Marble Statuette of Dionysos in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, July 2007

Marble statuette of Dionysos
Greek, early 3rd century BC
Said to have been found at Koukouvaones in Attica.

Accession # 59.11.2

The god wears Thracian boots, a short chiton, a belted panther skin, and a goatskin worn like a cape, with the forelegs of the goat wrapped around his arms. He can perhaps be identified as Dionysos Melanaigis (of the Black Goatskin), whose cult was introduced in Attica from Boeotia. Pausanias (II.35.1), a 2nd century AD author of a guide to Greece, mentions a temple to Dionysos Melanaigis in Methana on the Saronic and states that a music competition was held there in the god's honor every year and that prizes were awarded for swimming races and boat races.

Text from the Metropolitan Museum of Art label.