Rock inscription of Sagarios at Farasha

TNMM 815 ↔ CIMRM 19

Near Frasha (Τά Φάρασα), situated near the Zamanti-Sou, on a considerable height a grotto has been hewn out, which can be reached by way of a flight of steps. This may have been a Mithraeum. An inscription hewn out in the rock one and a half miles upstream opposite the so-called "Earthen Bridge" is certainly mithraic. Grégoire in CRAI 1908, 445 thinks it probable that the inscription dates from the first century of our era (cf. Cumont, M. As. Min., 68).

Σαγάριος / Μαγ[αρέ]νου / στρατηγός / Ἀριαρμνεί(ας) / ἐμάγευσε Μίθρῃ.

ἐμάγευσε may mean "celebrated a Mazdaean ceremony". The other explanation "became Magus for Mithras" is not convincing (Nock in AJPhil. LXIII, 1942, 349). The last words of the inscription are written in Aramaic.

CIMRM II 19

Cf. Bengtson, Strategie II, 253 n. 2. G. Widengren, Stand und Aufgaben der iranischen Religionsgeschichte, Leiden 1955, 70 n. 272 accepts the interpretation of MM 25 n. i "became Magus for Mithras" and does not seem to know about Nock's publication.

Comments

The New Mithraeum

Dear Aleš,

Thank you for your feedback. After reviewing the information, I can confirm that the detail regarding Bogdan Filov’s discovery came from a travel website that has since disappeared. As I this source can’t be further verified, I’ll be adding a disclaimer to clarify the nature of the information provided.

Warm regards

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