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Mithras in Britannia

Roman Britannia preserves one of the most strongly militarised corpora of Mithraic evidence in the western empire.

The Mithraic evidence documented in Roman Britannia is closely associated with military environments, frontier installations and the northern limits of imperial occupation. The province preserves several well-known mithraea and inscriptions connected to soldiers and officials stationed along the frontiers of the Roman world.

Mithraic monuments of Britannia

See all Mithraic monuments in Britannia

Provinces of Britannia

 

Britannia inferior

Along the northern frontier of Roman Britain, Britannia inferior preserves important evidence linked to military and frontier communities.

 

Britannia superior

Britannia superior preserves a substantial body of Mithraic evidence associated with military sites and urban centres of Roman Britain.

Places in Britannia

 

Borcovicium

Housesteads Roman Fort is the remains of an auxiliary fort on Hadrian's Wall, at Housesteads, Northumberland, England, south of Broomlee Lough.

 

Bremenium

Bremenium is an ancient Roman fort located at Rochester, Northumberland, England.

 

Brocolita

Brocolitia, also called Procolita or Brocolita, was an auxiliary settlement on Hadrian's Wall. This site is now known as Carrawburgh.

 

Burham

Burham is a village and civil parish in the borough of Tonbridge and Malling in Kent, England.

 

Camboglanna

Camboglanna was a Roman fort.

 

Colenceaster

Colchester KOHL-cheh-stər is a city in Essex, England.

 

Coria

Coria developed as a major military and civilian centre near Hadrian’s Wall at modern Corbridge in northern Britannia.

 

Deva

Deva was a major Roman legionary fortress in northern Britannia, today Chester.

 

Eboracum

Eboracum was a fort and later a city in the Roman province of Britannia. Two Roman emperors died in Eboracum: Septimius Severus in 211 AD, and Constantius Chlorus in 306 AD.

 

Eburacum

Eburacum, modern York, served as one of the principal administrative and military centres of northern Britannia.

 

Epiacum

The hill fort of Epiacum, known today as Whitley Castle, occupied a strategic upland position south of Hadrian’s Wall.

 

Hattwifel

Hattwifel is recorded as a findspot for Mithraic material in Roman Britannia.

See all Mithraic sites in Britannia

Inscriptions from Britannia

Arimanius from York

Vol[usius] Iren[aeus] / Arimani v[otum] [s[olvens] l[ibens] / m[erito]] / d[ono] [ d[edit]].
Volusius Irenaeus, willingly and deservedly fulfilling his vow, gave this as a gift to Arimanes.

Tauroctonia de Walbrook

Ulpius Silvanus / factis Arausione / emeritus leg[ionis] II aug[ustae] / votum solvit.
Ulpius Silvanus, veteran of the Legio II Augusta, recruited in Arausio, has fulfilled his vow.

Altar with openwork of Inveresk

Soli C[aius] Cas[sius ?] Fla[vianus ?] >.
À Sol, Caius Cas[sius ?] Fla[vianus ?], centurion.

Mithras-Sol Altar from the Carrawburgh

Deo ♣ invicto ♠ / Mithrae M[arcus] Sim/plicius Simplex pr[a]ef[ectus] v[otum] s[olvit] l[ibens] m[erito].
To the Invincible god Mithras Marcus Simplicius Simplex, prefect, willingly and deservedly fulfilled his vow.

Altar of Inveresk with a griffin

Daeo [sic] / invic[to] My[thrae] / C. Cas[sius ?] / Fla[vianus ?].
To the god Mithras the Unconquered, Gaius Cassius Flavianus [set this up].

Altar of Carrawburgh by Aulus Cluentius

D[eo] in[victo] M[ithrae] s[acrum] / Aul[us] Cluentius / Habitus pra[e]f[ectus] / coh[ortis] I / Batavorum / domu Ulti/n[i]a Colon[ia] / Sept[imia] Aur[elia] L[arino] / v[otum] s[olvit] l[ibens] m[erito].
Sacred to the Invincible god Mithras: Aulus Cluentius Habitus, prefect of the First Cohort of Batavians, of the Ultinian voting-tribe, from Colonia Septimia Aurelia Larinum, willingly and deservedly fulfilled his vow.

Tabula ansata of Lucius from Bremenium

Deo invicto [[et]] Soli soc[io] / sacrum. Pro salute et / incolumitate imp[eratoris] Caes[aris] / M[arci] Aureli Antonini pii felic[is] / aug[usti] L[ucius] Caecilius Optatus / trib[unus] coh[ortis] I Vardul[lorum] cum con[sa]/craneis votum de [---] / a solo ex[s]truct[un---].
Consecrated to the invincible God and to Sol, his companion, for the welfare and safety of the pious, auspicious and august Caesar Marcus Aurelius Antoninus. Lucius Caecilius Optatus, tribune of the first cohort of Vardulli, with his fellow worshippers, vowed to the god to erect [this building] from the ground up.

Denarius depicting Mithras rock-birth of St. Albans

MIΘRAC ΩROMASDHC / ΦRHN.
Mithras Oromoasdes [Ormuzd] Phren.

Altar of Carrawburgh by Antonius Proculus

Deo Inv[icto] M[ithrae] / L[ucius] Antonius / Proculus / praef[ectus] coh[ortis] I Bat[avorum] Antoninianae / v[otum] s[olvit] l[ibens] m[erito].
To the Invincible god Mithras Lucius Antonius Proculus, prefect of the First Cohort of Batavians Antoniniana, willingly and deservedly fulfilled his vow.

Inscription to Sol Apollo Anicetus from Rudchester

Soli / Apollini / Aniceto / [Miithrae] / Apon[i]us / Rogatianus / [.
To Sol Apollo Anicetus Mithras, Aponius Rogatianus ….

Dionysus group marble of London

Hominibus bagis bitam.
Thou givest lift to men.

Inscripton of Justus from Caerleon

[Deo in]victo / [Mi]thrae / ...s Iustus / c[[enturio] leg]ionis II aug[ustae] / [l[ibens]] m[erito] f[ecit].
To the Invincible Mithras, the well-deserving, […]s Justus, […] of the Second Legion Augusta, set this up.

See all Mithraicinscriptions from Britannia

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