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Monumentum

Mitreo di Santa Prisca

The Mithraeum of Santa Prisca houses remarkable frescoes showing the initiates in procession.
  • General view of the Mithraeum of Sant Prisca

    General view of the Mithraeum of Sant Prisca 

  • General view of the Mithraeum of Sant Prisca

    General view of the Mithraeum of Sant Prisca
    Roma Sparita 

  • CIMRM 476

    CIMRM 476
    Vermaseren's Corpus 

  • Procession of 'leones' from Santa Prisca Mithraeum

    Procession of 'leones' from Santa Prisca Mithraeum 

  • Procession of 'leones' from Santa Prisca Mithraeum

    Procession of 'leones' from Santa Prisca Mithraeum 

  • Head of Sol from Santa Prisca

    Head of Sol from Santa Prisca
    Jebulon 

  • Procession of lions, Santa Prisca.

    Procession of lions, Santa Prisca.
    Unknown 

  • Ocean-Saturn of Mitreo di Santa Prisca

    Ocean-Saturn of Mitreo di Santa Prisca
    Archeo.it 

  • Ocean-Saturn of Mitreo di Santa Prisca

    Ocean-Saturn of Mitreo di Santa Prisca
    Archeo.it 

  • Cautes of Santa Prisca

    Cautes of Santa Prisca
    Spalluzza 

  • Section of the frescoes of Santa Prisca.

    Section of the frescoes of Santa Prisca.
    Unknown 

  • Titan from Santa Prisca.

    Titan from Santa Prisca.
    CIMRM 

  • Fortuna goddess from Santa Prisca.

    Fortuna goddess from Santa Prisca.
    CIMRM 

 
The New Mithraeum
17 May 2007
Updated on Sep 2023

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In 1935 during excavations, undertaken by the Fathers Augustines, a Mithraeum was discovered in the underground rooms of a notable house, situated under and behind the absis of S. Prisca's on the Aventine. This Church lies above the house, in which an early Christian community had its meeting-place next to the house, the underground rooms of which served for the mithraists to held their services.

In 1952 and 1953 I carried on the excavations together with Dr C. C. van Essen. Other seasons of work will follow, thus we are only able to publish here some preliminary details of the results.

Related monuments

Procession Fresco from Santa Prisca

Figures in procession, each representing a different grade of Mithraic initiation, labeled with their respective titles.

Head of Sol / Helios intarsio from Sant Prisca

The intarsium of Sol found in the Mithraeum of Santa Prisca is composed of several varieties of marble.

Frescoes of lions at Santa Prisca

Procession of Leones carrying animals, bread, a krater, and other objects in preparation for a feast.

Oceanus-Saturn of Santa Prisca

The fragmented tauroctony of the Mitreo di Santa Prisca rests on the naked figure of a bearded man, probably Ocean or Saturn.

 

Tauroctony of Santa Prisca

Even if only a few fragments remain, it is very likely that the main niche of the Mitreo di Santa Prisca contained the usual representation of Mithras killing the bull.

Cautes of the mitreo di Santa Prisca

The marble statue of Cautes, found in the Mithraeum of Santa Prisca, was originally a Mercury.

CIMRM 483

Continuation of the frescoes depicting an initiation into the Mithras cult, where two attendants present a repast to Mithras and Sol.

Giant from Santa Prisca

Partial relief of a Giant with snake-feet found in the Mithraeum of Santa Prisca.

 

CIMRM 496

Upper part of a goddess Fortuna of marble from Luna.

 
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