Reilly Salisbury on the Mithraeum in Ostia Antica

Map of the city of Ostia—the sea would be to the immediate left, the Tiber River to the north (which originally ran all along the northern side of the city, but changed course later after a flood). Many mithraea, temples, Christian spaces and a Jewish Synagogue are found in this cosmopolitan town.

Ostia Antica is dated back to the 4th century BCE, originally created as a military outpost, called the castrum, for the protection of Rome. It sits on the coast at the mouth of the Tiber river, a key location for both shipping and defense. It reached its height of popularity during the 2nd c. CE and flourished as a port city after the emperor Trajan completed the new port just to the north, and it became a key place for storage of imports, especially grain that was to supply the bustling city of Rome. Since it was a thriving port, Ostia became a place for many as it attraced foreigners, traders, soldiers, and travelers.

Map of the Mithraea in Ostia (by my count 16 of them)

Because of this cosmopolitan nature, the city of Ostia also became a sanctuary for many different religions, including the religion of Mithraism. Among the many Mithraea in Ostia is the underground shrine found in the northwest part of the city, called the “Terme dil Mitra” in the map above. It is a pristine temple to Mithras, complete with a statue of the reinactment of the tauroctony, the famous image of Mithras slaying (ton-) the bull (taur-).

Much remains unknown about this astrological cult; we have very little written about Mithraism, so these sorts of archaeological sites are the main source of our evidence. This sacred sapce was located in the service area of (that is, underneath) the Baths of Mithreas and included a well-preserved statue of the tauroctony in marble—the one you see in the picture above is a cast; the original is in the Ostia Museum. The statue was likely build in the 2nd century CE when Ostia was at its height of popularity, and when Mithraism was taking the Roman empire by storm. The presence of this Mithraeum and many other religious sites prove that Ostia was a city with a wide variety of peoples, and this variety speaks to the tolerance of Romans and other ancient cultures towards religious freedom.

This site was one of my favorites to go to because I had prior experience with Mithraism and so this was a surreal experience to actually see a place I studied, and since it was so well-preserved it transported me back in time. Such an unusual site can only truly be appreciated by seeing it in person! Walking around inside this space gave me an entierely new—and intimate—perspective on Mithraism.