thewinstonhours:Dionysus, known as Bacchus in Roman mythology, was the god of wine, delusion, and ma
thewinstonhours:Dionysus, known as Bacchus in Roman mythology, was the god of wine, delusion, and madness. The Villa of the Mysteries is a well-preserved Roman villa that was HQ for the Cult of Dionysus. It is located approximately a quarter of a mile NW of Pompeii (the villa only sustained minor damage in the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius.) Most notable in the villa is the Dionysiac frieze, or fresco, that covers the walls of the villa’s dining room. Painted in the first century BCE, it is unknown what these frescoes actually depict. Some suggest that they represent the initiation process into the cult. Mystery cults of the ancient world were very secretive, however. Would they really paint their initiation process on the dining room walls, where anyone could see? Perhaps it is just a fictionalization of the initiation ceremony, not the real thing. The mystery is muddled even further by the fact that Dionysus actually appears in the frescoes. Typically Dionysus was not depicted in art as he was thought to have an unstable, ever-changing form. On the occasions he was shown, it was usually a marble pillar with just his head on top. There is also the question of whether or not the frescoes, painted in one continuous band, actually are a narrative. You can see that the figures are separated into definite groups. Some groups seem to be relaxed, while others seem fearful and one woman is even running away. It is unlikely that we will ever know with certainty what these frescoes depict but how incredible are they? -- source link
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