Taurobolium
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History
The Taurobolium, according to historical evidence, first appears in an inscription from Puteoli, Italy in 134 CE in connection to Venus Caelestis, otherwise known as the Syrio-Phoenician Astarte. Later in 160 CE we find a reference from Lugdunum, Britain that commemorates a Taurobolium in connection to the Magna Mater. However, it has been agreed by scholars that Taurobolia were performed every 20 years, so our estimated earliest possibility for Taurobolia to be performed is 124 CE.
The origins of this sacrifice, we can speculate, take root in Asia Minor and the Middle East. Mesopotamian priests known as kalu were known to have taken part in bull sacrifice, in Crete and Asia Minor we know of various bull-hunting rites. In Asia Minor, specifically, it was considered a rite of fertility to cut the throat of a bull in times of drought to bring forth rain.
On the basis that the deities who are typically associated with the Taurobolium originate from Asia Minor, Persia and the Middle East, it is a fair theory to understand the introduction of this sacrifice via those deities entrance into the Roman State.
The Sacrifice
The Taurobolium is at the most basic level a bloody sacrificial rite involving a bull being killed with a hooked-sword known as a venabulum. The venabulum features the straight point of a typical blade and it has a second curved-blade that emerges just before the end. This tool was used to firstly stun the bull with the straight point, after which the wound would be ripped open further using the secondary curved-blade.
According to the evidence, the Taurobolium appears to have been a sacrificial ritual that evolved over time:
- 134-160 CE: the Taurobolium seems to imply simply the sacrifice of a bull.
- 160-300 CE: the Taurobolium includes references to the “vires” of the bull in connection to a special tool known as the “cernus”.
- 300-later: the Taurobolium specifically refers to a type of blood-baptism.
Purpose
Deities
Venus Caelestis Magna Mater Mithras
