Mitreo delle Sette Sfere

TNMM 9 ↔ CIMRM 239

Vermaseren

Mithraeum, discovered by Lanciani in 1885-1886 (Reg. II, Is. VII, 6). Second half of the second cent. A.D.

The Mithraeum was built in a rectangular room on the Western side of the Domus of Apuleius with which it communicates through a corridor. It is, however, uncertain whether already in antiquity the house communicated with the sanctuary. Entering the sanctuary (L. 11.20 Br. 4.95), one finds the usual division of central aisle (Br. 1.70), leading to the dais, and two sloping side-benches (Br. 1.50-1.65 H. 0.75-0.60), the fronts and the projecting edges of which bear representations in mosaic. The floor of the central aisle is also covered with mosaic equally showing representations.

Left of the entrance (Br. 1.00) there was a ritual basin in the floor (Br. 0.45 D. 0.30). Two small niches (H. 0.54-0.44 Br. 0.30 D. 0.25) near the middle of the benches must also be thought of in connection with water. The niche of the r. bench is covered with marble and is lower than the floor. Before the cult-niche (partly covered with marble) there is a bench-like platform (H. 1.00 Br. 4.30), which may have been used to place lamps on.

In the white-black mosaic-floor of the central aisle near the entrance there is a dagger and behind it follow seven half circles (seven spheres of the planets) [TNMM 607].

Gordon (1976)

The entrance to the mithraeum is - as usual - off-centre. In the front part, on the floor, are a U-shaped basin and a mosaic dagger. The water-basin is a reference to a source, near the cave in which Mithras created the world by killing the bull. The dagger, the weapon of Mars, is usually viewed as a reference to the killing of the bull.

The signs of the Zodiac are depicted in mosaic on the horizontal side of the ledges in front on the benches:

From the order can be deduced that the left side coincided with the astrological north, summer and spring, and the day. The right side represented south, winter and fall, and night.

At the front of the benches are the torchbearers Cautes and Cautopates, who were associated with Sol and Luna. Cautes raises a small torch. In his other hand is a cock, referring to the morning. Cautopates is lowering a large torch, the fire of which is indicated by red tesserae. It is peculiar that Cautes is on the ’south’ and dark side, Cautopates on the ’north’ and light side. This can be explained by linking them to another aspect of ’north’ and ’south’: the places where the souls of men entered and left the world.

From the signs of the Zodiac can furthermore be deduced that there was a line of equinoxes, coinciding with the true north-south axis of the shrine. It ends at the true north, where Mithras was depicted. There is also a line of solstices, from the true west to east. This line is between Gemini and Cancer to the left, and Capricorn and Sagittarius to the right. On the latter line are two recesses, in the vertical side of the benches. Possibly these niches can be explained as the gates of heaven, through which the souls descended and ascended.

On the vertical side of the benches, so on either side of the niches, are mosaic depictions of planets standing in niches or aediculae:

This is not a known order. A solution is suggested by the order of the planets in the Mitreo delle Sette Porte (IV,V,13). This may be the order of the planets on the night of creation, before light appears. The planets are in their nocturnal houses. The seventh planet, Sol, is missing (as it is in Sette Porte). That is because this planet is Mithras-Sol, who does not belong in the dark night. He created light, and was depicted in the back part of the shrine.

On the floor, between the benches, are seven black mosaic arches that gave the shrine its modern name. For some reason they touch the left, but not the right bench. They are usually regarded as the seven gates of heaven through which souls had to pass. They are, however, heavenly spheres, parts of the earth that were governed by the planets and the signs of the Zodiac. They correspond to the planets, and to the seven grades of initiation.

Beck (1979)

Beck praises Gordon’s analysis, but disagrees in one respect: Gordon’s explanation of the order of the planets is not correct, from an astrological point of view.

According to Beck an actual arrangement of the planets is depicted in Sette Sfere and Sette Porte. The true north, where Mithras was depicted, coincides with the spring equinox, i.e. the moment when finally the day was no longer shorter than the night. We see a Saturn-Jupiter conjunction, with Saturn, Venus and Mars to the east of the sun, and Jupiter, Mercury and the moon to the west. That was the situation on 21 March (the spring equinox) of 172 AD (with the exception of the moon, that may have been placed on the left side to achieve symmetry). However, the Saturn-Jupiter conjunction took place only in 173 AD, so the spring equinox of that year seems to be referred to as well. The depictions in Sette Porte also refer to the conjunction in 173 AD.