Mithras in Germania — The New Mithraeum

The Mithraic material documented in Germania is closely associated with the Rhine frontier and the military infrastructure of the Roman Empire. Mithraea, reliefs and inscriptions are particularly concentrated around forts, legionary bases and urban settlements such as Mogontiacum, Nida, Bonna and Colonia Agrippinensis, reflecting the important role of soldiers, officials and merchants in the spread of the cult across the northwestern provinces.

Mithraic monuments of Germania

See all Mithraic monuments in Germania

People attested in Germania

Exsochuos

Publius Aelius Vocco
(2nd – 3rd century)

Primulus
(151 – 230)

Materninius Faustinus
(325)

Secundinius Amantius
(late 1st century)

Gaius Iulius Crescens
(2nd – 3rd century)

Argata
(1st half of 3rd century)

Mercatorius Castrensis
(231)

Titus Martialius Candidus

Potentianus
(325)

Florius Florentius
(210)

Silvestrius Silvinus
(200)

See all syndexioi attested in Germania

Provinces of Germania

Germania inferior

Germania inferior preserves a strongly militarised body of Mithraic evidence from the lower Rhine frontier of the Roman empire.

Germania superior

Along the upper Rhine frontier, Germania superior became one of the principal centres of Mithraic activity in northwestern Europe.

Places in Germania

Alteburg-Heftrich

The site of Alteburg-Heftrich formed part of the frontier landscape connected with the Upper Germanic limes.

Aquae Helveticae

Aquae Helveticae developed around important thermal springs in the territory of modern Baden in Switzerland.

Aquae Mattiacae

Wiesbaden is the capital of the German state of Hesse, and the second-largest Hessian city after Frankfurt am Main.

Argentoratum

Argentoratum or Argentorate was the ancient name of Strasbourg. Its name was first mentioned in 12 BC, when it was a Roman military outpost established by Nero Claudius Drusus. The Legio VIII Augusta was stationed there from 90 AD.

Augusta Rauricorum

Augusta Rauricorum became one of the principal urban centres of the Upper Rhine region.

Bandorf

Bandorf lies within the Rhine frontier region associated with the military landscape of Germania Superior.

Beihingen

Beihingen occupied a position within the Neckar frontier communications zone.

Besigheim

Besigheim stands at the confluence of the Enz and Neckar rivers in the frontier region of southwestern Germania.

Bingen

Bingen occupied a strategic position at the confluence of the Rhine and Nahe rivers.

Bingerbrück

The settlement of Bingerbrück formed part of the Rhine crossing zone opposite the lower Nahe valley.

Bingium

The Celts are the first known to have settled in this place, which they called Binge, meaning rift. Roman troops stationed here in the first century AD rendered the local name as Bingium in Latin.

Bodobrica

Vicus Baudobriga was a Roman settlement on the left bank of the Rhine, founded during the conquest of Gaul. Its development reflects the Rhine’s shifting role as frontier, trade route, and fortified border before Roman withdrawal.

See all Mithraic sites in Germania

Inscriptions from Germania

Two-sided relief of Dieburg

[Side A:] D[eo] i[nvicto] M[ithrae] / Silves/trius / Silvi/nius et Silvestrius Pe[rpetus et A]urelius nepos / v[otum] s[olverunt] l[ibentes] l[aeti] m[erito]. /
Perpetus fra/te[r] artis sutor[iae]. / Silvinus ar/tis quadratari/ae Aureli[us ---] d[ono] d[ederunt].

[Side B:] D[eo] S[oli] i[nvicto] M[ithrae] Silvestrius Sil[v]inu[s] et Silvestrius Perpetus et Silvinius Aurelius.

[Side A:] To the invincible god Mithras, Silvestrius Silvinus, Silvestrius Perpetus and Silvinius Aurelius.
[Side B:] To the invincible god Mithras, Silvestrius Silvinus, Silvestrius Perpetus and [Silvinus?] Aurelius, their nephew, fulfilled their vow willingly, gladly and deservedly. Perpetus, brother, a cobbler by trade, and Silvinus, a sculptor by trade, Aurelius [---] gave this as a gift.

Tauroctony from Osterburken

D[eo] S[oli] I[nvicto] M[ithrae] M[er?]catorius Castrensis in suo cons[ituit].

To the unconquerable sun god Mithras, Mercatorius Castrensis erected [this monument] on his property.

Altar with Mithras rock-birth of Nida

D[eo] inv[icto] Mit[hrae] / Senilius Car/antinus / c[ivis] Medio/m[atricus]
V[otum] s[olvit] l[ibens] l[aetus] m[erito] / Sive Cracissiu[s]. // P[etram] genetricem.

To the invincible god Mithras, Senilius Carantinus, also named Cracissius, citizen of Mediomatricus, dedicated willingly, gladly and deservedly following a vow these images of Cautes, of the generative rock, of Cautopates, and of the Heaven and Ocean.

Tauroctony from Strasbourg

[In h[onorem]] d[omus] d[ivinae] d[eo] i[nvicto] M[ithrae] / ... us M.P.D ... / ... us typu[m] ... / ... solo v ...

In honor of the Imperial house, to the unconquered god Mithras … sculptural model … soil [/only] ...

Mithräum von Dormagen

Deo Soli i[nvicto] M[ithrae] p[ro] s[alute] i[mperatoris] Suran l[ibertus] dupl[icarius] ale Noricorum ci[vis] Trax v[otum] s[olvit] l[ibens] m[erito].

To the god Sol Invictus Mithras, for the well-being of the emperor, Suran, freedman, duplicarius of the Ala Noricorum, a Thracian citizen, willingly and deservedly fulfilled his vow.

Votive plaque of Stockstadt

[D[eo]] i[nvicto] M[ithrae] et S[oli] s[ocio] Argata / v[otum] s[olvit] l[ibens] l[aetus] m[erito].

To the invincible god Mithras and his ally Sol, Argata has fulfilled his vow willingly, gladly and deservedly.

Altar to Mithras and Mars from Mainz

D[eo] I[nvicto] M[ithrae] / et Marti / Secundini/us Amantius / cornicu[larius] / praef[ecti] leg[ionis] / XXII permi/ttente Pri/mulo patre / ex voto pos/uit l[ibens] l[aetus] m[erito].

To the Unconquered Sun God Mithras and Mars. Secundinius Amantius, cornicularius to the prefect of the 22nd Legion, with the permission of Primulus the Pater, dedicates this willingly in fulfilment of a vow.

Cautes and Cautopates of Stockstadt

In honorem domus divinae Cauti et Cautopati Florius Florentius et Ancarinius Severus nepos votum solverunt libentes laeti merito Faustino et Rufino consulibus.

In honour of the divine house, at Cautes and Cautopates, Florius Florentius and Ancarinius Severus, his nephew, willingly, joyfully and justly fulfilled their vow, [Manius Acilius] Faus[tinus and [Aulus Triarius] Rufinus being consuls.

Dedication inscription from Koenigshoffen Mithraeum

In h[onorem] d[omus] d[ivinae] deo Invic/to M[ithrae] C[aius] Celsinius / Matutinus veter[anus] / leg[ionis] VIII Aug[ustae] Alexan/drianae typum / de suo repinx[it]

In honour of the divine house, to the invincible god Mithras. Caius Celsinius Matutinus, veteran of legio VIII Augusta [Alexandriana], repainted this relief at his own expense.

Altar of Kalkar

D[eo] I[nvicto] I[mperatori] / Ulp[ius] [ Am[---] · [ p[ater] / s[acrorum] aes · ex ius-su · ip·sius.

Inscription of Corax Materninius Faustinus from Gimmeldingen

In h[onorem] d[omus] d[ivinae] / deo inviht[o] [sic] Midre [sic] / Maternin[i]us Faustinu[s] / carax [sic] fan[um] cum solo inviht[o] / in suo fecit c[ onsac]ratus XI k[alendis] Feb[ruariis].
Fanus [sic] consacrat[us] / per Potentianum / patrem co[n]s[ulibus] / Paulino et Iuliano /l[ibens] l[aetus] m[erito].

In honour of the divine house, to the invincible god Mithras, Materninius Faustinus, Crow, consecrated a shrine with [a statue of] the invincible Sol, on his property [in suo], on the tenth day before the calendars of February. Sanctuary [fanum] consecrated by Potentianus, Father, the consuls being [Sextus Anicius Faustus] Paulinus and [Ionis] Iulianus, willingly, joyfully and justly.