Image: Pompeii – Parco Archeologico.
Archaeologists in Pompeii have uncovered a massive frieze depicting followers of Dionysus, the Greek god of wine.
This artwork, spanning three walls of a grand banquet hall, shows female worshippers honouring the deity. Experts believe it offers new insights into religious traditions before Pompeii was buried by Mount Vesuvius in AD 79.
Dionysus, also known as Bacchus in Roman culture, was linked to wine, fertility, madness and theatre. The frescoes show his female devotees, called bacchantes, marching with a sacrificed goat. Satyrs are seen drinking and playing music, while Silenus, Dionysus’s mentor, also appears.
Scholars suggest the frieze was inspired by The Bacchae, a tragedy by Euripides written around 405 BC. The play tells of Dionysus punishing those who doubted him by driving the women of Thebes into madness. Experts estimate the frescoes were painted between 40 and 30 BC.
This isn’t the first major discovery related to Dionysian worship in Pompeii. In 1909, archaeologists found the Villa of the Mysteries, which features similar scenes of rituals and celebration.
Italy’s Culture Minister, Alessandro Giuli, called the discovery “historic,” emphasising its significance alongside the Villa of the Mysteries in understanding ancient Mediterranean life.
Dionysian worship often included wild revelry, where followers, under the influence of wine, music, and dance, let go of their inhibitions. This state, known as a bacchanal, symbolised freedom from fear and self-consciousness.
Interestingly, Bacchus was later used for a grape variety bred in 1933. Today, Bacchus is the fourth-most planted grape in the UK, following Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier.
Excavations in Pompeii, which resumed in early 2023, have revealed over 50 rooms showcasing daily life before the eruption. Among the discoveries are an elaborate bath complex, a banquet hall, and early dry-cleaners.
