Tauroctony relief from Kral-Marko

TNMM 2479 ↔ CIMRM 2245

White marble relief (H. 0.40 Br. 0.29–0.34 D. 0.04), found in the ruins of the Roman Castle of Kral-Marko near the village of Koniovo (distr. Küstendil).

MMM II 275f No. 134 and fig. 119; Sbornik XVI–XVII 1900, 38 fig. 17; Saxl, fig. 98; Hopkins in Ars Islamica III, 1936, 193 and fig. 6; LeRoy Campbell in Berytus XI, 1954, 50 No. 224. See fig. 621.

Mithras as a bullkiller. The serpent creeps over the ground. The raven is perched on the arched upper border and before it seven altars are represented. Cautes (r) and Cautopates (l) are not cross-legged; they hold a pedum in their l. hands and a torch in their r.h. The torch, however, of Cautes (r) is not visible. Above the bull's head the busts of Sol and of Luna.

In the lower part of the relief there are three scenes each in a separate grotto:

1) Mithras puts his l.h. on the head of kneeling Sol.

2) Mithras taurophorus and Mithras' rockbirth.

3) Sol helps Mithras to ascend a quadriga. The god holds the reins in his l.h.

Between the arched borders of the grotto a lion's head and the foremost part of the dog are represented.