Hamilton, William; Kirk, Thomas: Outlines from the figures and compositions upon the Greek, Roman and Etruscan vases of the late Sir William Hamilton: with engraved borders (London, 1814)

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purpose of being fastened round the globe, which
has no handle.

PLATE XXXIV.

This painting seems to represent some of the
rites or orgies of Bacchus. The priestess is
playing upon the double flute, invented by Mi-
nerva. The genius is probably Acratus, one of
those, who according to Pausanias, generally ac-
companied Bacchus.

In the dancers we easily recognise, both by the
actions of their bodies, and by the torches which
they carry and use in these rites, the conduct of
men who counterfeit, or are supposed to be in-
sane, or rather possessed. Fabretti has given us
an account of a decree of the senate, which forbid,
under the severest punishment, any celebration
of bacchanalian mysteries throughout Italy. As
this edict is dated in the 566 year of Rome, it is
probable that the vases, which represent these
ceremonies, were made previous to this period,
which is exactly forty-five years after the taking
of Capua. Pacula Minia, who was the priestess,
when the bacchanals were proscribed by the se-
nate, was by birth a Campanian a native of Capua;
and what is very remarkable is, that the vases