Publius Numidius Decens

The predominantly military nature of the cult in the African provinces is certain. There are few Easterners or civilians attested, and of dedicators whose names we have on twenty-seven monuments fifteen are soldiers or imperial governors, two are slaves and eight are doubtfully Mithraic. The appeal of Mithraism to the highest ranks is beyond doubt, seven monuments being dedicated by consular governors or legionary commanders. In spite of the Berber inclination to Sun worship, well attested by ancient authors, there seems to have been almost no local participation in the worship of Mithras. The only exception to this is one Roman citizen, probably a soldier, from Lambasis, whose name—P. Numidius Decens—suggests a local origin. There is some evidence for a mid-second century introduction of the cult, but on the whole it is much more likely that it arrived during the reign of Commodus and did not spread until that of Severus.