Mithras Slaying the Bull, 200 C.E.

Chapter 6: The Creation of the Roman Empire (44 B.C.E. -284 C.E.)

"Hundred of shrines to the mysterious god Mithras have been found in the Roman Empire. Scholars debate the symbolic meaning of the bull slaying that is prominent in art connected to Mithras's cult, as in this wall painting of about 200 C.E. from the shrine at Marino, south of Rome. Here, a snake and a dog lick the sacrificial animal's blood, while a scorpion pinches its testicles as it dies in agony. The ancient sources do not clarify the scene's meaning. What do you think could be the explanation for this type of sacrifice?" - Pg. 200

This painting of the Roman god Mithras, displays the importance of both cult following through different shrines for Roman deities and that the Romans were at first a polytheist society. Later with the byzantine presence, the Romans would adopt Christianity as their main religion, but they were first like the Greeks, believing in many gods.