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Monumentum

Altars from the Phrygianum of the Vatican by two clarissimi

Both of them were discovered in 1609 in the foundations of the façade of the church of San Pietro, Rome.
CIL VI 504
CIL VI 504EDCS
 
The New Mithraeum
20 Sep 2023
Updated on May 2026

TNMM 620 ↔ CIMRM 513 & 514

Two altars, found when digging for the foundations of the facade of S. Pietro’s in 1609.

M(atri) d(eum) m(agnae) I(deae) / et Attidi meno/tyranno conser/vatoribus suis Cae/lius Hilarianus v(ir) c(larissimus) / duodecimbyr (sic!) / urbis Romae / p(ater) s(acrorum) et hieroceryx / i(nvicti) M(ithrae) s(acerdos) d(ei) L(iberi) / s(acerdos) d(eae) / Hecate / d(omino) n(ostro) Gratiano aug(usto) / et Merobaude / cons(ulibus) III idus / maias.

377 A.D.

CIMRM 514

Dis magnis / Ulpius Egnatius Faventinus / v(ir) c(larissimus) augur pub(licus) p(opuli) r(omani) q(uiritium) pater et hieroceryx d(ei) s(olis) i(nvicti) M(ithrae) / archibucolus dei Liberi / hierofanta Hecatae sa/cerdos Isidis percepto / taurobolio criobolioq(ue) / idibus augustis d(ominis) n(ostris) / Valente Aug(usto) V et Valentinia/no Aug(usto) co(n)s(ulibus) feliciter


Vota Faventinus bis deni suscipit orbis / Ut mactet repetens aurata fronte bicornes.

376 A.D.

The two texts collected here, though different in character, are contemporary, originate from Rome, and concern aristocrats of clarissimate rank. They are dedications set up in the Vatican Phrygianum on the occasion of major polytheistic ceremonies performed by Ulpius Egnatius Faventinus and Caelius Hilarianus.

CIL VI 500

M[atri] d[eum] m[agnae] I[deae] / et Attidi meno/tyranno conser/vatoribus suis Cae/lius Hilarianus v[ir] c[larissimus] / duodecimbyr [sic!] / urbis Romae / p[ater] s[acrorum] et hieroceryx / i[nvicti] M[ithrae] s[acerdos] d[ei] L[iberi] / s[acerdos] d[eae] / Hecate / d[omino] n[ostro] Gratiano aug[usto] / et Merobaude / cons[ulibus] III idus / maias.

Dis magnis / Ulpius Egnatius Faventinus / v[ir] c[larissimus] augur pub[licus] p[opuli] r[omani] q[uiritium] pater et hieroceryx d[ei] s[olis] i[nvicti] M[ithrae] / archibucolus dei Liberi / hierofanta Hecatae sa/cerdos Isidis percepto / taurobolio criobolioq[ue] / idibus augustis d[ominis] n[ostris] / Valente Aug[usto] V et Valentinia/no Aug[usto] co[n]s[ulibus] feliciter

Vota Faventinus bis deni suscipit orbis / Ut mactet repetens aurata fronte bicornes.
To the Great Mother of the Gods of Ida and to Attis Menotyrannus, his protectors, Caelius Hilarianus, vir clarissimus, duodecemvir of the city of Rome, Father of the sacred rites and sacred herald of the invincible Mithras, priest of the god Liber and priest of the goddess Hecate, under our lord Gratian Augustus and Merobaudes as consuls, on the third day before the Ides of May.

To the great gods. Ulpius Egnatius Faventinus, vir clarissimus, public augur of the Roman people of the Quirites, Father and sacred herald of the god Sol Invictus Mithras, archibucolus of the god Liber, hierophant of Hecate, priest of Isis, having received the taurobolium and criobolium on the Ides of August under our lords Valens Augustus, consul for the fifth time, and Valentinian Augustus as consuls, happily [fulfilled his vows].

Faventinus undertakes the vows of the twice-ten-year cycle, so that, returning once again, he may sacrifice the golden-fronted horned victims.

References

CIL VI 500; MMM II No. 19. CIL VI 504; MMM II No. 20.

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