CIMRM 480 - Upper-layer: South wall paintings. The procession of the seven grades. Santa Prisca, Rome, Italy.
See also: CIMRM 476 Mithraeum; 477 Cautes; 478 Oceanus / Saturnus; 479 Tauroctony; Paintings: 480 Upper S. wall, 481 Upper S.(contd), 482 Upper N. wall, 483 Upper, Cave , 484 Under S., 485 Under N.; 486-496 Misc. finds; 497-500 Inscriptions and coins; CIMRM Supplement - Zodiac; Intarsio of Sol.
There are paintings on the walls. The original ones date to ca. 200. Then new ones were painted over them ca. 220 AD.
The paintings are badly damaged, mostly by damp pushing the stucco off the walls. The sections higher up the walls are firmer. There is also axe damage.
Each wall is painted white, with a red border. On this appear various figures.
The upper layer depicts a procession of members of the seven grades of initiates, from the large cult niche, down to the throne.1
480.
On the side-walls two layers of painting have to be distinguished; these are set off with red bands. Dr C. C. van Essen, who studied the style of these paintings, dates the first layer in the end of the second cent. A.D. and the second layer in the first quarter of the third cent. A.D. Our description is partly taken from the publication of Ferrua, who was able to observe details, which now are lost.
On the Southern wall (I2) successively (cf. Ferrua, fig. 8):
1) A bearded man is sitting on a throne. He is dressed in a red tunic with long sleeves, piped with yellow stripes. Round his body a yellow band; from his shoulders a hanging, red cloak. He raises his r.h.. Beside the head in Phrygian cap a dipinto:
L.H.0.025.
Ferrua 17; Vermaseren in Studia G. van Hoorn, 297.
Nama [patribus] / ab oriente / ad occidente(m) / tutela Saturni.2) A bearded youth without Phrygian cap, but with a blue aureole and a gilt radiate crown is walking up to him. Dressed in red tunica with yellow belt; the cloak is fastened on his shoulders. He greets with his r.h., with his l.h. he presses a light-blue globe against his side. Above his upraised hand a dipinto:
L.H.0.02.
On the upper layer: [Na]ma H[eliodromis] / tute[l]a S[ol]is.
On the under layer: Nama H[el]iodrom[i]s / t[utela Solis].3) Badly damaged. The walking person holds a bnndle of ears in his upraised r.h. and in his l.h. a sickle. At the wrists his whitish tunic is boarded with yellow stripes. Above him a dipinto:
[Na]ma Persis / tutela [Mer]curis.Mercuris instead of Mercurii (Ferrua); at Ostia the Perses is under the patronage of Luna (cf. Cumont in CRAI 1946, 402 n. 5 and supra No. 299, 9).
4) A person, entirely dressed in red. With both hands he holds a vague object (altar-shovel) in front of him, Above him a dipinto:
Nama L[e]on[i]b[us] / tutela Iovis.5) A youth, dressed in a white tunic, boarded with red stripes at the wrists. With his r.h. he grasps the tunic of the preceding person. On his left shoulder he carries a bag; arrows dangle from his belt. Above his head a dipinto:
Nama Militibus / tutela Mart[is].6) Walking person with long yellow velum over his head. In his covered hands he carries a burning lamp. Above the head, both on the upper and under layer a dipinto:
upper layer: N ama Nym[phis] / tut/ela Veneris.
under layer: [N]a[ma] Nymph[i]s / tut[ela Ve]n[eri]s.7) Only a few traces are preserved. It must be the corax, which is here not under Mercurius' protection but under Luna's.
| 1 | Vermaseren-van Essen, p.155. |
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