Bull Sacrifice

A floor mosaic in the vestibule of the Augusteum, an imperial cult sanctuary, (late 2nd c.) arranges three panels narrating a bull sacrifice. In the first, attendants lead the animal toward an altar; in the second, an executioner raises an axe for the killing blow; in the third, the carcass lies prepared after the rite. Positioned at the entrance, the sequence linked routine passage through the doorway with ideals of piety and loyalty to the Roman state.