It is known that many mithraea were found in Ostia. After their publication by Giovanni Becatti, more
than sixty years ago, the research on Mithraism in such an important site has found today new life thanks to
the excavations of the Ostia Marina Project of the University of Bologna and to the discovery of the so-called
Mithraeum of colored marbles, which owes its name to the very particular marble pavement found in the
spelaeum. Starting from this discovery, the pavements of the numerous known mithraea in Ostia are presented
here. Their analytical study allows us to outline the peculiar characteristics of these sacred spaces and
to reconstruct the furnishings of the rooms. Moreover, this analysis offers useful elements to understand the
ritual forms of one of the most widespread cults in the Roman Empire between the 2nd and the 4th century AD
