The Mithraic Body: The Example of the Capua Mithraeum

Rather than treating the Capua frescoes as literal depictions of Mithraic initiation rites, Gordon argues that they should be understood as symbolic representations of the disciplined body. Combining archaeological analysis with theories of ritual, power and performance, he suggests that the initiatory experience was designed to transmit specifically Mithraic forms of knowledge through bodily action, fear, submission and endurance. The article places the Capua paintings within wider discussions of ritual violence, authority and the construction of religious identity in the Roman Empire.