Temple of Mithras - Hadrians Wall Museums

The Roman army first encountered the cult of Mithras in Persia (modern Iran) during the reign of the emperor Nero although its origins in India have been traced back to 1400 BC. One of the many mystery cults that the Romans introduced from the east, Mithraism first appealed to slaves and freedmen but with Mithras's title Invictus, the cult's emphasis on truth, honour and courage, and its demand for discipline soon led to Mithras becoming a god of soldiers and traders.

Three temples to Mithras have been found on Hadrian's Wall at Housesteads, Carrawburgh and Rudchester. The excavated material from all three is now in the Museum of Antiquities where there is also a reconstruction of a Mithraeum based on the first temple at Carrawburgh.

Visitors to Carrawburgh site today can see the stone temple in its final 4th century phase. The wooden roof posts, benches, sculpture and altars have been replaced by concrete copies. All the original material is now in the Museum of Antiquities.