Dionysos Discovering Ariadne on Naxos This Roman wall painting depicts the moment when Dionysos encounters Ariadne, abandoned on the island of Naxos after aiding Theseus. The scene captures a turning point in myth: despair gives way to divine rescue, love, and eventual apotheosis. Ariadne reclines in exhaustion and grief, her body rendered with soft, flowing contours that emphasise vulnerability. Around her, Dionysos approaches with his ecstatic retinue — satyrs, maenads, and Eros — figures asso