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Monumentum

Stars of the Mitreo de Santa Maria Capua Vetere

The vault of the Mithraeum of S. Capua Vetere is ornamented with stars with holes in their centres, which used to contain colourful glass decorations.
Estrellas de la bóveda del Mitreo de Santa Maria Capua Vetere

Estrellas de la bóveda del Mitreo de Santa Maria Capua Vetere
Mihr* 

 
The New Mithraeum
18 Jul 2009
Updated on Jan 2022

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The vault of the Mithraeum is stuccoed and decorated with stars. These are painted inside a circle, they each have eight rays and they are alternately red and blue on a dark-yellow background. In the center of them a very small hole is often visible. It is said that when it was discovered the vault was besprinkled with precious stones which were later on stolen; but among the loose earth we found a little circular piece of blue glass paste with a hole in the middle; it therefore seems probable that these glass decorations (which may have been of various colours) were nailed into the stars. Yet…

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Fresco scene from Mitreo of Santa Maria Capua Vetere

Fresco showing a scene of initiation into the mysteries of Mithras in the Mithraeum of Santa Maria Capua Vetere.

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Aion fresco of Caputa Vetere

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Representation of a person lying prostrate on the ground between two other walking figures on the Mitreo of Santa Capua Vetere.