Conny Waters – AncientPages.com – Over a century after the Villa of the Mysteries was discovered, a significant fresco has been uncovered, offering new insights into the mysteries of Dionysus in classical antiquity.
This discovery took place in a large banquet hall recently excavated in Pompeii’s central area, specifically in insula 10 of Regio IX. The nearly life-size frieze, known as “megalography” (from Greek meaning “large painting”), adorns three walls of the room while the fourth side opens to a garden.
Credit: Ministero della Cultura – Pompeii
The artwork illustrates Dionysus’s procession—the god associated with wine—featuring bacchantes depicted as dancers and hunters carrying a slaughtered goat or wielding swords and animal entrails. Young satyrs with pointed ears are shown playing double flutes, while another performs an acrobatic wine sacrifice by pouring wine from a drinking horn over his shoulder into a patera (a shallow cup).
Central to this composition is a woman standing beside an elderly Silenus holding a torch, signifying her role as an initiand—a mortal woman about to be initiated into the mysteries of Dionysus, who symbolizes death and rebirth and offers this promise to his followers.
Credit: Ministero della Cultura – Pompeii
In a press release, Italy’s Minister of Culture said that the frieze discovered in Pompeii offers fascinating insights into ancient art and religious practices. All figures in the frieze are depicted on pedestals, resembling statues, yet their dynamic movements, lifelike complexion, and detailed clothing give them a vivid presence. Archaeologists have named the site “House of the Thiasos,” referencing Dionysus’ procession. In antiquity, cults like that of Dionysus required initiation rituals for entry; these were known as “mysteries” due to their secretive nature accessible only to initiates. These cults often promised a blessed existence both in this life and beyond.
This particular frieze is an example of the Second Style of Pompeian painting from the 1st century BC, dated explicitly between 40-30 B.C. By the time Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD, burying Pompeii under ash and lapilli, this Dionysian artwork was already around a century old. Another notable example with similar ritual depictions is found in the Villa of the Mysteries outside Pompeii’s gates.
Credit: Ministero della Cultura – Pompeii
The newly discovered frieze adds an intriguing dimension to our understanding of Dionysian initiatory rituals by introducing themes related to hunting. This theme is illustrated not only by bacchante huntresses but also through a smaller accompanying frieze depicting live and dead animals such as fawns, wild boars freshly disemboweled, roosters, and various birds, alongside scenes involving fishing and seafood collection.
The Dionysian Thiasos environment at the Pompeii excavation site is now accessible to the public during specific visiting hours. Starting from the initial excavation stages, visitors can view this remarkable site from Monday to Friday at 11 am. Two groups of up to 15 people each are allowed entry by reservation, which can be made by calling 327 2716666. During these visits, construction staff will guide attendees through the main discoveries and explain both the environments and excavation techniques used. Visitors must purchase a standard entrance ticket for access to the archaeological park.
Credit: Ministero della Cultura – PompeiiDio
The ongoing investigations in Regio IX of Pompeii began in February 2023 and span approximately 3,200 square meters—nearly an entire block of this ancient city buried by Vesuvius in AD 79. The project is nearing completion with final safety measures underway, alongside a valorization project that will enable permanent public access. The “Excavation, Safety, and Restoration of Insula 10 Regio IX” initiative aims to reconnect with Via di Nola’s urban landscape.
Recent excavations have uncovered two atrium houses initially explored in the 19th century; these were constructed during the Samnite period and later converted into production workshops in the first century AD—a fullonica (laundry) and a bakery featuring an oven, millstone areas, and rooms for food processing intended for city distribution. To the south lies a large domus with living rooms showcasing significant finds: a spacious room adorned with Dionysian scenes, a black hall depicting Trojan saga narratives, a shrine on a blue background illustrating agricultural themes, as well as an extensive thermal area.
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While much remains unexplored—including entrances, atriums, and parts of peristyles (colonnaded gardens)—over fifty new rooms have been identified across more than 1,500 square meters within this fascinating archaeological endeavor.
Written by Conny Waters – AncientPages.com Staff Writer