Mithraeum of Sidon

TNMM 11 ↔ CIMRM 74

About the Mithraeum at Sidon (Saida), the article of the journalist Durighello, which has been published again by Reinach, does not give satisfactory explanation. Part of his statements, especially those about the finds, is based on the truth; according to de Ridder, however, one has demesurement grossi l’importance d’une decouverte reelle. Beside the statues, niches are mentioned, in which they shall have been placed, and a tesselated floor.

According to the seleucid era the Mithraeum must have existed in the second century, assuming, however, the autonomic era of the city itself, the sanctuary existed in the fourth one. The last dating has been proposed by E. Will in Syria XXVII, 1950, 261ff, especially the name of one of the dedicators Fl. Gerontios points into this direction.

The collection of sculptures (colI. Peretie) was bought by de Clercq in Paris in 1882 and is now deposited with Comte Louis de Boisgelin, 5 Rue Masseran, Paris (VII) [today in the Louvre museum]. To his kindness we owe that we have been in the opportunity to study the documents.

The Mithraeum of Sidon escaped destruction because the followers of Mithras walled off the entrance to the underground sanctuary. Evidence supports the belief that the sanctuary may have been beneath the foundations of the present Greek Catholic Arch bishopric.

Comments

Ron Kassav

For rectification, Saïda or Sidon is in Lebanon

1

Mithraeum.eu

Thank you for noticing, Ron. The Syrian location mentioned before referred to the original Roman Province, I guess. Regards.