Lararium in the House of the Lararium, Ostia.
Each house, rich and poor, would have its own lararium, a shrine to worship the household gods, the Lares. Here they would pray for the safety and success of their household. People would also have hoped for personal exchanges with a god.
Entry for the House of the Lararium in the Ostia Topographical Dictionary site.
Replica of a Roman marble copy of a 2nd century BC Hellenistic original, examples of which can be found at the nearby Ostinese Museum (listed as 'Amor and Psyche'), and also the Capitoline Museum.
Statue of Mithras at the Baths of Mithras, Ostia
The cult of Mithras offered an opportunity for individuals to experience religion in a more personal way as part of a special group of worshippers. In contrast to public rites, the worship of Mithras was held in small cavern-like structures, often underground, and would have been accessible only to the individuals who had completed part of the seven-stage initiation.
Description of the Mithreaum at the Baths of Mithras on the Ostia Topographical Dictionary Site
Description of the Mithraeum at the Baths of Mithras on the Tertullian Project Site
Frescoes of charioteers holding palms and laurel wreaths, the symbols of victory, in Ostia's so-called 'House of the Charioteers'.
Detail of mosaic in the house of Cupid and Psyche, Ostia.
Further images and information from the Topographical Dictionary of Ostia.
