skip to content

Museum of Classical Archaeology Databases

Dionysiac Relief of Three Maenads

Three Maenads, followers of Dionysos, are shown dancing in an ecstasy associated with the rituals of the god of wine and strong emotions. Maenads not only danced and sang but also indulged in omophagia, the eating of the raw flesh of wild animals. The Maenads, or Bacchae as the Romans called them, are shown here with elaborately swirling clothes and dismembered animals.

This relief is placed inside an architectural frame, such as was more commonly found on votive reliefs and grave memorials. Some traces of colour remain on the original

Number: 
435a
Material: 
Pentelic marble
Location of Original: 

Florence, Uffizi 163

Size: 
0.56 x 0.99m
Accession: 

Purchased in 1884 from the Paris Beaux Arts

References: 

Hauser: Die Neu Attischen Reliefs (1889), 13, no.9
Amelung: Führer durch die Antike in Florenz (1896), 104, no.163
Walston: Catalogue of Casts in the Museum of Classical Archaeology (1889), 92, no.496
Touchette: Dancing Maenad Reliefs, 73, no.21, pl. 18a

Date: 
C1 BCE - C1 CE
Provenance: 

Unknown

Search Casts

Use our search tools to search the Casts Archive

Museum of Classical Archaeology, Cambridge

Every cast tells two stories.
One ancient. One modern.

Admission is free.

We are open

Opening hours

Tues-Fri: 11am-2pm
Sat: 2-5pm (Univ. term-time only)
Sun & Mon: Closed

Closed on Bank Holiday Mondays

Visit us

Museum of Classical Archaeology
Faculty of Classics
Sidgwick Avenue
Cambridge
CB3 9DA

Get in touch

Tel. +44 (0)1223 330402
Email

Facebook Twitter

For an explanation of what personal information we gather when you visit the University’s website and details of how that information is used please see the following University Privacy policy:

https://www.cam.ac.uk/about-this-site/privacy-policy

Copyright statement

All images and material on our websites are ©Museum of Classical Archaeology, University of Cambridge unless otherwise stated. Permission is required to reproduce our images.

See also our Copyright Notice and Take Down Policy.

Important Information

Museum of Classical Archaeology Web Accessibility Statement