Statuette of Bacchus

Bacchus (Greek, Dionysus) is the god of fertility and wine. His cult is associated with wild rituals, sensual and unbridled, where sex and drunkenness often hold a large place.

Despite the decree adopted by the Roman Senate in 186 BC, prohibiting the cult of Bacchus in Rome and among its allies, there is no indication that practices have ceased in Pompeii. The Pompeians believe that the prosperity of their wine industry is attributable to the cult of Bacchus, which is gaining popularity as the value of wine increases.

This sculpture is at Mann in Naple and exhibited in Montreal in the beautiful Pompeii exhibition until September 2016 at the MMFA.