Mithraeum I and III

Ptuj is the town in Slovenia with the strongest claim to being a Roman city, and the Mithraea of Poetovio are among the best reasons to believe it. In the first centuries AD, the Roman town of Poetovio stood on the right bank of the Drava, at a crossing of major roads and close to the frontier of the empire, and it was a garrison and trading centre with a mixed population of soldiers, merchants and officials from many parts of the Roman world. One of the religions they brought with them was Mithraism, a mystery cult built around the god Mithras, and Ptuj has left more evidence of it than almost any other place in the region. Several Mithraea, or temples of Mithras, have been found in and around the town, and the first and the third are the best known.

Mithraism was a religion for initiates. It was especially popular among soldiers, and its followers met in small groups in underground or semi-underground rooms built to resemble caves, with benches along the walls and an altar at one end. The central image was the tauroctony, a scene of Mithras killing a sacred bull, which is shown on carved stone reliefs in nearly every Mithraeum. Other panels illustrate his birth from a rock and the shared meal he is said to have had with the sun god. Because the cult was secret and left no written scripture, what we know of its beliefs comes mainly from these images, and that is part of the fascination.

At Ptuj, the remains include foundations of the temples and finds such as altars, votive inscriptions and relief sculptures. Mithraeum III is the most celebrated, having produced well-preserved reliefs and altars, and it is protected by a building that allows careful viewing. Because the finds are fragile, access to the interior is controlled, and guided visits are arranged in advance, so contact the tourist information centre or the Ptuj museum to ask about booking. Many of the original sculptures are kept in the town museum, and the sites themselves show how the temples were laid out.

The Mithraea fit into a wider picture of Roman Ptuj. The Orpheus Monument in the town is a splendid Roman tombstone, and Ptuj Castle and the Minorite Monastery help to complete a visit. The Drava runs below, and walking along it you can picture the Roman port.

The site suits history lovers, students of ancient religion and anyone curious about the mystery cults of the Roman Empire. Allow an hour for the visit and book ahead. Slovenia’s Roman heritage is rarely this vivid. Guided visits are the best way in, and Mithraic imagery is easier to read with a guide. Ptuj’s Roman past is on show at its best here, a short walk from the Drava River.