DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.14138#0031
25
r the part of the villa of Antoninus Pius at Lanuvium, called
Monte Cagnolo. Mus. Marbles, I., pi. 7. Ellis, T. G., II., pp.
210-12. T.
(56.) Mithraic Group.—The god Mithras in a Persian
dress is kneeling on a prostrate bull, drawing back its head
with his left hand and stabbing it behind the shoulder
with a short sword held in his right hand. A dog; and a
snake are springing up to drink the blood of the victim;
a scorpion seizes the scrotum with its claws. Behind the
bull are two small figures representing, apparently, priests
of Mithras. One holds an inverted torch in his right hand ;
the other, who stands nearer the bull, may have held an
inverted torch in his left hand; his right hand is placed
on the bull's hindquarter. Between these two figures
is a support which seems intended to represent a rock,
and may be the Mithraic symbol, a conical stone, which
occurs on other monuments of this class. (See Annali of
Inst. Arch. Bom., XXXVI., p. 160.) The position of these
two attendant ministers is unusual; in Mithraic monu-
ments they are generally placed one on each side of the
main group. Near the bull's hind leg are the feet of a
bird, probably a raven, which is frequently introduced in
Mithraic sculptures. On the front of the plinth on which
the group stands is the following inscription in letters
probably of the third century a.d. :—
ALCIMVS . Tl . CL . LIVIANI . SER . VILC .
SOL . M . V . S . D . D .
" Alcimus, the slave bailiff of Titus Claudius Livianus,
dedicates this (monument) to the Sun-god, Mithras, in
fulfilment of a vow." On the other side of the bull this
inscription is repeated in an abbreviated form. Mithras
wears trousers, anaxyrides, reaching to the ankles, a
garment with sleeves reaching nearly to the knees, over
which is an upper garment reaching to the hips and
r the part of the villa of Antoninus Pius at Lanuvium, called
Monte Cagnolo. Mus. Marbles, I., pi. 7. Ellis, T. G., II., pp.
210-12. T.
(56.) Mithraic Group.—The god Mithras in a Persian
dress is kneeling on a prostrate bull, drawing back its head
with his left hand and stabbing it behind the shoulder
with a short sword held in his right hand. A dog; and a
snake are springing up to drink the blood of the victim;
a scorpion seizes the scrotum with its claws. Behind the
bull are two small figures representing, apparently, priests
of Mithras. One holds an inverted torch in his right hand ;
the other, who stands nearer the bull, may have held an
inverted torch in his left hand; his right hand is placed
on the bull's hindquarter. Between these two figures
is a support which seems intended to represent a rock,
and may be the Mithraic symbol, a conical stone, which
occurs on other monuments of this class. (See Annali of
Inst. Arch. Bom., XXXVI., p. 160.) The position of these
two attendant ministers is unusual; in Mithraic monu-
ments they are generally placed one on each side of the
main group. Near the bull's hind leg are the feet of a
bird, probably a raven, which is frequently introduced in
Mithraic sculptures. On the front of the plinth on which
the group stands is the following inscription in letters
probably of the third century a.d. :—
ALCIMVS . Tl . CL . LIVIANI . SER . VILC .
SOL . M . V . S . D . D .
" Alcimus, the slave bailiff of Titus Claudius Livianus,
dedicates this (monument) to the Sun-god, Mithras, in
fulfilment of a vow." On the other side of the bull this
inscription is repeated in an abbreviated form. Mithras
wears trousers, anaxyrides, reaching to the ankles, a
garment with sleeves reaching nearly to the knees, over
which is an upper garment reaching to the hips and