A team of Italian archaeologists has announced a remarkable discovery. In the recently excavated House of Tias, researchers uncovered a massive, extraordinarily rare wall painting depicting an ancient mystery cult. At the center of the scene is a woman being initiated into the cult under the cover of night.
Discussing the find, Gabriel Zuchtriegel, the director of the Pompeii Archaeological Park, noted that the heroine of the fresco embodies women who “break free from male control to dance freely, hunt, and eat raw meat in the mountains and forests.”
What Did Researchers Say About the Rare Fresco?
The fresco spans three walls along a large banquet hall, with the fourth wall opening into a garden. Against a vibrant red background, numerous maenads—followers of Dionysus, the god of wine and winemaking—can be seen. The ancient artist depicted them as huntresses carrying swords and slain goats, while young satyrs play flutes nearby.
The focal point of the fresco is an old satyr with a young woman who is about to be initiated into the secret mystery cult of Dionysus. This ancient cult, with practices established by the Greeks in the 5th century BCE, was kept secret from outsiders. However, the discovered wall painting has provided researchers with a new key to understanding what transpired among the cult’s followers.
Like their Greek counterparts, Roman initiates likely engaged in hunting. The fresco suggests that the secret rituals reflected the connection between Dionysus and wild animals, as reported by Live Science.
Although many details of these mysteries have been lost over the years due to their secrecy, historical chronicles indicate that the rituals were accompanied by copious consumption of wine and other intoxicating substances. This led followers to enter a trance-like state. Dionysus was also associated with resurrection, which was likely promised to those initiated into the mystery cult.
Researchers recalled another fresco depicting Dionysian rituals, discovered in the suburbs of Pompeii at the so-called Villa of Mysteries in 1909. This artwork also features satyrs, maenads, and a woman being initiated into the cult, but it lacks hunting scenes. Nevertheless, both frescoes, according to Gabriel Zuchtriegel, reveal the “wild, untamed side of women.”
The wall paintings depicting the mysteries of Dionysus at both the Villa of Mysteries and the House of Tias date back to the mid-first century BCE. This means they were over 100 years old when the eruption of Vesuvius occurred in 79 CE. Under a thick layer of volcanic material, the wall painting has been remarkably preserved for two millennia.
As Mr. Zuchtriegel noted, the frescoes also reflect a growing religious crisis, as festivals honoring Dionysus were banned, along with other secret rituals, in 186 BCE. However, the wall paintings indicate that the residents of the Pompeii region ignored this prohibition.
According to Italy’s Minister of Culture, Alessandro Giuli, the frescoes of the House of Tias and the Villa of Mysteries are important historical documents that shed light on unknown aspects of ancient Mediterranean life.