Temple of Mithras, Brocolitia

The remains of the Brocolitia Mithraeum, a Temple of Mithras, the Persian god of light and truth, stand near what is left of the Roman fort of Brocolitia, or Carrawburgh, on Hadrian’s Wall.  Curiously evocative, the temple was built in the 3rd century and subsequently desecrated in the 4th century, probably by Christians. There was once another temple nearby, dedicated to Coventina, a local water goddess, and a nymphaeum – a monument dedicated to nymphs – but nothing is to be seen of these. The only visible remains of the fort, one of 16 that were built along Hadrian’s Wall, are grassy mounds. Though a lonely spot now, it once had a garrison of about 500 soldiers – first from south-west France, later from southern Belgium .