Marcus Aemilius Epaphroditus
Pater and priest of the Mitreo delle Sette Sfere
General view of the Mitraeum of the Seven Spheres
The New Mithraeum / Andreu Abuín (CC BY-SA)
Tauroctonia del Mitreo delle Sette Sfere, Ostia
Musei Vaticani
Biography
of Marcus Aemilius Epaphroditus
- Marcus Aemilius Epaphroditus was a Pater of the Mitreo delle Sette Sfere.
- Active c. 2nd half of 2nd century in Ostia, Latium (Italia).
References
- Ostia-antica.org. Regio II - Insula VIII - Mitreo delle Sette Sfere (II,VIII,6)
- VAN HAEPEREN, Françoise (2019) Fana, templa, delubra. Corpus dei luoghi di culto dell'Italia antica
- Vittoria Canciani (2022) Archaeological Evidence of the Cult of Mithras in Ancient Italy
Mentions
Inscription found in the Mitreo delle Sette Sfere
TNMM 462
As this short inscription indicates, Aemilio Epaphorodito was both Pater and priest of the Mithraeum of the Seven Spheres.
Inscription of Tellius Agatho in Mitreo delle Sette Sfere
TNMM 487
This inscription found in the Mithraeum of the Seven Spheres mentions the Pater Marco Aemiliio Epaphrodito known from other monuments in Ostia.
Mitreo delle Sette Sfere
TNMM 9
The Mithraeum of the Seven Spheres is of great importance for the understanding of the cult, because of its black-and-white mosaics depicting the planets, the zodiac and related elements.
Tauroctony of the Mitreo delle Sette Sfere
TNMM 144
The relief of Mithras slaying the bull from the Mithraeum of the Seven Spheres was discovered in 1802 by Petirini by order of Pope Pius VII.
A. Decimius A(uli) f(ilius) Pal(atina) Decimianus aedem / cum suo pronao ipsumque deum solem Mithra / et marmoribus et omni cultu sua p(ecunia) restituit. //
M. Aemilio / Epaphrodito / patre et sacerdote.