Bacchus

Marble sculpture of Bacchus found on the Temple of Mithras site in London. 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 (sacred box). 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 (a type of cloak). 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.
About 100 years after the Temple of Mithras was built, it partly collapsed and was rebuilt. It was then dedicated to a different god, probably Bacchus and this sculpture likely belongs to this later phase of the temple.