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Rudchester Mithraeum

Rudchester Mithraeum is a Roman Temple to the Roman god Mithras at Rudchester (Vindobala), an auxiliary fort

on Hadrian's Wall, the northern frontier of Roman Britain. The temple (known as a mithraeum) was located 137m to

the west of the castra.

Discovery

The site of the shrine was first discovered in 1844 when the local farmer uncovered a statue and five altars in his

field. The statue was broken up (and subsequently lost); however, the altars were all saved.

The five altars were:

1) DEO /L SENTIUS / CASTUS / (centurio) LEG VI D(ono) P(osuit).[1]

To the god. Lucius Sentius Castus, centurion of the 6th legion gave this.

2) DEO INVICTO / MYTRAE P(ublius) AEL(ius) / TITULLUS PRAE(fectus) / V(otum) S(olvit) L(aetus) L(ibens)

M(erito).[2]

To the invincible god Mithras, Publius Aelius Titullus, prefect, gladly, willingly and deservedly fulfilled his vow.

3) DEO SOLI INVIC(to) / TIB(iberius) CL(audius) DECIMUS / CORNEL(ius) ANTO/NIUS PRAEF(ectus) /

TEMPLE(um) RESTIT(uit).[3]

To the Invincible Sun. Tiberius Claudius Decimus Cornelius Antonius, Prefect, restored the temple.

4) SOLI / APOLLINI / ANICETO / [Mithrae] APON[I]US ROGAT[I]ANUS [PRAEF(ectus) V(otum) S(olvit)

L(ibens) M(erito ?][4]

5) No inscription.

The location of the discovery was marked on contemporaneous maps, enabling the archaeologist J.P. Gilliam to

relocate the shrine and excavate it in 1953.[5]

The Mithraeum Phase I

Gilliam identified two distinct phases of use consisting of two successive temples on the site. He deduced that the

first temple was built in the late second or early third century AD. Oriented east to west, the shrine formed a

rectangle 12 x 6.02m in size with a small apse in the west end-wall. The plan was typical of mithraic temples in that

it consisted of a central nave flanked by low benches. The building was constructed in stone with clay used to bond

the blocks. A roughly-built narthex (or ante-chapel) was later added to the outside of the east wall, 3m in depth and

6m in width. It was placed asymmetrically in line with the south wall so that there was no direct view from the front

entrance into the temple. Similar to the shrine at Carrawburgh this anteroom contained a low stone bench which may

have been used in initiation rites. The east wall, however, was built over a badly filled-in pit and the subsequent

subsidence caused the collapse of the structure.

The Mithraeum Phase II

The mithraeum was rebuilt soon after, but without the ante-room. Access was now directly into the shrine from the

outside and it is unusual that the community would not have wanted at least some form of ante-chamber especially as

they also reduced the free space within the shrine by extending the benches. The interior of the shrine was

remodelled to include a stone podium in front of the apse (presumably for the tauroctony) and the lengthening of the

benches. A new roof system was also put in with wooden posts standing in front of the benches. Five small

uninscribed altars were found inside the nave and the remains of a water-basin were recovered about two-thirds of

the way along the northern bench.

http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Apsehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Apsehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tauroctonyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Apsehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mithraeumhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Antechamberhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Carrawburghhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Narthexhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Navehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Castrahttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mithraeumhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Roman_Britainhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hadrian%27s_Wallhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Auxiliaries_%28Roman_military%29http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Vindobalahttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rudchesterhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mithrashttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Roman_godhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Roman_Temple

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Rudchester Mithraeum 2

Gilliam found two heads of Cautes and Cautopates and speculated that this was the result of a deliberate decapitation

of the statues. The lack of any trace of the tauroctony was also used to argue for a deliberate desecration of the

shrine; however, in the absence of any single fragment of it and without knowing what the statue smashed in 1844

was of, it is hard to say for sure. Certainly pottery evidence spread over the temple shows that it was out of use by

the mid-fourth century.

All the finds and altars were placed in the Museum of Antiquities at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne,although they are in the process of being moved to the new Museum of the North.

References

[1] RIB 1394. CIMRM 840 (http://www.roger-pearse. com/mithras/display.php?page=cimrm840).

[2][2] RIB 1395

[3][3] RIB 1396

[4] RIB 1397. CIMRM 842 (http://www.roger-pearse. com/mithras/display.php?page=cimrm842).

[5] JP Gilliam, I MacIvor & E Birley. 1954. 'The Temple of Mithras at Rudchester'.Archaeologia Aeliana (4th series) XXXII, 176-219

Further readingDaniels, C. 1989.Mithras and his Temples on the Wall pp1619.

Gilliam, J.P., MacIvor, I & Birley, E. 1954. 'The Temple of Mithras at Rudchester'. Archaeologia Aeliana (4th

series) XXXII, 176-219

External links

Roman-Britain website (http://www.roman-britain. org/places/vindobala.htm/)

http://www.roman-britain.org/places/vindobala.htm/http://www.roger-pearse.com/mithras/display.php?page=cimrm842http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=CIMRMhttp://www.roger-pearse.com/mithras/display.php?page=cimrm840http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=CIMRMhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Newcastle_upon_Tynehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Museum_of_Antiquitieshttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tauroctonyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Cautes_and_Cautopates

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Article Sources and Contributors 3

Article Sources and ContributorsRudchester Mithraeum Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=533857083 Contributors: Andypeg123, D6, Excirial, Inniverse, Jeremy Bolwell, Notuncurious, QueenCake,

RevelationDirect, Rich Farmbrough, Rjwilmsi, Roger Pearse, Wildhartlivie, Yelizandpaul, 2 anonymous edits

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