Cultura del monogramma nelle religioni misteriche della Tarda Antichità

Since the beginning of the IV century AD the monogram – as a symbol of the identity of a religious expression – appears as a fundamental component in the evolution of the forms of communication in a multicultural society. The great diffusion of Mithraism between the III and IV centuries AD is witnessed by the many places of worship, but also by the rich epigraphic and sculptural materials found so far. In the case of Ostia, the city with the highest number of mithraea in an urban context, the widespread presence of Mithraic signs and symbols can be recognized even outside the places specifically dedicated to the rites of this religious expression. The Ostia Marina Project, the archaeological mission of the University of Bologna, has been operating for a dozen years with useful results, also for a better understanding of the manifestations of the Mithraic religion thanks to the recent discovery of the Mithraeum of colored marbles. The case studies presented here are investigated in relation to those known in other religious contexts, particularly in Christian ones.