Female Serpent

This fresco (mid-2nd c.) shows a large female serpent, or Genius Loci (protective spirit of the place), gliding across a pale background. The sinuous body dominates the wall, marking the boundary of a small cult space. First installed in a private shrine, it was later preserved within a Mithraic sanctuary (c. 250), illustrating how older local cults could be absorbed into new religious settings.