Tauroctony relief of Sarmizegetusa

This openwork marble relief came to light between 1882 and 1883, broken into several fragments, in the large Mithraeum of the Roman colony of Sarmizegetusa, the capital of the province of Dacia. The craftsman, or the individual commissioning the relief, opted to combine several moments from the story of Mithras in a single image.

At the centre, Mithras, larger than the others, stands blocking the bull with his left knee, while holding it by the nostrils with his left hand and stabbing it in the throat with his right. The god has shoes, wears a Phrygian cap, and is dressed in a short tunic with long sleeves…