Monumentum
Tauroctony relief from Villa Borghese
This is one of the three reliefs depicting Mithras killing the bull that the Louvre Museum acquired from the Roman Villa Borghese collection.
The New Mithraeum
24 Oct 2023
Updated on Jan 2026
White marble relief (H. 1.63 Br. 1.87 D. 0.23-Q.35). At first in Rome, Villa Borghese; nowadays Paris, Louvre, Inv. No. 1024. Probably third century A.D.
Montelatici, Villa Borghese, 165; 181; Zoega, Abh., 148 No. 4; Clarac, Mus. Sculpt., II 307 No. 58 and Pl. 204 No. 58; de Hammer, Mithriaca, Pl. XXII; Lajard, Intr., Pl. LXXVI, 2; Froehner, Not. Sculpt., 502 No. 570; MMM II 223ff No. 57 and fig. 53; 481 No. 57a; Cecchelli in Roma 1941, Taf. XXII.In a rocky cave Mithras as a bullkiller: The god’s face has an expression of effort or grief. The dog and the serpent are present;…
Montelatici, Villa Borghese, 165; 181; Zoega, Abh., 148 No. 4; Clarac, Mus. Sculpt., II 307 No. 58 and Pl. 204 No. 58; de Hammer, Mithriaca, Pl. XXII; Lajard, Intr., Pl. LXXVI, 2; Froehner, Not. Sculpt., 502 No. 570; MMM II 223ff No. 57 and fig. 53; 481 No. 57a; Cecchelli in Roma 1941, Taf. XXII.In a rocky cave Mithras as a bullkiller: The god’s face has an expression of effort or grief. The dog and the serpent are present;…
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