Bathing with the Gods: The Story of Silenus Jar

The story behind the face  

The face depicted on this jar can be referred to two different characters of Greek mythology who are both linked to the god of wine, Dionysus. The first possibility would be the reference to Selinoi, satyrs and followers of Dionysus. Another one would be that it represents the deity Silenus, who is described in myths as being Dionysus’ foster parent as well as the guardian of wisdom whenever he is drunk. He is seen as being the oldest one of Dionysus’ followers and represented with more human features over time. Consequently, both characters are usually depicted playing music, drinking wine as well accompanied by nymphes (March, 2014). 

One of the most known Greek myths featuring Silenus is the one where king Midas takes care of a drunk Silenus. While there are many versions about how it came to this encounter, they all have similar endings. Ultimately, Dionysus arrives to bring Silenus back and in gratitude, rewards king Midas by giving him the power to turn everything he touches to gold, following the king’s wish (March, 2014). 

While this myth is not represented on the vessel, depicting deities and divinities on objects was common in the Roman Empire. Indeed, images are generally easily understood and thus facilitated the veneration of each deity, as these were recognizable through specific physical characteristics and objects (Talloen & Poblome, 2005). In this sense, several similar anthropomorphic balsamaria depicting Dionysian cult were retrieved from Roman graves in Central and Eastern Europe (Agre et al., 2019). However, when it comes to the representation of Silenus on this particular vessel, one can only suggest that the symbolism of joyful life and depravity, the attributes of Dionysus and his followers, was being meaningful to the deceased (S. Aarts, personal communication, March 1, 2023).

Balsamaria and bathhouses

The Silenus balsamarium is believed to have contained bath ointments (S. Aarts, personal communication, March 1, 2023). This fits the common indication that balsamaria were related to bathing practices during the Roman Empire (Agre et al., 2019). Roman bathhouses were central parts of Roman lives as many social activities took place in these buildings. Indeed, next to bathing and exercising, Romans also went there for art and cultural activities, but it was also a usual place to make business enquiries (Ward, 1992). Bathhouses were usually public, however the wealthy had private ones inside their villas. They either built them on natural hot springs or created them artificially. In big cities, bathhouses could hold up to hundreds of people (Cartwright, 2022). 

While bathhouses had many rooms, all with different uses, there were some preparations needed before entering the hot and steamy baths. One would have to clean themselves beforehand (Cartwright, 2022). This was done by ointments and a tool called strigil, a small, curved, dull blade that would scrape away the dirt and sweat from the body. The strigil did not go in on the bare skin, as it was treated beforehand by ointments or oils, the most popular one being olive oil (UNRV, n.d.). These products were contained in balsamaria which were often small and showed different motifs. The most popular ones were representations of deities, such as Hercules or Dionysus (Agre et al., 2019). For example, one could show Hermes and Herakles, which are pictured executing athletic movements (Metropolitan Museum of Art, n.d). 

On this note, we can see the importance of bathhouses and thus balsamaria throughout a Roman’s life. This suggests an explanation of why these objects were perceived as commodities for grave offerings (Agre et al., 2019).

Burial rituals

Roman religion believed in an afterlife in the Underworld where the souls would continue to live and thus some offerings were placed in their graves for their last journey. Commonly, these goods would range from a certain amount of money to food, thus commodities that the deceased regularly used during their earthly life (Hope, 2009). Archaeological research done on ancient burial sites could also retrieve several balsamari (Anderson-Stojanović, 1987). Looking at these similar grave goods, some have indications of usage before they were used as an offering (Agre et al., 2019). Observing the Silenus balsamarium, we have no evidence that it has been used by the deceased beforehand, but this cannot be known for sure. Thus, we can still question if its sole purpose was to be a grave offering or if it was used by the deceased during her life.

The content of these vessels, as well as other grave findings, can give archaeologists and historians more indication about the buried person. Indeed, burial sites are often important references for gender practices in ancient times as literature often shows only a male perspective. Looking at previous finds, common burial goods associated with female graves were jewlery, dresses or cosmetics (Penelope, 2015). On this note, the word “cosmetology” during the Roman Empire would not only encompass make-up, but also body creams or medicaments (Olson, 2009). Taking in the broadness of its meaning, we could link the bath ointments contained in the Silenus balsamarium to this category of grave goods and say that this vessel was found in a female grave (S. Aarts, personal communication, March 1, 2023). However, as cosmetics were common goods in Roman society, it is difficult to give an indication of the societal rank the deceased belonged to (Olson, 2009). This suggests that this Silenus balsamarium alone cannot give us further information on the woman’s life.

Conclusion

While the particular story of this Silenus balsamarium cannot be fully traced back yet, this object nevertheless gives us an insight on common Roman practices through the lens of religion. As one of the few objects in this collection that does represent a face, this balsamarium is a testament to Roman beliefs and ways of organizing their existence even beyond death. As our civilization is built on the foundations of the past, archeological artifacts such as this object reveal a particular characteristic of society which can be found throughout time: the need to understand one’s surroundings and origin.

Written by Manuela Ingels & Marta Podolšak