A magnificent tauroctony with inscription, held in the wall in the octagonal courtyard in the Vatican museums.
CIMRM entry
546.
White marble relief (H. and Br. about 0.75). Vatican Museum, walled in the Cortile del Belvedere.
Massi, Ind. Ant., 200 No. 33; Zoega, AM., 149 No. 14; Lajard, Pl. LXXVIII, 2; MMM II 211 No. 29 and fig. 38; Amelung, Skulpt. Vat., II (2). 178f No. 72 and Taf. 19. See fig. 154.
In a cave Mithras, slaying the bull, whose tail ends in three ears. Above
Mithras' flying cloak his bow and quiver. On the border of the cave the raven is
perched. Further the scorpion at the testicles; the serpent creeping over the
ground; the dog with hanging tongue running towards the bull.
In the upper corners, outside the cave-vault, the bust of Sol in nimbus and
crown of seven rays, and the bust of Luna with a crescent behind her shoulders, on
the horns of which are stars.
The noses of Mithras and Sol are added; Luna's nose got lost. Slight traces of
a reddish painting. In a field below the scene an inscription:
Soli Invicto Deo
Atimetus Augg. NN. Ser. Act.
Praediorum Romanianorum
Soli Invicto Deo = to the unconquered sun god. (We would understand Sol Invictus here, except that the image is plainly of Mithras in his phrygian cap, not Sol Invictus in his chariot and radiate crown).
Atimetus = name of the dedicator
Augg. NN. SER. = "Aug(ustorum) n(ostrorum) servus" = "slave of our emperors"
Act(uarius) Praediorum Romanianorum = cashier of the Romanian farms.
Atimetus was an imperial slave, he was the cashier on a great estate.