Archaeologists in Pompeii have unearthed a rare depiction of initiation rites into a secret female cult that centred on Dionysus, the ancient Greek god of wine, fertility and ecstasy.
The vibrant frescoes depict female devotees of the cult hunting in the woods, killing and eviscerating wild animals and cavorting in states of ritualistic ecstasy.
One holds a sword while another has the entrails of an animal in her hands.
Some are already members of the Dionysian cult while others are being initiated through secret rites, which are still not fully understood by modern scholars.
The frescoes are a rare pictorial representation of the cult which remains shrouded in mystery after 2,000 years.
At the centre of the tableau is a depiction of an elegantly dressed woman who is about to be initiated into the cult.
Known as the Mysteries of Dionysus, the initiation rituals promised spiritual enlightenment and a blessed afterlife.
The frescoes were painted around 30 years before the birth of Christ.
They complement famous frescoes in the nearby Villa of the Mysteries, which were uncovered 100 years ago.
Together they are the only known depictions of the cult of Dionysus that have survived from the ancient world.
The libertine women represent the stark opposite of how ancient Romans expected women in polite society to behave.
“They are the antithesis of Roman noble women who stay at home weaving, managing the house and looking after the children,” Dr Sophie Hay, a British archaeologist at Pompeii, told The Telegraph.
“They are terrifying hunters. They’re eating raw meat. One has a dead deer over her shoulder, another is holding the innards of an animal. These women have abandoned living at home, gone into the woods and are living in the wilds. It’s very rare to find pictorial evidence of these practices. It is a mysterious cult – the initiation rites were never written down.”
The frescoes, featuring human figures that are almost life size, cover three sides of a large banqueting hall. The fourth side would have opened onto a garden or courtyard.
“For the ancients, the Dionysus followers expressed the wild, indomitable side of women – the woman who abandoned her children, her home and the city, who left the male-dominated order to dance freely, go hunting and eat raw meat in the mountains and forests; the opposite of the gentle woman who emulates Venus, the goddess of love and marriage, the woman who looks at herself in the mirror, who ‘makes herself beautiful’,” said Gabriel Zuchtriegel, the director of the archaeological site south of Naples.
“The frescoes have a deeply religious significance, although here their purpose was to adorn a room used for banquets and parties – a bit like when you see a poster of the Creation of Adam by Michelangelo in an Italian restaurant in New York, to create a bit of atmosphere.”
Dionysian cults probably originated in ancient Greece in the second millennium BC. They then arrived in the Roman Empire around 200BC via Greek colonies that were established in southern Italy.
A frieze that runs above the frescoes depicts both live and sacrificed animals, including a deer, roosters and a boar that has had its stomach split open with a knife. The images reflect the dual nature of Dionysian worship: revelry combined with primal sacrifice. There are also depictions of satyrs playing flutes.
“In antiquity there existed a number of cults, among which was the cult of Dionysus, which were open only to those who performed an initiation ritual,” said a statement from the archaeological site. “These cults were called ‘mysteries’ because only the initiated could know their secrets. Often, they were connected to the promise of a better life, both in this world and in the one beyond the grave.”
Alessandro Giuli, Italy’s culture minister, hailed the frescoes as an extraordinary find. He said they represent “something unique, of which there are few traces among archaeological testimonies that aren’t simply literary sources. It truly represents an opening into an extraordinary world. Alongside the Villa of the Mysteries, this fresco forms an unparalleled testament to the lesser-known aspects of ancient Mediterranean life”.
The frescoes are just the latest in a string of remarkable finds that have emerged from a period of intensive excavation at Pompeii, which was buried in ash and pumice when nearby Mount Vesuvius erupted in AD79. Around a third of the ancient site remains unexcavated.
Last month, archaeologists discovered a private spa complex belonging to a member of the ancient Roman elite, complete with enormous plunge pool and hot baths. It is located next to the remains of a richly decorated dining hall, meaning that guests would have been able to enjoy a long, hot soak before attending a banquet.
Other recent discoveries include the remains of a bakery, a laundry and a villa dining room with black walls decorated with scenes from the story of the Trojan War.
Pompeii’s villas, gymnasiums, bars and brothels were visited last year by more than four million people.