Archaeologists working in Pompeii have unearthed a series of rare, almost life-size frescoes. The discovery provides new clues into the religious life of the city before its destruction by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. It includes a large frieze extending across three walls of a banquet hall.

The vivid images depict initiation rites for followers of Dionysus, the ancient Greek god associated with wine, fertility, theatre, and religious ecstasy. These initiation rituals, known as the Mysteries of Dionysus, were secretive religious ceremonies dedicated to the god. They promised spiritual enlightenment and potentially a blessed afterlife.