Rare Frescoes of Dionysian Cult Discovered in Pompeii Banquet Hall

The nearly life-sized friezes, dating back to the 1st century BCE, reveal secretive rituals and the duality of ancient Mediterranean life.

Archaeologists uncovered vibrant frescoes spanning three walls of a banquet hall in Pompeii, depicting initiation rites into the Dionysian cult.
The friezes, painted between 40-30 BCE, showcase bacchantes, satyrs, and hunters in a vivid procession of dances, sacrifices, and symbolic rituals.
At the center of the artwork is a clothed woman preparing for initiation, symbolizing transformation and the promise of rebirth central to Dionysian worship.
The discovery complements similar frescoes found in the Villa of the Mysteries, offering rare insights into the secretive practices of ancient mystery cults.
The House of Thiasus, where the frescoes were found, is now open to the public, with limited access to preserve the site as excavations continue.