Bacchus and Vesuvius
Fresco from Pompeii. Inv. No. 112286.Naples, National Archaeological Museum, Hall LXXVPhoto by Sergey Sosnovskiy

Bacchus and Vesuvius.

Fresco from Pompeii.
Inv. No. 112286.

Naples, National Archaeological Museum, Hall LXXV
(Napoli, Museo archeologico nazionale, Sala LXXV).

Pompeii, House of the Centenary (IX, 8, 6).
Origin:
Pompeii, IX. 8. 3—6, room 23, lararium in atrium of servants’ quarters.
Description:
Italiano Bacco rivestito da un grappolo d’uva versa da bere alla pantera, dinanzi ad una montagna conica, le cui pendici sono coperte da vigneti, che per la forma è stata erroneamente identificata con il Vesuvio, quale appariva prima dell’eruzione del 79.
Museum information

Bacchus and Vesuvius, from Pompeii, House of the Centenary (IX, 8, 6)

inv. 112286

There has been much debate as to whether the cone-shaped mountain covered in trim vineyards is Vesuvius or the hill of Nisas, sacred to Dionysus. Both interpretations are possible, considering that a lararium could be decorated with either mythical or realistic scenes, and if one reflects for a moment, they are not even mutually exclusive, for Martial compared Vesuvius to the hills of Nisas in his famous verses lamenting the eruption of the former in 79 A.D.

The Dionysian connotation of the lararium is clearly affirmed by the presence of the god with his customary attributes (kantharos, panther and thyrsus), transformed into a bunch of grapes in a singular image which transmutes his body in the same way as an Ephesian Artemis is girt with innumerable breasts. The other elements in the picture, such as the garlands, birds and the beneficent divinity in the form of a serpent bearing an egg to the altar, belong to the most banal stereotypes of lararium decoration.

The other wall of the shrine remained in situ in Pompeii and shows the traditional figures of the Lares against a background of stylised trees.

Stefano De Caro
Credits:
(сс) 2008. Photo: Sergey Sosnovskiy (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Text: museum inscription to the fresco (2, 4).
2019. Add. information: http://pompeiiinpictures.com.
© 1996. Description: Stefano De Caro. The National Archaeological Museum of Naples. Soprintendenza Archeologica di Napoli e Caserta. Electa, Napoli, 2001. P. 200.
THE GALLERY OF ANCIENT ART
Keywords: ζωγραφικήί pictura ars picturae painting pittura malerei peinture ελληνική μυθολογία mythologia graeca greek mythology mitologia greca griechische mythologie grecque ρωμαϊκή romana roman römische romaine διώνυσος dionysus dioniso dionysos ρωμαϊκές romano romani römisch römisches römischen römischer romain romains romaines βάκχος bacchus bacco πομπηία pompeii pompeian pompei pompeiano pompeji pompeianischen pompejanischen pompéi pompéien φρεσκογραφία τοιχογραφία νωπογραφία wall fresco frescos frescoes opera parietale murale opere parietali murali affresco affreschi freskomalerei frischmalerei wandmalerei fresko fresken fresque fresques pintura mural thyrsus tirso thyrse θύρσος thyrsos ara altar altare autel βωμός serta garland garlands ghirlanda ghirlandi girlande guirlande γιρλάντα corona wreath kranz couronne taenia tainia band ribbon fillet tenia tänie binden tænia ténia ταινία bird birds uccello vogel oiseau πουλί kantharos cantharus cantaro canthare cantarôsse κάνθαρος domus auli rustii veri et tiberii claudi aulus rustius verus tiberius claudius house of the centenary ix 8 6 casa del centenario vesuvius mount monte vesuvio berg vesuv mont vésuve βεζούβιος crested snake serpent serpente crestato schlange mit haube à crête huppé κορωνίδα φίδι panthera panther pantera panthère πάνθηρα lararium larario λαράριουμ uva botrys botrus bunch grapes grappolo d’uva weintraube wein traube grappe de raisin τσαμπί σταφύλια inv no 112286
History of Ancient Rome