Marble Head of Dionysos
Date: 2nd Century AD
Period: Roman Imperial
Material: Marble
Origin: Ancient Rome
Current Location: British Museum, London

Dionysos, also known as Dionysus in Greek mythology, is the god of wine, fertility, theater, and religious ecstasy. He is the son of Zeus and the mortal Semele, and his birth story is unique, as he was born from Zeus’s thigh after his mother perished.

Dionysos is often depicted as a youthful, beardless figure carrying a thyrsus—a staff entwined with ivy and topped with a pinecone—and accompanied by a retinue of satyrs, maenads, and wild animals. He symbolizes both the joys and dangers of indulgence, representing the life force, transformation, and the boundary between civilization and nature.

Worship of Dionysos included ecstatic festivals, such as the Dionysia, which combined ritual, theater, and celebration, highlighting his central role in Greek culture as a deity of liberation, creativity, and the unpredictable power of nature.