Fitz Jenő (szerk.): Religions and Cults in Pannonia. Exhibiton an Székesfehérvár, Csók István Gallery 15 May - 30 September 1996 – Szent István Király Múzeum közleményei: A. sorozat 33. (1998)

Pieces of the altar relief, which show scenes from the Mithras legend, are presented on the back wall of the mithraeum. Altars are arranged in the central section. The richest displays a relief of Mithras and Sol on the front, offering their hands across an altar with offerings. The neighbouring altar bear a full plastic on the top, which represents the the sacrifice of a bull. An high altar, surmounted by two reclining lions, stands on the righthand side of the sunken area. The relief of a male deity stands on one side, whilst the crowned Sol and a four-horsed chariot stand on the other. An altar with a representation of the birth of Mithras from a rock stands on the opposite side. The sunken area also contains a stone bench, which is composed of pieces carved for different purposes. The walls bear fragments of mithraic dedications, which were found in the temple and its vicinity. The damaged relief of the offering of a bull, an high-quality work of Roman art from the middle empire, is also mounted on the lefthand wall. The building also contains reliefs and finds from the immeadiate vicinity, in addition to the furniture of the former mithraeum. It is worth mentioning the reliefs of the Nutrices amongst these, as a shrine to these maternal deities stood nearby in the 1st century A.D. The cult area of the Great Mother (Magna Mater), whose bust is kept in the mithraeum, was built at the same time as the mithraeum. I.L. 183. Mithraic altar The altar of Pohorje marble has a relief of Mithras and Sol on the front. Mithras offers his hand to Sol across a burning altar. His hand holds a piece of meat from the slaughtered bull, impaled on a knife. Sol, wearing a crown of rays and a cloak across his shoulders, takes the hand of Mithras with his right hand. There is a raven above them, which pecks meat above the altar. Mithras is depicted as the benefactor of mankind on the righthand side of the altar. He fires an arrow into a rock, from which water flows. A man kneels below, catching the water in his hands, whilst another embraces and kisses Mithras' foot. There are a bow with a quiver full of arrows and a dagger on the lefthand side of the altar. There are four bulls' heads at the corners above the frontal profilation of the altar. There is an inscription in three lines between the front two bulls' heads: Mithraic altar D(eo) S(oli) i(nvicto) M(ithrae) | pro sal(ute) d(omini) n(ostri) Gallieni p(ii) f(elicis) | invicti Aug(usti) Fl(avius) Aper v(ir) e(gregius) l(ibens) m(erito). - 3rd century A.D. - H: 113 cm; W: 63 cm; Letter height: 2,5 cm. - 3rd Mithraeum, Zgornji Breg, Ptuj (Poetovio) - PMP, Ace. no. RL 293. AU, 313. IL. 184. Mithraic altar Marble altar carved in the shape of a rock. Mithras springs forth from it with a knife in his right hand and a flame in his left hand. Two youths with Phrygian caps on their heads, Cautes and Cautopates, aid the newly born god and draw him from the rock by his forearms. The mountain god reclines above them and regards the scene below him. Victory floats in the top lefthand corner to crown the newborn god. The wreath is missing from her extended hand. Inscription: D(eo) s(oli) i(nvicto) M(ithrae) \ pro sal(ute) officialium Apriprae \positi

leg(ionum) VM(acedonicae) et XIIIGem(inae) | Galli(enarum). - 3rd century A.D. - H: 74 cm; W: 51 cm; Letter height: 2,5 cm. - 3rd Mithaeum, Zgornji Breg, Ptuj (Poetovio) - PMP, Ace. no. RL 296. AU, 316. I.L 185. Bust of Magna Mater The marble bust of the goddess represents the Magna Mater. She is dressed in simple folded clothing, gathered at the shoulders. She wears a roll-like band with intertwined ribbons and jewels at the forehead in her curly hair, which frames her face. The pupils are not plastically modelled, but were shown with paint. The reverse of the bust is unworked. - 3rd century A.D. - H: 75 cm. - Found in the vicinity of the 3rd Mithraeum in Ptuj (Poetovio) - PMP, Ace. no. RL 301. ABRAMIC 1925, 188, fig. 131. I.L. 101