Relief fragment from Ptuj

TNMM 391 ↔ CIMRM 1579

Fragments of a marble relief (H. 0.41-0.55 Br. 0.56-0.74 D. 0.09), found near 1.

Mithras as a bullkiller in the usual dress and attitude (Inv. No. 300). Only the sheath of the god’s dagger is preserved with the foremost part of the bull’s body with the dagger in it. The serpent and the dog in the usual place. From the r. corner it is possible to conclude that the main scene took place in a grotto and that the torchbearers were also represented, as a torchbearer’s head with the upper part of his pedum or bow has been preserved.

Outside the grotto’s border there are the following scenes (Inv. No. 299):

1) Standing Mithras in Oriental dress gives Sol an object which seems to be a piece of bull’s meat. He grasps Sol’s right hand.

2) The upper part of kneeling Sol. Mithras grasps Sol’s head with his l.h. In his upraised r.h. Mithras holds an object which probably is a piece of meat. Mithras’ legs are lost.

Above these two scenes which were represented side by side one sees:

3) Sitting bearded deity with uncovered breast. He holds in his l.h. a staff and he rests his r.h. on his knee. He sits on a rocky stone (Saturnus) and Mithras approaches him with his forefinger at his mouth.

4) Naked Sol with shoulder-cape standing in a quadriga. He helps Mithras to ascend. Sol has uplifted r.h. and has a crown of eleven rays around his curly hair. Mithras is in Oriental dress and has a dagger in his l.h. The heads of the horses are lost. In the upper r. side the feet of a horse and a wheel of the car are visible.