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Dionysus, Greek god of Wine is commonly
portrayed as one of two archetypes. Either, he is
depicted as the quiet and epicurean God who
quietly enjoys his wine on his Olympian throne,
or as a wild and carnal spirit that animates the
most feral nature of man. It is this second and
darker Dionysus that is depicted on this Kylix.
The carnal Dionysus was worshiped by the
Bacchants, an all-female cult of the most arcane
sort in Ancient Hellas, and later in Rome. It was
in the name of the wine God that the cult-
members raised themselves into wine and drug-
ridden hysteria, consumed the flesh of live
animals, and participated in massive orgies.
This depiction of Dionysus every bit merits the
zeal and activity of his Bacchant worshipers. He
leaps through the air, the leader of a procession,
undoubtedly in his honor. The chalmys flippantly
draped over his shoulders sways with the rush of
his movement. He is bedecked in beaded
bandoliers, and a wreath frames his head. In his
right hand he holds a Tympanum, ready to be
struck into a frenzied cacophony or hypnotic
beat. His left hand holds a staff, much like the
ones used by the processional leaders of
festivals. He looks back over his shoulder, as if
to lead on the festival train behind him. His left
pectoral muscle is grossly exaggerated, giving a
stylized and very strikingly feminine feature to
the male body. The Kylix’s meandering border of
grape leaves further accentuates the fantastic
fluidity of the form.
Who knows what role this piece played in the life
of a wealthy aristocrat, or perhaps a devoted
Bacchant? Given the elegance of its execution
and the unusualness of its subject, it is very
possible that this piece was an integral
sacramental ornament of the Bacchant. Perhaps
from its lip, the Bacchantes once supped their
wine or sprinkled their spices. Regardless of its
purpose, or the wonderful and arcane rites that
the Kylix may’ve witnessed, it is undeniably a
phenomenal work of art. The virility of its
Dionysus is a testament to the artist’s ability and
the boisterous revelry of the human spirit.
- (DC.116)
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