Lucius Petreius Victor

Lucius Petreius Victor was a syndexios and a garlic merchant (aliarius) active in the territory of Iluro, in Tarraconensis, during the mid-second century CE. He is known from a small marble altar discovered at Can Modolell, on which he fulfilled a vow to Cautes, one of the two torchbearers associated with Mithras. The inscription explicitly identifies him as an aliarius, making him one of the very few Mithraic devotees in Hispania whose profession is securely attested (TNMM 471; Mariner 1979; Fabre, Mayer & Rodà 1984; Alvar 2018; Chalupa 2023).

His dedication was found within the complex of Can Modolell, a site that has yielded several inscriptions invoking Cautes and other evidence associated with Mithraic worship. While earlier scholarship often interpreted the complex as a mithraeum, more recent studies have questioned this identification and increasingly regard Can Modolell as a broader sacred precinct frequented by worshippers of different deities. Within this context, Petreius Victor’s portable altar appears to represent a personal act of devotion undertaken at a regional cult centre rather than within an exclusive Mithraic sanctuary.

The nomen Petreius is relatively uncommon in Hispania but is particularly attested in the region of Emerita Augusta, leading some scholars to suggest a possible Lusitanian connection. Such hypotheses remain speculative, however, and there is no direct evidence that Petreius originated from Lusitania or played any role in the diffusion of Mithraism between provinces. More securely, his inscription demonstrates that Mithraic worship in north-eastern Hispania had already extended beyond imperial personnel and administrative circles to include independent individuals engaged in commercial activity.