Tauroctony relief of the Esquiline

TNMM 382 ↔ CIMRM 350 & 351

Relief in limestone (H. 1.25 Br. 0.90 D. 0.085). Museo Capitolino.

The relief is worked as an engraving. Mithras in Eastern attire with a sheath at his side, kills in a cave the bull whose tail ends in ears. Two strips on its body seem to indicate a large band. The dog with collar near the wound; the serpent creeps over the ground; the scorpion at the testicles. Near the cave on each side a tree; the raven is perched on the branches of the left one. On either side of the main scene Cautes (r) and Cautopates (l) in Eastern attire; cross-legged.

In the l. upper corner the dressed bust of Sol with seven rays, one of which is darting out in the direction of Mithras; in the other corner the dressed bust of Luna in crescent. Underneath each of them another bust (Dioscuri ?).

Below the main scene in the lower corners, two scenes:

1) Left: Mithras stands before the kneeling, naked Sol and lays his left on the latter’s head. In his right, near his sheath, he holds a knife. Sol stretches out one arm and with the other he clasps one of Mithras’ legs.

2) Right: Mithras and a dressed, bearded figure on either side of an altar, above which the latter holds the r.h. Mithras hold the latter’s wrist and keeps the knife near it as though he wanted to cut it (blood-alliance ?).

Between these two scenes an inscription:

CIMRM 351

CIL VI 3730; MMM 11 No. 43.

C(auto)p(ati) / Primus pater fecit.

On the relief numerous traces of colours have been preserved: the cave: dark-red; the attire of Mithras, the torchbearers and Sol: pourple; the trousers of the torchbearers and of Mithras: yellow; Luna and the two small busts: yellow; Sol’s crown and Mithras’ dagger: gold; the raven: black; hair-dress: red-brown.

CIMRM II 351

CIL VI 3730 = 31048; Lugli, Fontes IV, 46 No. 36 who omits No. 355.