Monumentum
Sacello delle Tre Navate, possible Mithraeum near the Sette Sapienti
The Sacello delle Tre Navate near the Therms of the Sette Sapienti at Ostia, whose identification as a Mithraeum remains uncertain, with a decorated cult-niche but lacking typical Mithraic iconography.
The New Mithraeum
Updated on May 2026
TNMM 929 ↔ CIMRM 271
Of the Sacello delle tre Navate (Reg. III, Is. II, 2), which lies near the therms-building of the "Sette Sapienti", it cannot be said with certainty if it was a Mithraeum. It has the division into central aisle and side-benches and the roof is supported by ten columns. The decorated cult-niche is very considerable. Representations and graffiti, however, nor the presence of many windows do not point to a Mithras-sanctuary.
Before the cult-niche in the mosaic of the floor is a representation of a burning altar between a pig (r), knife and cantharus (l). Besides, there is near the entrance a large basin (Becatti 69ff fig. 16 and Pl. XIV).
References
- Vermaseren, Maarten Jozef (1956) Corpus Inscriptionum et Monumentorum Religionis Mithriacae
