Roman Women and Fertility Gods: The Bacchic Frieze of the Villa of the Mysteries c. 60-50 B.C

Below the slopes of Mount Vesuvius there is a large Roman villa that was built in a fertile vineyard country. During one phase its history in Pompeii, an impressive frescoed frieze was painted in a small room by an unknown artist (60-50 B.C.). Having been covered in A.D. 79 by the catastrophic volcanic eruption of Mount Vesuvius, the villa remained perfectly preserved until its rediscovery in 1861, and final unearthing from 1910 to 1930. The building was named the Villa of the Mysteries, while the frieze has been called the Bacchic Scene due to the god Bacchus’ omnipresence in the painting. In the frieze, mortal women are depicted in a variety of activities connected to the mystery gods of fertility, such as Bacchus and Venus, although there remains much debate about the actual meaning of the scene. I propose the subject of fertility and the roles of Roman women for an explanation of the frieze, as most of the figures in the painting are mortal women. Two fundamental rites of passage were associated with women: marriage and childbirth. I believe childbirth and fertility play a much larger role. The symbols in the painting are associated with Bacchus and Venus, fertility gods. This painting is charged with sexual meaning and underscores the demand in Rome for women to provide an heir. The scene pays homage to this idea, and to the gods Romans believed would affect conception. This thesis begins with a description of the figures of the mystical frieze in chapter one. An examination of the twenty-nine figures participating in the frenzy of activity helps determine the meaning. Chapter two discuses female fertility and the social standing of women in Rome. The third chapter examines the mystery gods and their female followers, emphasizing the cults of Bacchus and Venus. Chapter four gives an assessment of the mythological and secular imagery relating to Roman women. The concluding chapter covers the progression of scholarship on the frieze from its beginnings to the present. All, then, will focus on the Villa of the Mysteries frieze and iconographical comparisons to other extant works.