It depicts the initiation rites for a cult dedicated to Dionysus ... the scene is a whirlwind of revelry and mayhem. The painting captures a wild procession of Dionysus in a vivid dance of ...

The details of the rituals were exclusive to those active in the cult and also largely lost to ... the mural to the Second Style of Pompeiian painting known for its trompe l’œil effect.

Created more than a century before the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 C.E., the wall paintings provide rare insights into secret rituals conducted in the Roman city ...