. Beside Sol are seven altars above each other; beside Mithras' head are seven more altars.

References

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