Tauroctony from Velletri
TNMM 307 ↔ CIMRM 208 & 209
White marble statue (H. 0.90 Br. 0.77). The exact find-spot is unknown. The monument was at first at Velletri in the Palazzo Ginetti, later at Vescovali’s the antiquarian, then in the ColI. of Marchese Campana. Nowadays at Paris, Louvre (Inv. No. 1026). It is quite possible, that the relief originally comes from Velletri.
Mithras, in usual attire and attitude, as a bullkiller. Dog, serpent and scorpion are present on the usual places. Of the raven only a part of its legs are visible on Mithras’ flying cloak. The two arms of the god are broken off; his r. leg and the bull’s tail have been restored. On the base the inscription No. 209.
CIMRM 209
Q(uintus) Fulvius Zoticus d(onum) d(edit) d(icavit).
Sacrifice mithriaque ; Mithra (bonnet phrygien, tunique, ceinture, chlamyde, anaxyrides, demi-agenouillé, tenant, épée, restes, égorgeant) ; taureau (affaissé, attaqué par) ; scorpion ; serpent ; chien ; sur chlamyde ; corbeau (restes).
Etat de l’oeuvre : incomplet-moins tête, bras de Mithra, épée, queue du taureau, patte arrière du chien.
Restauration : montage moderne (tête sur corps de Mithra) -recollé (corps de Mithra sur taureau, jambe droite de Mithra, avant de la plinthe avec pattes du taureau, corps du chien) -refait (queue du taureau) -retaillé (cassures,pour restauration).
Main inscription
References
Lajard Intr. PI. CI 4; Zoega Abh. 148 No.9; Froehner Sculpt. No. 572; MMM II 248 No. 90 with fig. 81 ; RRS II 476 4. Our fig. 67 from a photograph willingly procured to us by Dr. P. Devambez Keeper of the Louvre. CIL X 6559; MMM II No. 146.
- Vermaseren, Maarten Jozef (1956) Corpus Inscriptionum et Monumentorum Religionis Mithriacae
- https://collections.louvre.fr/en/ark:/53355/cl010275230.
