mysteries frieze villa

Since the first century, when civilization began to shape, the Roman Empire has been comprised of several cities with outstanding architecture. Pompeii is one of the enigmatic towns that were wiped out by Mt. Vesuvius' volcanic lava. Locals that had survived had forgotten the names of the settlements that had been buried during the natural catastrophe. Pompeii, on the other hand, was redeemed when it was rediscovered in 1748, and scholars were enthralled by the opportunity to analyze and study the abandoned city. As the upper class paid attention and took inspiration from Pompeii, the European imagination was sparked. The Villa of Mysteries has dumbfounded archaeologists who have been unable to decipher the meaning of the wall paintings correctly. The wall painting tends to depict the god Dionysus rites. Dionysus religion remains a mystery since its secrets were revealed to the people who had joined the cult. The villa was built artistically in the large town of Pompeii. The villa contained a chamber decorated with awe arts depicting exceptional scenes. The name of the mysterious room was the Initiation Chamber. Located in the front array of the villa, it measured 15 by 25 feet. The neoclassical movement was underway. The “mysteries” used to describe the secret initiation rites that were assisting in progressing the psychological advancement through the life stages.

The fresco was a method utilized to build a Dionysian frieze around 50BC; the pigment was added directly to the wet plaster on the wall. The water paint was added to the wet plaster to ensure that it would stick permanently. The paintings were made around the walls of a place which somewhat seemed like a dining room and artists perfected their work through using brilliant colors with natural pigments. The background was painted with a striking red color made from the mineral cinnabar. The paintings were exceptionally depicting a backdrop that was highlighted to create a space illusion extending beyond the room’s wall. The illusion created provided the audience with the feeling of connection with the painting as if they would exist in the scene when they step into the painting.

The Initiation Chamber entrance was located between the first and last fresco scenes. The fresco images found in the Villa of Mysteries depict a ritual ceremony for privileged and protected women from the psychological transition to married life. The frescoes provide vivid images portraying the initiation rites of women in Pompeii. However, there is much unknown about the initiation rite. The “mysteries” referred to the frieze activities that entailed the secret initiation rites and rituals done in the ancient world. The images are not deciphered efficiently according to their presentations. Scholars have been arguing concerning its interpretations. Most of the scholars have settled for the fact that the illustrations show a young female undergoing the passage of a rite to womanhood.

The Villa of the Mysteries does not halt on the frescoes, but its design is also a mystery. The room was built like a dining room highlighting the possibility that both men and women attended what was happening (Longfellow 33). The decorations in the room emphasized on the entertainment of both genders and their involvement. De Carolis (14) affirmed that reason for the interpretations of the images being still debated, is a presence of several possibilities that can be associated with meaning. The first argument includes the passage of a rite of bacchic brides into a cult, the second interpretation mentions the faith of the villa owners, the third presentation entails Dionysus cult, and the fourth one involves theatrical. De Carolis’ work is embodied on how the rooms were decorated and their relation towards the function and intention of the room. De Carolis explains that rooms whose purpose was public were decorated sparsely while the private rooms were embellished exclusively. Due to the size and illumination of the frescoes, this could be concluded as the reason why they were utilized in painting the room. However, the placement of god Dionysus mural makes things complicated since it was ordinary to place the image of a god in a dining hall because of their publicity. Therefore, the mystery continues as the room cannot be fathomed if it was either private or public.

Another interpretation provided by Elsner (88) is that of bridal initiation from a young girl to a grown woman who is ready for the marriage world. The author continues to argue that the painting has a thematic coincidence with the poems written by a Rome poet Catullus. Kirk (98) affirms Elsner’s belief concerning the marriage ritual. Moreover, scholars tend to argue about the god portrayed and Wilburn (57) states that it was Liber because of his abundance, pleasure, and sexuality instead of Dionysus. Longfellow (116) tends to agree with Wilburn about the god being Liber because of the paintings of his head and his association with goddess Venus. Therefore, as much as the majority of scholars debated about the interpretation of the arts, they agreed it was a representation of a sacred ritual that focused on the transformation and transition of young women. Even to the audience, the paintings are challenging to decipher, but it is evident that it is connected with the female ritual.

Scholars could not agree whether the frescoes depicted the rite of passage for girls or represented the Dionysius cult. However, the images showed women from a young age going through stages of being a bride. It was not admissible whether the privileged girls became the brides of Dionysius or of the men in the outside world. The potent frescoes highlighted the stages that young girls underwent through to be groomed psychologically for marriages. In the entrance, the opening scene shows a young woman being surrounded by elderly women in a protective and educative manner. The scenes progress by unveiling the young woman journey to the inner circles of the mystery. The mystery is embedded to the stage where the young woman is represented by Dionysius, the god of passion, fertility, and pleasure. The god is held intimately by the goddess Ariadne, emphasizing their relationship as lovers.

The frescoes continue to open up to more mysteries as there is intense red pigment illuminated in the background showing their union and erotic involvement. According to Bergman (232), in the first murals, the young woman is fully dressed in a multi-layered garment showing her former status of purity and innocence in the world. The layers signify what she requires to shed for her transformation during the initiation process while she approaches the god/goddess. As the process commences, her heart is evident in her left hand, providing a space for transformation and transition. A young male belonging to Dionysius cult reads what may seem like the sacred rules as the priestess oversees the whole process. The young woman as she proceeds to the next stage, she is clothed in a royal purple signifying her royal status as she approaches the god and goddess with a gift. The image provides the audience with a glimpse of the first stage of initiation.

As the scenes progress, the images of a young woman continue transitioning. The young woman who had joined with layers from the world, after encountering with the goddess she is transformed into an erotic figurine. The young woman is showing her transformed image through her ritual performance. The final conception entails of Domina who is the head of her family since she has own sovereign. Through her initiation, her identity had transformed and her destiny aligned with those of the gods. Her aura depicts that of a sacred being, and her marriage shows the divine union with the touch of divinity. As illustrated, the initiation process proves that marriage is a sacred oath, not only connected to humans but to the god and goddess who had infused their divinity in the young woman. When the energy from the masculine and feminine deity align, then her relationships can flow harmoniously.

The Villa of Mystery frescoes was traced from an ancient culture and mythology that existed in an era which is very different from the contemporary period. However, the psychological accuracy depicted from the murals shows how women had to undergo transitions and transformations, both physically and emotionally before graduating to the marriage dimension. The rite of passage requires courage and consciousness as one responds and accepts wholeheartedly to surrender to the marriage sovereignty. The women are initiated in the process of harnessing the masculinity and feminine versatility when revitalizing their relationships. Dionysian proves himself as the god of passion and pleasure ensuring the ecstasy madness is celebrated.

Therefore, the frescoes portrayed in the Villa of the Mysteries will continue being a “mystery” because the secrets were only revealed to individuals initiated to the cult. The secrets were never revealed, and scholars are always exposed to deciphering the meaning through assumptions engaged in debates. The individuals involved in the art of the Initiation Chamber possessed exotic artistry skills that were exceptional compared to any other ancient paintings discovered in Pompeii. For those arts to be achieved and their level of complexity and exceptionality, it is evident that the patron of the villa was wealthy enough to cater for the talent and the cost. However, no information has been provided concerning the homeowners and wealth status.

The painting debates progress interpretations range from marriages, thematic illustrations, and Dionysus cult initiation. The human world and the divine world is evident. Therefore, the dramatic representation proves that the two worlds existed and thus, the paintings possess more than a single interpretation. The way the stages are quite differentiated causes the posing of several questions. However, as the scenes progress and the way they keep facing each other, it is evident that a story unfolds and a female is involved. As the scenes reveal, the young woman continues transitioning, and her transformation is apparent signifying the process of initiation. Despite the possibility of several interpretations, the involvement of female passage of a rite and a mystery cult cannot be overlooked. Therefore, it is possible that the frescoes represent the young woman being initiated through Dionysus cult enabling the female to be prepared psychologically and physically for marriage. Dionysus and Ariadne represent the god and goddess who officiate the nuptials through channeling both of their energies to the young female.

As much as there is a mystery cult depicted, there is evidence of traditional ritual practices illuminated through the paintings. The rituals and the cultism are different, but they tend to overlap and blend in various stages giving the meaning to the arts. The paintings are being interpreted as a cult and a ritual because of the seclusion that is emanated. It is evident that the frescoes show a young woman attending a private and secluded process with the god and goddess in attendance. All the mystery cults have fertility and abundance rooted deep in their foundation. The secrecy that was involved and the rules that can be seen being read in the first scene highlight the vows; therefore, these emphasize more on the cult and initiation process.

In conclusion, the frescoes illuminate an initiation process of a young female to womanhood as she is prepared for the marriage institution. Additionally, it is evident god Dionysus, and the goddess Ariadne are present during the convention, emphasizing the cult possibility. Therefore, the mysteries frieze overlaps the traditional rituals and cult having a singular meaning of empowering the young female to have both human identity and divine identity. Hence, it is safe to state, that the ancient paintings in the villa supported the existence of initiation to marriage and into the cult oversaw by a priestess, god, and goddess.



Works Cited

Bergman, Bettina. Seeing Women in the Villa of the Mysteries: A Modern excavation of the Dionysiac Murals. Antiquity Recovered: The Legacy of Pompeii and Herculaneum. J.Paul Gerry Museum, 2007, pp. 231-269.

De Carolis, Ernesto. Gods and heroes in Pompeii. L'Erma di Bretschneider, 2001, p.14.

Elsner, Jaś. Imperial Rome and Christian triumph: the art of the Roman Empire AD 100-450. Oxford University Press, 1998, 88.

Kirk, Shoshanna S. “Nuptial Imagery in the Villa of the Mysteries Frieze: South Italian and Sicilian Precedents.” The Villa of the Mysteries in Pompeii, 2000, pp. 98-115.

Longfellow, Brenda. “Liber and Venus in the Villa of the Mysteries.” The Villa of the Mysteries in Pompeii, Ancient Ritual—Modern Muse, edited by E.K. Gazda, Ann Arbor, 2000, pp. 116-128.

Wilburn, Drew. “The God of Fertility in Room 5 of the Villa of the Mysteries.” The Villa of the Mysteries in Pompeii: Ancient Ritual, Modern Muse, 2000, pp. 50-58.