Mithraea

E462721
ancient Roman religious building type sanctuary temple

Mithraea are ancient Roman underground temples dedicated to the god Mithras, typically used for secretive initiation rites and communal feasting by members of the Mithraic mystery cult.

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All labels observed (4)

Label Occurrences
Mithraea canonical 2
House of Mithraeum 1
Mithraeum of Capua 1

Statements (66)

Predicate Object
instanceOf ancient Roman religious building type ⓘ
sanctuary ⓘ
temple ⓘ
accessControl restricted to initiates ⓘ
archaeologicalImportance key evidence for Mithraic mysteries ⓘ
source of inscriptions about Mithraic grades ⓘ
architecturalFeature altar at the apse ⓘ
apse at the end of the nave ⓘ
entrance at one short end ⓘ
limited or no natural light ⓘ
long narrow nave ⓘ
low ceiling ⓘ
niche for cult image ⓘ
raised benches along the sides ⓘ
architecturalForm artificial cave ⓘ
subterranean sanctuary ⓘ
underground temple ⓘ
associatedRitual grade-based initiation ⓘ
ritual banquets ⓘ
sacrificial offerings ⓘ
secret initiation ceremonies ⓘ
constructionPeriod 1st century CE ⓘ
2nd century CE ⓘ
3rd century CE ⓘ
culturalContext late antique Roman religious pluralism ⓘ
declinePeriod 4th century CE ⓘ
decoration inscriptions ⓘ
reliefs ⓘ
wall paintings ⓘ
devotedTo Mithras NERFINISHED ⓘ
iconographyFeature astral motifs ⓘ
depictions of planetary deities ⓘ
images of Mithras ⓘ
tauroctony relief of Mithras slaying the bull ⓘ
torchbearers Cautes and Cautopates NERFINISHED ⓘ
zodiacal symbols ⓘ
lighting artificial lamps and torches ⓘ
material brick ⓘ
plaster ⓘ
stone ⓘ
notableExampleLocation Carrawburgh on Hadrian's Wall NERFINISHED ⓘ
Cologne NERFINISHED ⓘ
Dura-Europos NERFINISHED ⓘ
London NERFINISHED ⓘ
Ostia NERFINISHED ⓘ
Rome NERFINISHED ⓘ
orientation often oriented east–west ⓘ
primaryFunction communal feasting ⓘ
cult worship of Mithras ⓘ
initiation rites ⓘ
ritual gatherings ⓘ
religiousTradition Roman mystery cults ⓘ
Roman religion ⓘ
socialFunction bonding of soldiers and officials ⓘ
male communal dining ⓘ
typicalLocation Roman Empire NERFINISHED ⓘ
frontier provinces of the Roman Empire ⓘ
military sites of the Roman Empire ⓘ
urban areas of the Roman Empire ⓘ
typicalSetting basements of buildings ⓘ
converted rooms in houses ⓘ
military forts ⓘ
natural caves ⓘ
roadside waystations ⓘ
usedBy Mithraic mysteries NERFINISHED ⓘ
followers of Mithras ⓘ

Referenced by (5)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

London Mithraeum → category → Mithraea ⓘ
Ostia Antica archaeological site → hasStructure → Mithraea ⓘ
amphitheatre of Capua → hasNearbySite → Mithraea ⓘ
subject surface form: Amphitheatre of Capua
this entity surface form: Mithraeum of Capua
Mérida, Spain → hasHeritageSite → Mithraea ⓘ
this entity surface form: House of Mithraeum
Dura-Europos → hasPart → Mithraea ⓘ
this entity surface form: Mithraeum of Dura-Europos