Bacchus

X In the round Bacchus group from the Temple of Mithras. The sculpture is made of carrara marble. From E end, against the N wall, higher levels than the Serapis group. Bacchus stands to the front, totally nude apart from a triangular-shaped diadem on his head. He is in a relaxed pose, head inclined to the left, his weight resting on his right leg. His left arm is arched over his head and his left hand grips the body of a serpent draped along a vine bearing clusters of grapes. On the right he is supported by a satyr and beyond the satyr, the maenad who is clad in a long chiton, clasps a cista mystica. Between the satyr and a maenad squats Bacchus’ typical cult animal, the panther, looking up. On Bacchus’ right, seated on an ass, is a small, bald Silenus, the lower part of his body draped in a himation. The low base of the group bears the legend: HOMINIBUS BAGIS BITAM ('You gave life to wandering mortals'). The sculpture retains slight traces of paint, red, green and blue. It has been surmised (see Henig in Shepherd, loc.cit.) that this, the other Bacchic sculptures and the silver hoard consisting of a bowl and box [cista mystica?] and strainer belong to a late post-Mithraic phase of the site. The cista mystica carried by the maenad should be compared with the actual silver casket (Shepherd, pp.179-81).
From Temple of Mithras site.