The Priests who had the direction of the Taurobola, wore the same vestments without washing out the bloody stains, as long as they would hold together.
By these rites and baptisms by blood, they thought themselves, as it were re-born to a life eternal. Sextilius Agefilaus Ædesius says, that he was born a-new, to life eternal, by means of the Taurobolium and Criobolium.
Nor were the priests alone initiated in this manner, but also others, who were not of that order; in particular cases the regenerations were only promised for twenty years.
Besides the Taurobolia and Criobolia, which were erected at the expence of whole cities and provinces, there were others also, which were founded by the bounty of private people. We often meet with the names of magistrates and priests of other Gods, who were admitted into these mysteries, and who erected Taurobolia as offerings for the safety of the Emperor, or their own. The rites of the Taurobolia lasted sometimes many days.
The inscription, on the Taurobolium, which is on the same side with the head of the bull, we have endeavoured to explain by filling up the abbreviations which are met with in the Roman character.
taurobolio matris deum magnæ idææ
quod factum est ex imperio
matris idææ deum
pro salute imperatoris cæsaris
titi ælii