GEONISTIL: Telamones

Symbols of the spiritual world on ancient Greek vase art

AmarnaArt 8/16/2569

The fresco of the god Dionysus in the House of Thiasus in Pompeii

AmarnaArt 8/15/2569

The fresco of the god Dionysus in the House of Thiasus in Pompeii

This nearly life-sized ruby-red fresco depicts the ceremonial procession Thiasos of Dionysus the god of wine in the banquet hall of what archaeologists call the House of Thiasus This magnificent fresco was a new discovery in early 2025 in the Regio IX district of the ancient city of Pompeii Italy. The interior decoration typical of ancient Roman architecture features columns stained or painted in deep red tones reflecting the use of vibrant colors polychromy. The fresco includes fluted columns a style common in ancient architecture and ancient stone or stucco columns with deep vertical flutes. The surface shows signs of chipping and age.

This fresco is part of a ritualistic procession honoring the god Dionysus newly discovered in an ancient banquet hall in the Regio IX of Pompeii Italy.

The depiction shows satyrs playing flutes and maenads in various poses. One image shows a goat carried on a shoulder while another shows a young pointed-eared satyr playing a flute while another performs an acrobatic wine offering. Rare large-scale paintings such as those of the Villa of Secrets include traces of the cult of Dionysus. His festivals possibly influenced by foreign elements may have been inherited and played a significant role in the Greek tradition of grape harvesting and winemaking by the Mycenaean Greeks from approximately 1,500 to 1,100 BC.

The ancient frescoes in this image are near-life-sized works of art megalography found in the banquet hall of the historic House of Thiasus "Casa del Tiaso" in Pompeii Italy.

The mystery of Dionysus in the classical world depicted in the frescoes involves pouring wine from his mountain drinking it over his shoulder into low vessels. The depiction of the night approaching the resurrected god of the dead is shown in the frescoes. In the center of the painting a young woman and an old man named Silenus hold torches the young woman represents a deceased woman who underwent the ritual with the elderly Silenus. The large-scale frescoes reveal the mysteries of Dionysus in the classical world. Statues of important figures and Greek gods stretch around with a fresco-decorated hall appearing marking the beginning of the mystery and the procession and rituals of Dionysus's worship.