Standing outside of the state religion, mystery cults are an intriguing puzzle. Does art hold the answer?
Dionysian Cult Cycle (?), Villa of Mysteries, before 79 C.E., fresco, Pompeii
Additional resources:
Roman Painting on the Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History
Mary Beard, John North, and Simon Price, Religions of Rome, 2 vols. (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1998)
Joanne Berry, The Complete Pompeii (London: Thames & Hudson, 2013).
Roger Ling, Roman Painting (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1991).
Donatella Mazzoleni and Umberto Pappalardo, Domus: Wall Painting in the Roman House (Los Angeles: Getty Trust Publications, 2005).
Umberto Pappalardo, The Splendor of Roman Wall Painting (Los Angeles: Getty Trust Publications, 2009).
Smarthistory images for teaching and learning:
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