CIMRM 1301 - 6 scenes; tree, water-miracle, rock-birth with shepherd, other. Besigheim, Germany.
See also ubi-erat-lupa.org, where four images are also available.
In the Württembergisches Landesmuseum, Stuttgart. Literature: Haug-Sixt2 498 Nr. 352; Filtzinger, "Die Iupitergigantensäule von Walheim", in: Fundber. B-W 1, 437-482, bes. 479f.; Filtzinger, "Hic saxa..." 182f. Nr. AS 28.; Die Römer in Baden-Württemberg 1986, 243 Abb. 84.
CIMRM entry
1301. Two fragments of a relief in sandstone (H. 0.28 Br. 1.92 and 0.98 D. 0.21). They were walled in in a house in the market-square at Besigheim; then they were transported to Heilbronn, but later on they came back to Besigheim where they are kept in the Town-hall.
Haug, Kön. Württ. I, 161; C. Miller in WsdZ 1887, 49f; Sixt, Schwaben I, 52ff; Sixt, Stuttgart, No. 261; Richter in Neckar-und Enzbote 1894, No. 50; MMM II 342f No. 242 and figs. 216-217; Haug-Sixt, Rom. Inschr. Wurtt., 252f No. 352 and fig. 148 a-b; Esp. Rec. Germ., 250ff No. 394 and fig. See figs. 345-346.
The two fragments form the upper- and lower borders of a Mithraic relief. The various scenes are separated from each other by vertical rims.
In the upper border:
1) Mithras in Phrygian cap and in crouching attitude stretches his l.h. up to some round objects, probably fruits of a tree, the leaves of which are visible in the background.
2) Standing Mithras in Oriental dress with a bow in his l.h. With his r.h. he takes an arrow from the quiver which he carries on his back. Before him a kneeling person who with outstretched hands tries to scoop up the water flowing from the rock.
3) Standing Mithras shoots an arrow from his bow in the direction of a rock before which a person in Phrygian cap kneeling with his outstretched hands in order to scoop up the water. Before Mithras kneels a second person also in Oriental dress. With his outstretched l.h. he touches Mithras' l. knee; with his other hand he touches his own Phrygian cap.
4) Mithras in Oriental dress is leading a bull by one of the horns. The god's head is lost.
The lower border:
5) Naked Mithras being born from the rock holds a torch (l.h.) and a knife (r.h.). On his left a standing person in Oriental dress leading a sheep which he is patting.
6) Naked person in Phrygian cap walks towards a person in Oriental dress who holds a shield or a large dish in his hands. The first person has a knife in his r.h. and raises up his l.h.
Six persons standing in a row in a hieratic attitude. The relief is badly damaged on this spot and so it is not clear whether another person was represented (planets?).
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