Villa of the Mysteries Frescoes This unparallelled example of a monumental cycle of Roman paintings was discovered in the Valla of the Mysteries situated on the outskirts of Pompeii By good fortune. the building sustained relatively little damage during the eruption ol Mount Vesuvius in 79CE, and most of the paintings have survived in reasonable condition. The frescoes take the form of a frieze, covering three walls of an oecus(large saloon) at the south- western corner of the wia The precise details of the imagery are still disputed, but most critics agree that the paintings relate to the initiation rites tor a cult of Dionysus reserved solely for women At the heart of the treze, the god reclines with his satyrs and ather woodland companions These mingle with the women taking part in the ceremonies. which appear to include a symbolic marriage and a ritual scourging The figures in the detail pictured here include a child reading from a scroll, a woman bearing a tray of tood. and a seated priestess unveiling an unseen object that will be used in the rites. The patron of these paintings is unknown, but was clearly a person of considerable means This is evident trom the lavish use of cinnabar, a prohibit vely expensive red pigment