Valerius Magio

Valerius Magio is attested through a dedicatory altar from the Mithraeum of Künzing (Castra Quintana, Raetia), where he fulfilled a vow to Mithras Invictus following his honesta missio, the honourable discharge from military service. Although the inscription identifies him as a veteran, it provides no indication of the military unit in which he served. The monument belongs to the second construction phase of the Mithraeum, dated to the first half of the third century AD, and is one of the few surviving inscriptions from the site. It therefore constitutes the sole evidence for Valerius Magio’s participation in the Mithraic community of Künzing (TNMM 561).

Inscriptions are almost entirely lacking in Künzing, but a small altar records an honourably discharged veteran ('missus honesta missione'), Valerius Magio, as a worshipper of the 'Undefeated Mithras' (Mithras Invictus). Veterans, that is to say soldiers who had been discharged honourably with all attendant privileges and financial settlements, can occasionally be foud as dedicants in the record. Howsever, these instances mostly refer to legionary veterans and in few instances to alae or Roman city troop veterans. Ocasionally, as in Künzing, the honourable discharge – honesa missio – is mentioned, but that practice was widespread and not unique to this cult.

—Matthew Dillon, Christopher Matthew (2022) Religion & Classical Warfare: The Roman Empire