The Taurobolium in Gallia. A link between the center and the periphery.

One of the most studied and discussed aspect of the Magna Mater cult is the ceremonial sacrifice known as taurobolium. Despite the considerable evidence of this ritual, doubts still remain among scholars and many interpretations have been given through the decades. For example, not only its public or private nature is matter of debate, but also its formal features. In this article, I tackle some of the arguments carried out so far, through a closer analysis of the archaeological remains, in order to better understand the historical development, social value and religious function of the taurobolium. I mostly focus on the Gallic Provinces, from the second half of the 2nd century until the last decade of the 3rd century CE, as this region is a valuable archive of monumental and epigraphical evidence about the ritual. I describe how the taurobolium was celebrated, by whom, and for what purposes, eventually demonstrating how it was an efficient means of political and religious contact between the central power and the provincial periphery.