CIMRM 180 - Mithraeum. S. Maria Capua Vetere, Italy

180. Mithraeum, excavated in 1922 in the Vico Caserma near the old Capitolium at S. Maria Capua Vetere. Minto in NSc (S. V) XXI, 1924, 353ff; Cumont in CRAI 1924, 133ff, cf. RA (S.5) XX, 1924, 185f; Campanile in Boll. Arte IV, 1924,284; Lehmann-Hartleben in AA 1926, 126f; Maciariello, Capua, Roma 1939. See fig. 50. The photographs procured by Prof. Dr. A. Maiuri. Plan fig. 51 from Minto. The entrance (I) opens on a criptoporticus (H), which served as a vestibulum and has about the same proportions as the adjacent cultroom (H. 3.22 L. 12.18 Br. 3. 50). On either side of the central aisle (Br. 1.54), which was covered with marble, are the benches. A distinction, however, has to be made between the original benches (FF) of cement with red stucco (H. 0.45 L. 1.40 Br. 0.37) and the later benches (GG), made up out of various materials and considerably larger (H. 0.85 L. 8.35 Br. 0.90). In the southern bench a rectangular cement water-basin (D) was made (L. 1.28 Br. 0.67 D. 0.55), whereas in the other there is a well (E) with draining-pipes. Near these basins there is a small rectangular niche (H. 0.32 D. 0.32) in the front of either bench. At the end of the path, where small steps lead to the benches, there is a third bench (C) (H. 0.68 Br. 3.50 D. 1.57) covering the entire breadth of the cult-room and sloping towards the western wall. A small canal (Br. 0.09 D. 0.08) in front of this bench, disappears into it at the northern wall and is connected with the well E. In the vault there are four oblong holes surrounded by a red band. Both sidewalls and vault are covered with stucco paintings. The vault is decorated with stars with six points, painted in red and green on a yellow background. The background of the side walls, which are subdivided into several parts by horizontal and vertical red bands, is also yellow. On the walls were graffiti, only one of which on the left of C, is readable: ...... Modum.