Villa del Casale Mythology: Ambrosia

All characters of Licurgo and Ambrosia's tragedy are present. On the center, Licurgo's naked figure is represented, Thrace king, which tryes to kill the maenad Ambrosia while is changing herself in a grapevine plant, by using a battle axe. Behind Licurgo it's the Dionysiac cortege of three maenads of which one, with the thyrsus in hand, threatens Licurgo and a young man which throws the holy leopard. Behind Ambrosia are: Dionysus, Pan and Sileno. Licurgo didn't like the Dionysac cult. The myth says that Dionysus, Semele and Zeus' son, during a bacchanalia, was surprised by Licurgo that violently drove him away from his kingdom, killing satyrs and maenads, considering his behaviour as immoral. Licurgo forbade the grapevine cultivation cutting all the plants he encountered by the battle axe. Even killed his own son by mistake, having exchanged him for a grapevine bine and so the axe slipped through his fingers for the great rage he had, and cut off his legs. The other maenads and the satyrs Licurgo had imprisonned were miracolously freed instantly and the chains which were keeping them imprisonned were thrown on Licurgo killing him.

(Special Thanks to Sebi Arena)