Mitreo di Felicissimo

TNMM 7 ↔ CIMRM 299

Mithraeum (Reg. V, Is. IX, 1) built in a house of uncertain destination (’Mitreo di Felicisimo’). Second half of third century A.D.

The entrance (Br. 2.20) to the Mithraeum (L. 11.10-10.35) is in the leftwall and opposite to it in the right wall is a semicircular niche. The two side-benches (H. 0.20 Br. 1.40-1.15) end just in front of the entrance and this niche, they have not any steps. Near the entrance is a ritual basin (diam. 0.40). The central aisle has a mosaic pavement with the symbolic representations of the different mithraic grades:

1. Near the entrance is a stylized tree.
2. In the middle of the floor, in the space between the entrance and the niche, is a krater.
3. Before the niche is a burning altar.
4. Avobe the crater and then in the direction of the backwall the following figures, separated form each other by black bands: Two phrygian caps surmonted by a crescent.
5. A small vase between a rave (l) and caduceus (r) (Corax-Mercurius).
6. Radiate diadem in the form of a crescent; underneath it a lamp (Nymphus-Venus).
7. Helmet; above it a lance. Military bag (Miles-Mars).
8. Lightning, sistrum and fire-spade (Leo-Jupiter).
9. Falx; crescent and underneath it is a star and another falx of a different type (Perses-Luna).
10. Crown with seven rays and with bands; torch (l) and whip (r) (Heliodromus-Sol).
11. Falx, Phrygian cap, staff, patera (Pater-Saturnus).
12. Vase among different twigs. Above a dedication: L.H. (0.105-0.12).

This Mithraic sanctuary (2 rooms) was discovered and excavated in 1940. It was located in a single room belonging to a small building of unknown purpose, possibly a commercial or storage unit. It seems possible that at least another room was connected to the Mithraic installation (mid-3rd century CE) with the function of antechamber. The devotees could access the main cult room from a northern door. Two benches were built against the side walls. Their fronts were built in small tufa stones. No remains of the upper shelf or of the cut-in niches were preserved at the moment of the discovery of the room. The eastern part of the room did not preserve any trace of the altar or of the cult niche. A circular pit was cut in the ground floor just after the door. A semi-circular niche cut in the western corner of the southern wall was possibly re-used in the Mithraic phase to host a statue. The floor was paved in black and white mosaic.

Comments

Carolyn Radlo

Richard Gordon suggests the object on the Miles step is a bull’s hindquarter.
“In the light of the sacrificial scene on the altar of Flavius Aper (Poetovio), the interpretation as a bull’s hind-quarter rather than shoulder is to be preferred. The scene at Ostia is perfectly in keeping with other evidence suggest- ing that (junior) Mithraic grades fulfilled specific manual tasks within the cult, in the case of Miles, butchery of sacrificial animals.”
See:
Gordon, R. 2013c. “The Miles-frame in the Mitreo di Felicissimo and the practicalities of sacrifice.” Religio: Revue Pro Religionistiku 21, no.1: 33–38.