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The establishment of the Electronic Journal of Mithraic Studies provides a forum suited to the publication of a Supplement to M.J. Vermaseren’s Corpus (1956-60). In the later years of his life, Maarten Vermaseren, though largely occupied with the Corpus of monuments relating to the cult of the Mater Magna and Attis and the later volumes of EPRO, had been assiduously collecting materials for a third volume of CIMRM, which was intended also to contain a revised version of the Mithraic passages presented by Cumont in Textes et monuments and supplemented by an appendix in Mystères de Mithra³ (Brussels, 1913), 247-9. I was told that on his death in 1990 this material was passed to a Dutch scholar for editing, but I have no knowledge of its present whereabouts. Meanwhile, Mithraic materials have continued to accrue, and it has long been felt that steps should be taken to create a supplement to take account of discoveries since about 1960. There is no individual with the kinds of international contacts enjoyed by Vermaseren, but the Electronic Journal does offer an opportunity to present news of new discoveries, such as that at Hawarti in Syria, and it seems reasonable to extend its coverage to include a supplement to CIMRM.

It is intended that this should contain two parts or sections. The first part is to contain revisions and corrections to Vermaseren’s material, listed by the numbers in his Corpus. The second part will be devoted to new finds since 1960 and certainly or possibly Mithraic items overlooked by Vermaseren or unknown to him. This section will be organised by means of a provisional numbering system, which will be replaced when the Supplement in due course comes to be published as a volume. The Supplement is intended to be a collaborative and provisional enterprise, suited to the possibilities of collaborative work opened up by the Internet. It is effectively impossible for one person to be sure of, or even to be aware of, numerous details which can easily be established by local archaeologists familiar with their own Mithraic material, especially those who have themselves conducted the relevant excavations. Both Prof. Dr. E. Schwertheim in Münster and Prof. Dr. R. Wiegels of Osnabrück have considered the possibility of creating a Supplement to CIMRM, and Herr Frank Biller at Münster is presently engaged in a revision of Schwertheim’s doctoral thesis Die Denkmäler orientalischer Gottheiten im römischen Deutschland EPRO 40 (Leyden, 1974). Moreover, very considerable research is required to create a reliable Supplement of new finds together with the indispensable illustrative material, which I, as a private scholar, am not in a position to finance. Nor is the Internet the best means of circulating photographic material, so that the ultimate aim of the project is to publish the Supplement in book form.

If any scholars are willing to provide material for either section of the Supplement, I should be extremely glad to hear from them by e-mail or otherwise. Corrections to my revisions by those whose information is more accurate are also very welcome. My address is michra@gmx.de. My immediate aim in this year is to get on with Part I, corrections and revisions to Vermaseren’s Corpus, but there is no reason why a start should not also be made on Part II.

It is suggested that those who are willing to send contributions should make use of the submission schemes defined for Part I and Part II.