Bakkhos

Bakkhos is a name associated with Dionysus, the Greek god of wine, revelry, fertility, theater, and religious ecstasy. In Roman mythology, Dionysus is known as Bacchus. The name Bakkhos itself is an epithet or a variant of the god's name, often used poetically or in specific contexts. It evokes the wild, untamed, and ecstatic aspects of his worship.

The cult of Dionysus, and by extension Bakkhos, was characterized by its ecstatic rituals, often involving wine, music, dance, and processions. These celebrations, known as Bacchanalia in Roman times, could be both joyous and frenzied. The god was associated with the intoxicating power of wine, which could liberate individuals from their inhibitions and connect them to a primal, natural force.

Bakkhos represents not only the pleasures of wine and festivity but also the darker, more primal aspects of nature and human passion. His followers, the Maenads (or Bacchantes), were depicted in a state of ecstatic possession, running through the wilderness with wild abandon. The god's influence was seen as both life-giving and potentially destructive, reflecting the dual nature of wine and the forces of nature. The imagery associated with Bakkhos includes grapevines, ivy, thyrsi (pinecone-tipped staffs), leopards, and panthers.