Google Earth Community: Mithraeum of Victorinus

Located within the town house of the decurio Marcus Antonius Victorinus.
Orientation E-W. 7m x 16m
Victorinus was known to have been a prominent politician at the beginning of the 3rd century AD. Coins of Valentinian, Valens and Gratian were found within the destruction debris of the shrine.

The shrine is divided up into three parts- two ante rooms (the front room is postulated by the excavators as a Shrine of Mercury. Certainly a large statue base stood here) and the cella trichora with its central aisle about 2 feet below ground level. The benches were accessed by a single step on either side of the bottom of the two cella entrance steps.A fragment of the tauroctony was found in the excavations and would have stood on the large stone base at the end (south) wall of the cella. Within the cella a pair of small altars stood recessed into the front of each podium all dedicated by Marcus Antoninus Victorinus, a city councillor ( decurio coloniae Aquinci ) .A fine altar depicting Mithras being born from the rock was discovered in the excavations.

Visible remains: Shrine fully excavated, though heavily restored for display.
Sculptures: The tauractony fragment and the altar are located in the southern wing of the Lapidarium situated at the eastern edge of the Arcaheological Park (the long straight buildings).The Victorinus altars within the cella are the originals and remain in situ.

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Andrew Pegler
Watford Grammar School for Boys