Dionysian Imagery in Fifth Century Athens

This is an extensive study of Dionysian imagery found primarily in scenes on red-figure vases of the fifth-century BC but also in the architectural sculpture, coins, and theatre of the same period. Thomas Carpenter seeks to define a methodology for using this imagery as evidence for cultural and religious activity, and challenges some commonly-held views about the meaning of Dionysian iconography, at the same time pointing to problems inherent in the evidence under scrutiny.

T. H. Carpenter is Professor of Art History at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.