Tauroctony from Salita delle Tre Pile

TNMM 995 ↔ CIMRM 417

White marble relief (H. 0.56 Br. 0.86), broken in two parts. Found in 1872 near the Salita delle Tre Pile, a flight of steps, leading up to the Capitoline-hill and situated opposite to S. Maria d’ Aracoeli. Close to it a small cave was hewn out. Museo Capitolino, Inv. No. 1205.

Mithras slaying the bull, whose tail ends in ears. The god looks at the raven, perched on a rocky stone behind him. Dog and serpent near the wound, the scorpion on the usual place. On either side a torchbearer is standing on a square base, cross-legged. Both are in Eastern attire like Mithras and they hold their torches with both hands. In the upper corners the busts of Sol in aureole and radiate crown and of Luna with diadem in her hair and a crescent behind her shoulders. In the upper border is a notch, which probably served for fastening the relief.