Tauroctony from Alba Iulia with collared dog

TNMM 664 ↔ CIMRM 1972

Monuments found at Apulum, but their exact findspots are unknown. Relief in sandstone (H. 1.20 Br. 1.00 D. 0.08), found in the ruins of Apulum Julia (= Gyula Fehervar = Karlsburg).

Formerly in the Bathyani Library. Now Alba Julia, Muzeul Regional. Inv. No. 204/II.

The relief is divided into three parts by two horizontal rims. In the centre Mithras in the usual dress and attitude as a bullkiller. The bull wears a belt. The dog with collar, the serpent, the scorpion, the raven and the torchbearers in Oriental dress and cross-legged. Cautes (r) holds a burning torch in his r.h. and another in his l.h. Cautopates (l) holds the torch downwards with his r.h. and he holds the bull’s tail, which ends in three corn-ears, with his l.h. Behind Cautopates are the scenes of Mithras riding the bull and of Mithras taurophorus. Behind is a lion clasping a krater. Above this scene is the representation of Mithras’ rockbirth. The god holds a knife in his upraised r.h.; his l.h. and his shoulder are On his left is a representation of a reclining god in beard who is only partly dressed in a cloak. He holds a curved object (falx) in his r.h. (Saturnus).

In the upper part of the relief from l. to r.:

1) Sol in a biga; the head and the breast are lost.
2) Mithras sitting on a rocky stone shoots an arrow towards a rock before which a person is kneeling down, who puts his r.h. to his mouth. Behind Mithras is another person in flying cloak. He walks towards Mithras and he grasps him by the shoulder with his r.h.
3) A row of seven altars above which a rocky stone. Above this stone is the bull in a small boat.
4) The bull in a small house.
5) Mithras strikes with a stick (torch?) on the pediment of the bull’s house.
6) Standing person in Oriental dress, but without the Phrygian cap. He is crosslegged and he leans on a bent staff. He rests his head on his l.h. At his feet is a lying dog above which a ram.
7) Luna in a chariot to the l. which is drawn by two oxen. She holds a whip in her r.h. Part of her body and head are lost.

In the lower part ofthe relief from l. to r.:

8) Lost. Only a small part of the arched border is preserved.
9) Sol in a quadriga. He holds a torch in his r.h. Mithras ascends. The lower part of the scene is lost.
10) Sitting god with upraised hands (Saturnus). His body is encircled by a serpent which menacingly stretches out its head towards the chariot. Before the god an engraving, probably representing a plant.