The Mithraic evidence documented in Roman Gallia reflects the strong implantation of the cult across urban centres, military environments and major communication routes linking the Rhine frontier to the interior of Gaul. The region preserves a particularly rich body of monuments, inscriptions and mithraea illustrating the western development of Mithraic communities.
Mithraic monuments of Gallia
Mithras rock-birth of Trier
The relief depicts the birth of Mithras, holding a globe, surrounded by the zodiac.
CIMRM 985
Mithraeum of Tienen
The temple contained hundreds of ceramic vessels and animal bones, which may indicated that a grand Mithraic feast was celebrated before its closing.
Mithréum de Bordeaux
C’est en 1986, à l’occasion de la restructuration de l’ancien magasin Parunis, qu’une fouille de sauvetage archéologique fut réalisée cours Victor Hugo.
Mithréum de Septeuil
In the second half of the 4th century, a Mithraic temple was established within an earlier spring sanctuary at Septeuil, where the cult of the nymphs and Mithraic practices appear to have coexisted.
Mithréum de Bourg-Saint-Andéol
The Mithréum de Bourg-Saint-Andéol was built against a rock where the main Tauroctony was chiseled.
CIMRM 895
Terra sigillata bowl depicting the Mithraic cult meal from Trier
This terra sigillata was found in 1926 in a grave on the Roman cemetery of St. Matthias, Trier. An eyelet indicates that it could have been hung on a wall.
CIMRM 988
Mithräum von Saarbrücken
The Mithraeum in Halberg hill, near Saarbrücken, is one of the oldest historical places in the area.
CIMRM 1001
Cautes from Les Bolards
This monument representing Cautes with uncrossed legs was consecrated by a certain Anttiocus.
CIMRM 918
Tauroctony from Sarrebourg
The Tauroctony of Saarbourg (Sarrebourg, ancient Pons Sarravi), France, contains most of Mithras deeds known in a single relief.
CIMRM 966
Mithréum des Bolards
The Mithraeum des Bolards was integrated into a therapeutic cultural complex related to healing waters.
CIMRM 917
Aion altar of Bordeaux
The altar depicting a lion-headed figure from Bordeaux includes a sculpted ewer and a patera on the sides.
Mithréum d’Angers
The Mithraeum of Angers, excavated during a preventive operation and subsequently dismantled in 2010, yielded numerous objects, including coins, oil lamps, and a ceramic vessel bearing a votive inscription to the invincible god Mithras.
Brothers active in Gallia
Places in Gallia
Apta Julia
Apt is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.
Aquae Sextiae
Aix-en-Provence or simply Aix, is a city and commune in southern France, about 30 km north of Marseille.
Arelate
The Romans took Arelate from the Ligurians in 123 BC and made it an important city by building a canal towards the Mediterranean. Present-day Arles has preserved many Roman buildings.
Augusta Treverorum
Augusta Treverorum, today's Trier in Rhineland-Palatinate, is considered to be the oldest city in Germany.
Bergoiata
Bourg-Saint-Andéol is a commune in the Ardèche department in the Rhône Valley in southern France.
Burdigala
Around 300 BC, Burdigala was the settlement of a Celtic tribe, the Bituriges Vivisci. The Romans conquered the area in 60 BC and made Burdigala the capital of the Roman province of Aquitania during the reign of Emperor Vespasian.
Divio
Dijon is the prefecture of the Côte-d'Or department and of the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region in eastern France. The earliest archaeological finds within the city limits of Dijon date to the Neolithic period.
Dyo
Dyo is a commune in the Saône-et-Loire department in the region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté in eastern France.
Epamantodurum
Mandeure is a commune in the Doubs department in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region in eastern France.
Fürth
Fürth is a city in northern Bavaria, Germany, in the administrative division of Middle Franconia.
Inscriptions from Gallia
Cautes from Les Bolards
Tauroctony from Sarrebourg
Mithréum de Vienne
Funerary urn of Chyndonax
Relief de Bourg-Saint-Andéol
Inscription of Secundinus of Lyon
Altar with Phrygian cap from Altbachtal
Cautes and Cautopates of Sarrebourg
Inscriptions of Eauze
V/ervi/cius Eutyc/hes pa/ter.
Vervicius Eutyches, Pater.
Altar of Firmidius Severinus from Geneva
Goblet from Angers
]s Genialis ciues Ambian[in]us [or Ambian[ic]us] exuoto d[edit
frat]ribus, omni loco, [ N]ama!.
Altar with Sol’s head from Altbachtal
References
- Bernard de Montfaucon (1708) Palaeographia graeca
- Bricault, Veymers, Amoroso et al. (2021) The Mystery of Mithras. Exploring the heart of a Roman cult
- Bricault; Roy (2021) Les cultes de Mithra dans l'Empire Romain
- Cassius Dio (229) Historia Romana
- Darin Lehoux (2016) Time and Cosmos in Greco-Roman Antiquity
- Fixot Michel (1981) Mandelieu (Alpes-Maritimes). Notre-Dame d’Avignonet. Archéologie médiévale
- Félix Lajard (1845) Mémoire sur un bas-relief mithriaque qui a été découvert à Vienne (Isère)
- Groupe Spéléo-Archéologique Charolais (1964) Un mithraeum à Dyo
- Helene Henze. Das Kultmahl im Mithras-Kult
- Jean Brodeur (2019) Angers – 6 rue René-Brémond, clinique Saint-Louis
- Jean Guenebauld (1621) Le Réveil de Chyndonax
- Jean-Jacques Hatt (1955) Découverte d'un sanctuaire de Mithra à Mackwiller (Bas-Rhin)
- Les Amis de Mons Seleucus (2011) Mons Seleucus, La Batie-Montsaléon, Hautes-Alpes
- Louvre (2023) relief ; base de statuette – Louvre Collections
- L’édition italienne dans l’espace francophone à la première modernité (2024) Mithra
- M. Herni Lavange (1982) Un bas-relief mithriaque du Musée de Vienne (Isère)
- Marie-Agnès Gaidon-Bunuel (1991) Les mithraea de Septeuil et de Bordeaux
- Mario Rossi (2009) Les Noms de lieux du Brionnais-Charolais
- Marleen Martens (2004) Re-thinking sacred 'rubbish': the ritual deposits of the temple of Mithras at Tienen (Belgium)
- Michel Molin, Jean Brodeur et Maxime Mortreau (2015) Les inscriptions du mithraeum d’Angers-Iuliomagus (Maine-et-Loire) : nouvelles données sur le culte de Mithra
- Ministère de la Culture Français. Vase de Mithra. POP : la plateforme ouverte du patrimoine
- Paloma Aguado García (2001) El culto de Mitra en la época de Caracalla
- Richard Gordon (2016) Den Jungstier auf den goldenen Schultern tragen. Mythos, Ritual und jenseitsvorstellungen im Mithraskult
- Richard Gordon (2007) Institutionalized Religious Options: Mithraism. The Companion to Roman Religion
- Robert Turcan (1972) Les religions de l\'Asie dans la Vallée du Rhône
- Robert Turcan (1975) Mithras Platonicus
- Stadt Trier (2023) Spektakulärer Fund eines Reliefs aus der Römerzeit
- Stadt Trier (2023) Spektakulärer Fund eines Reliefs aus der Römerzeit
- V. J. Walters (1974) The Cult of Mithras in the Roman Provinces of Gaul
- Ville de Mandelieu-la-Napoule. Minelle de l’époque romaine au développement durable
- Wilhelm Vollgraff (1949) Le Réveil de Chyndonax
- Geburt des Gottes Mithras aus einem Felsen
- La tête du dieu Mithra retrouvée dans les vestiges du temple - Ouest France
- Le site de Parunis - le Mithraeum
- Religious Flows in the Roman Empire – The Expansion of 'Oriental Cults' (Isis, Mithras, Iuppiter Dolichenus) from East to West and Back Again
- Retable de Mithra
- Statue of Cautopatès — Musée d'Aquitaine
- Un mithraeum à Mandelieu. Les dossiers Histoire et Archéologie, no 57
- Un sanctuaire de source gallo-romain à Septeuil – Service archéologique départementale des Yvelines











