CIMRM 1292-1293 - Tauroctony. Osterburken, Germany.

CIMRM entry

1292.
Relief in yellowish sandstone (H. 1.76 Br. 1.70 D. 0.19). Karlsruhe, Badisches Landesmuseum. The director Dr. R. Schnellbach kindly sent me a photograph. The museum will be organized in the Schlosz; during my visit in 1957 it was preserved in the depots. The relief is to be found in nearly all handbooks dealing with archaeology in Germany and with its religious history. I therefore mention only the most important publicatious:
Stark, Zwei Mithräen, 25; Friederich-Wolters, No. 1954; MMM II 348 and 509 No. 246 and Pl. VI; RRR II 56, 2;Wagner-Haug, Fundstätte II, 400ff No. 290 and fig. 340; Esp. Rec. Germ., 13lff No. 200 and fig.; Saxl, 69ff and figs. 83, 143, 150, 156, 164, 167, 170; Turchi, RRA, Pl. XXV, I. See figs. 340-342.
Mithras in Oriental dress kills the bull in a grotto. The god's r.h. and dagger are lost; the bull's tail ends in three corn-ears. The border of the grotto is decorated with the signs of the Zodiac: Ram-Bull-Twins-Cancer-Lion-Virgo-Libra-Scorpion-Archer- Capricorn-Aquarius and Fishes. Outside this border on the l. the raven is perched on two stone blocks. The dog (the hindmost part is lost) leaps up against the bull in order to lick the blood from the wound; the scorpion grasps the testicles. Underneath the bull a krater above which the serpent holds its head; next to it a sitting lion.
Before the bull standing Cautes with upraised burning torch in his r.h.; at the other side Cautopates also in Oriental dress and cross-legged. With his r.h. he holds the torch downwards, in his l.h. he holds a twig which ends in flowers or leaves.
The upper part of the relief is divided into three parts by vertical rims:
1) In the centre the assembly of the gods is represented in two rows. In the foreground bearded Jupiter sitting on a throne with thunderbolt in his r.h. and with a staff in his upraised l.h. (the staff is now lost). The god is dressed in a mantle, which leaves the breast uncovered.
On his l. three standing divinities. Naked Apollo standing cross-legged wearing only a shoulder-cape. With his l.h. he rests a either on a altar, in his other hand he probably holds the plectron. Next to him standing Mars in cuirass and in helmet. He rests his l.h. on a shield, ill his upraised r.h. he probably held the lance. Robust standing Hercules with a club in his r.h. and an apple in his l.h. Over his l. shoulder a lion's skin. On Jupiter's r. there are three goddesses. Juno in long dress and in velum with a small box in her l.h. Next to her standing Minerva in long tunic and in helmet. She holds a shield in her l.h. and a lance in her r.h. Naked Venus dressing her hair and holding a mirror in her l.h. In the second row of gods there is a winged Victoria who holds a large palmbranch in her l.h. ; with her r.h. she puts a crown on Jupiter's head. On her l. the naked bust of bearded Neptune with a trident in his l.h. On Victoria's other side a standing Proserpina in a long dress and a velum; next to her standing bearded Pluto with a sceptre in his upraised r.h. Youthful Diana who seems to take an arrow from the quiver attached to her shoulder.
2) In the l. part Sol standing on a quadriga. The god is in nimbus, has a shouldercape and holds a whip in his upraised r.h. Above the ascending quadriga a naked flying child (Phosphorus) with a torch in its outstretched hands. In the corner the bearded mask of a blowing Wind-god with wings in the hair. Next to it a small bust. Behind Sol a tree from the top of which Mithras emerges; he is dressed in a tunic and in a Phrygian cap. Before the tree Mithras in Phrygian cap only cuts off a fruit with a knife. Behind the raven Mithras' rockbirth. The god holds a torch and a kuife in his upraised hands.
3) In the r. part Luna descending in a biga drawn by two oxen whose heads are hidden behind the rocks. Luna is only partly dressed; she has a crescent on her head. Behind the car naked Hesperus tumbles down with torches in his hands. Underneath this figure the bull walking to the r.; above it Mithras carrying the bull on his shoulders. In the upper corner the head of a beardless god who blows the wind upwards.
4) The l. column of the niche is divided into six panels by horizontal rims. From bottom to top:
a) A head in a flowerlike irregular circle (Chaos).
b) Reclining woman with naked upper part of the body who rests her l. elbow on a basket with fruit (Terra); she raises her r.h. over her head. Naked bust of Atlas who supports the globe with both hands.
c) Three standing women in long dresses (Parcae). The goddess in the centre holds a balance; the l. one holds a scroll, the r. one an indistinct object.
d) Standing Saturnus in velum gives the thunderbolt to Jupiter. In the centre is an altar.
e) Jupiter with thunderbolt in his upraised r.h. grasps the hair of a kneeling Giant in order to kill him.
f) Reclining Oceanus in beard who holds an oblong object (reed?) in his r.h.
5) The r. column is also divided into various panels. From top to bottom:
a) Standing Mithras shoots an arrow in the direction of a rock before which a person in Oriental dress is kneeling down with outstretched hands (water-miracle). A second person in Oriental dress is kneeling before Mithras.
b) Mithras is dragged along by the bull.
c) Mithras ascending Sol's quadriga. Mithras touches Sol's head with his r. hand.
d) Mithras in Oriental dress holds a piece of meat over the head of Sol kneeling before him and stretching out both hands. Between the gods a radiate crown on the ground. Sol wears only a shoulder-cape; Mithras holds his l.h. at the sheath of the dagger.
e) Mithras in the same attitude as in the preceding scene is shaking hands with Sol over an altar. Sol wears a shoulder-cape and a nimbus.
f) Mithras riding a horse to the r. He shoots an arrow from his bow. Behind him a walking person in Oriental dress. He has a quiver upon his r. shoulder. Undernea th the horse a lion.
g) Mithras (r) and Sol (l) reclining at a table, which is covered by the bull's skin. The two gods raise drinking-horns in their r. hands. Mithras in Oriental dress; Sol has a nimbus.
In the lower border of the relief is an inscription.
1293.
CIL XIII 6576; MMM II No. 426.
L.H.0.03.
D(eo) S(oli) i(nvicto) M(ithrae) M[er]catorius Castrensis in suo const(ituit).

The relief was described by Franz Cumont as "undoubtedly the most remarkable of all the monuments of the cult of Mithra discovered so far. Not only does it exceed most other sculptures in its dimensions, but the number of representations, and of personages who appear in it, has no equivalent elsewhere."¹