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Monumentum

Kneeling man from Santa Maria Capua Vetere

This scene from the frescoes of the Mitreo di Santa Maria Capua Vetere shows a kneeling, naked man surrounded by two other figures.
Fresco scene of initiation at S. Capua Vetere

Fresco scene of initiation at S. Capua Vetere
CIMRM 

 
 
The New Mithraeum
19 Aug 2021
Updated on 24 Oct 2022
 

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Fresco showing a scene of initiation into the mysteries of Mithras in the Mithraeum of Santa Maria Capua Vetere.

The nude myste, red painted, with his hands tied behind his back, kneels down on one knee. A sword by his side. The figure of the mystagogus behind him, dressed in white, is indistinct. He lays his hand on the head of the myste. Further down the outlines of a third person.

Minto, 370 and fig. 13; Turchi, RRA, Tav. XXIV, 2. See fig. 59.

Related monuments

Mitreo di Santa Maria Capua Vetere

The Mithraeum of Santa Maria Capua Vetere preserves frescoes depicting several scenes of the initiation rites.

Tauroctony of Santa Maria Capua Vetere

The main fresco of the Mithraeum of Santa Maria Capua Vetere portrays Mithras slaughtering a white bull.

Eros and Psyche

The Mithraeum of Santa Maria Capua Vetere includes a marble relief depicting a child Eros guiding Psyche through the dark.

Stars of the Mitreo de Santa Maria Capua Vetere

The vault of the Mithraeum of S. Capua Vetere is ornamented with stars with holes in their centres, which used to contain colourful glass decorations.

 

Fresco de Luna en el Mitreo de Santa Maria Capua Vetere

Luna riding a biga in the Mithraeum of Santa Capua Vetere.

Fresco scene from Mitreo of Santa Maria Capua Vetere

Fresco showing a scene of initiation into the mysteries of Mithras in the Mithraeum of Santa Maria Capua Vetere.

Cautes fresco from Mitreo di Santa Maria Capua Vetere

In the Mithraeum of S. Capua Veteres, Cautes stands between two laurel trees.

A man is initiated into the Mysteries of Mithras

This is the first of several fresco scenes depicting the initiation of a new member in a mithraic community, in Capua Vetere.