The Cult of Mithras in Late Antiquity: Development, Decline, and Demise Ca. A.D. 270-430

158 Pages·2018·3.44 MB·English

by  Walsh

THE CULT OF MITHRAS IN LATE ANTIQUITY
LATE ANTIQUE
ARCHAEOLOGY
(SUPPLEMENTARY SERIES)
SERIES EDITOR
LUKE LAVAN
MANAGING EDITOR
MICHAEL MULRYAN
VOLUME 2
The titles published in this series are listed at brill.com/laax
THE CULT OF MITHRAS
IN LATE ANTIQUITY
DEVELOPMENT, DECLINE AND DEMISE CA. AD 270–430
BY
DAVID WALSH
LEIDEN | BOSTON
Cover illustration: Modern Bull-Slaying Sculpture in the London Mithraeum. © Bloomberg.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Walsh, David (Lecturer in Classical and Archaeological Studies),
 author.
Title: The cult of Mithras in late antiquity : development, decline, and
 demise ca. A.D. 270–430 / by David Walsh.
Description: Leiden ; Boston : Brill, 2019. | Series: Late Antique
 Archaeology (Supplementary Series), ISSN 2352-5177 ; VOLUME 2 | Includes
 bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2018037207 (print) | LCCN 2018038584 (ebook) |
 ISBN 9789004383067 (ebook) | ISBN 9789004380806 (pbk. : alk. paper)
Subjects: LCSH: Mithras (Zoroastrian deity)—Cult. | Mithraism
Classification: LCC BL1585 (ebook) | LCC BL1585 .W335 2019 (print) |
 DDC 299/.15—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018037207
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issn 2352-5177
isbn 978-90-04-38080-6 (paperback)
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Contents
Foreword ix
List of Illustrations x
List of Abbreviations xii
Introduction 1
Religious Change in Late Antiquity: Changing Scholarly Views 2
The Cult of Mithras: A Brief Introduction 4
The Cult of Mithras in Late Antiquity: Changing Scholarly Views 12
The Structure of This Volume 13
Selecting the Evidence 13
A Note on Terminology 15
1 The Development of the Cult of Mithras in Late Antiquity 17
The Location of Mithraea 17
Mithraic Architecture 20
Mithraic Iconography 22
Patronage and Membership 25
Mithraic Hierarchies 29
Ritual Practice 30
Initiation Rituals 30
Sacrifices 31
Feasts 31
Votive Practices 32
The Ritual Fragmentation of Objects 33
Variations of the Name ‘Mithras’ 39
Conclusion 39
2 The Decline of the Cult I: The Evidence 42
Introduction 42
The Decline in Construction/Restoration of Mithraea 44
Mithraea and Wider Patterns of Construction and Repair in Late
Antiquity 49
Charting the Declining Use of Individual Mithraea 54
Conclusion 55
3 The Decline of the Cult II: Explaining the Decline 56
Introduction 56
Declining Populations 56
Changing Social Networks 58
Changes in Mithraic Rituals 60
Coercion by the Imperial Government 64
Conclusion 65
vi contents
4 The Fate of Mithraea 67
Introduction 67
Geographical and Chronological Variation in the Fate of Mithraea 68
Factors Contributing to the Fate of Mithraea 77
Christian Iconoclasm 78
‘Barbarian’ Incursions 85
Civil War 88
Imperial Legislation 89
Relocation of Mithraic Initiates 89
Natural Disasters and Accidental Destruction 90
Conclusion 92
Conclusion 94
Appendix A: Gazetteer of Mithraea Active in the 4th c. and Those That
Exhibit Evidence of Christian Iconoclasm 101
A. Britain 101
A.1 Borcovicium (Housesteads) 101
A.2 Brocolitia (Carrawburgh) 101
A.3 Londinium (London) 103
B. Germany 104
B.1 Biesheim 104
B.2 Bornheim-Sechtem 105
B.3 Gimmeldingen 106
B.4 Reichweiler 106
B.5 Rockenhausen 106
C. Noricum 106
C.1 Ad Enum (Pons Aeni) 106
C.2 Lentia (Linz) 107
C.3 Schachadorf 108
C.4 St. Urban 108
D. Pannonia 108
D.1 Aquincum IV (‘of Symphorus’) 108
D.2 Carnuntum I 109
D.3 Carnuntum III 109
D.4 Poetovio II (Ptuj) 110
D.5 Poetovio III 110
D.6 Poetovio V 111
E. Dalmatia 112
E.1 Arupium (Prozor) I and II 112
E.2 Epidaurum (Cavtat) 112
E.3 Jajce 112
E.4 Konjic 112
F. Italy (Excluding Rome and Ostia) 113
F.1 Capua 113
F.2 Ponza 113
F.3 Spoletium 114
F.4 Timavo 114
F.5 Vulci 115
Contents vii
G. Gaul 115
G.1 Augusta Treverorum (Trier) 115
G.2 Burdigala (Bordeaux) 116
G.3 Forum Claudii Vallensium Octodurensium (Martigny) 116
G.4 Les Bolards 117
G.5 Mackwiller 117
G.6 Pons Saravi (Sarrebourg) 118
G.7 Septeuil 118
G.8 Tienen 119
G.9 Venetonimagus (Vieu-en-Val-Romney) 119
H. Spain 120
H.1 Lucus Augusti (Lugo) 120
I. North Africa 120
I.1 Lambaesis 120
J. The Eastern Mediterranean 121
J.1 Caesarea Maritima 121
J.2 Doliche 122
J.3 Hawarte 122
J.4 Ša‘āra 124
Appendix B: Mithraea Constructed and Repaired ca. AD 201–400 125
Bibliography 128
Index 138

Foreword
There are many people I need to thank who have helped and supported me during
the course of writing both my thesis and this subsequent monograph. Firstly, there
is the long list of those who have provided me with information, photographs/images,
shown me around sites and museums, and read over various chapters of this work. These
are: Roger Beck, József Beszédes, Jonas Bjørnebye, Neil Christie, Jitse Dijkstra, Richard
Gordon, Alison Griffith, Marion Großmann, Michael Gawlikowski, Ines Klenner, Orsolya
Láng, Ray Laurence, Marleen Martens, Roger Pearse, Peter Talloen, Sophie Jackson and
Sadie Watson of MOLA, Eberhard Sauer, Ellen Swift, Cornleius Ulbert, Francois Wiblé,
Greg Woolf, and Paula Zsidi. Thanks go to Lloyd Bosworth for drawing various images,
and to Chris Newman for imagining a 4th c. mithraeum, especially for having to put up
with my continuous requests for tweaks, as well as to Carole Raddato for allowing me to
use her extensive catalogue of photographs.
I am tremendously grateful to John Beale and the School of European Culture and
Languages at the University of Kent for providing me with a fee-wavier, without which
I would not have been able to undertake this opportunity. Many thanks also go to the
Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies for their generous bursary to help with
research costs. Thanks also go to James Burchell and Andrew Martinovs for keeping me
employed throughout, and to my flatmate Andrew Rawlinson, who probably now knows
far more about cults in the Roman empire than he ever expected he would. Michael
Mulryan has my immense gratitude for editing the manuscript, as does Mark Crittenden
for his proof-reading prowess. Any errors that remain are my own.
Special acknowledgement must go to my supervisor Luke Lavan for his unwavering
enthusiasm. Support for this Ph.D. topic was arranged through him, as a case study for a
wider project on the end of paganism, to which the fate of the cult of Mithras has been
seen as particularly significant.
Finally, the most important thanks go to my parents. I doubt they thought trips to the
British Museum and the purchasing of many ‘Horrible Histories’ would result in this, but
I hope this goes someway to repaying their endless faith and love. Any success I achieve
is as much theirs as it is mine.
David Walsh
Centre for Late Antique Archaeology,
University of Kent,
March 2018
Illustrations
Figures
1 An artist’s impression the exterior of the Londinium Mithraeum 5
2 Relief of the bull-slaying scene from Angera 6
3 Mithraic relief from Aquileia, Italy 6
4 Rock-birth statuette from Aquincum 7
5 Standard plan of a Mithraeum 7
6 An artist’s impression the interior of the Londinium Mithraeum 8
7 Mithraeum of the Seven Spheres at Ostia (symbols substituted for images
of the planets and signs of the zodiac) 9
8 Image from a series of frescos found in the Capua Mithraeum that depict
Mithraic intiations. Pictured here appears to be the Pater (left), the intiate
(centre), and the latter’s sponsor (right) 10
9 The Altars at the Brocolitia Mithraeum. The altar on the left is hollow,
which would have allowed the image of Sol on its face to be illuminated by
a candle or lamp 10
10 Mosaic from the Felicisimus Mithraeum, Ostia, which depicts the seven
Mithraic grades 11
11 Cross-section of the mithraeum found at Via S. Giovanni Lanza 128.
Esquiline Hill, Rome 20
12 Comparative plan of various mithraea built and adapted from the late 3rd c.
onwards 22
13 Comparative plan of various mithraea built and adapted from the late 3rd c.
onwards 23
14 Mithraic relief found at Dardagana 24
15 Wall painting from the Hawarte Mithraeum: a man in Persian garb
(Mithras?) holding the chains of a short, black two-headed demon, while
standing in front of a large white horse 25
16 Wall painting from the Hawarte Mithraeum: city wall topped by various
black heads, with rays of light descending on (or attacking) them 25
17 Mithraic votives ca. AD 271–300 34
18 Mithraic votives ca. AD 301–30 35
19 Mithraic votives ca. AD 331–70 36
20 Mithraic votives ca. AD 371–400 37
21 Distribution of coin finds at the Martigny Mithraeum ca. AD 268–94 38
22 Distribution of coin finds at the Martigny Mithraeum ca. AD 330–48 38
23 Distribution of coin finds at the Martigny Mithraeum ca. AD 378–402 38
24 Fragments of a Mithraic ceramic vessel from the Bornheim-Sechtem
Mithraeum 39
25 The head of Mithras from the Londinium Mithraeum 40
26 The main relief (shaded areas indicate extant fragments) from
Carnuntum III 40
27 Construction and repair of Mithraea ca. AD 201–400 45
28 Construction and repair of Mithraea ca. AD 271–300 46
29 Construction and repair of Mithraea ca. AD 301–30 47
30 Construction and repair of Mithraea ca. AD 331–70 48
31 Public Building v Mithraea in Italy ca. AD 131–400 (excluding Rome) 52
32 Public Building v Mithraea in Noricum and Pannonia ca. AD 131–400 53
33 Fate of Mithraea ca. AD 271–300 69
34 Fate of Mithraea ca. AD 301–30 70