Mitreo del Campidoglio «lo perso»

TNMM 24 ↔ CIMRM 414

In the Northern part of the Capitoline-hill, near the present Church of S. Maria d'Aracoeli, there was at the time of Cyriacus from Ancona (born 1391) a Mithraeum called 'lo perso'. Smetius visited it in 1550, but when Montfaucon arrived in Rome (1594) it had already been destroyed for some time. A manuscript from about 1600, which belonged to Lanciani and now lies in the Library of the Italian archaeological Institute (No. 124/227 ed. Mariani) gives further details about this sanctuary.

Colini in BCR 1938, 259 considers it possible to ascribe all data and finds to one Mithraeum (see the three following Nos. [CIMRM 415, 416 and 417]), which then might have consisted of several rooms and contained many statues; but this does not seem to me assumable (see below). This Mithraeum must have been situated behind and between 'il complesso delle costruzioni che si addossavano all' Arce nelluogo ove oggi si trova il Palazzo dei Musei, costruzioni che prolungavano quelle su cui eimpostata la scala d'Aracoeli e di cui un piccolo poco conosciuto avanzo puo vedersi ancora in una stanzino, che serve di ripostiglio al pianterreno del palazzo sudetto'.

We accept a large sanctuary near the S. Maria d'Aracoeli and a smaller one along the Salita delle Tre Pile (see the discussion in De Mithrasdienst Rome, 38ff, where we reject also Lugli's opinion, who makes a distinction between the speleum 'lo Perso' and the find-spot of the large relief No. 415 (Roma Antica, 1,34).