Monumentum
Head of Mithras from the Mitreo degli Animali
The head of Mithras had seven holes made for fastening rays.
Cabeza de Mitra
The New Mithraeum
22 Jun 2009
Updated on May 2026
TNMM 145 ↔ CIMRM 280
Head of Greek marble (H. 0.46), found near the cult niche i [in the Mithraeum of the animals]. Head with long curly hair in which seven holes have been made for fastening rays. A Phrygian cap, which was found later on, belongs to this head, certainly a head of Mithras tauroktonos.
CIMRM II 280
Cf. No. 263.
Near the altar of the Mitreo degli Animali, a head of Mithras with Phrygian cap was found (h. 0.45). In the cap are holes for metal rays, so Mithras is depicted as Sol Invictus. Furthermore a head of Sol-Helios was found, with seven holes for rays.
References
Visconti in Mon. 1st. VIII, PI. LX, 4; Benndorf-SchOne, No. 547; MMM II 417, fig. 548 and 523 fig. 490; Cumont in RA 1947, 4ff with figs. 1-3; Becatti, 91 and PI. XXXI, 2-3. Lateran Museum.
- Vermaseren, Maarten Jozef (1956) Corpus Inscriptionum et Monumentorum Religionis Mithriacae
- Ostia-Antica.org (2020) Regio IV - Insula II - Mitreo degli Animali (IV,II,11).
