Two Faced Herma with Bacchus and Ariadne at The Réunion des Musées Nationaux, Paris

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This herma embodies two busts, Ariadne and Dionysus. Dionysus is the god of the grape harvest, winemaking, wine, ritual madness, fertility, theatre, and religious ecstasy in Greek mythology; he is also known as Bacchus in Roman mythology. Ariadne was the daughter of Minos, the King of Crete in Greek mythology. She is mostly associated with mazes and labyrinths due to her involvement in the myths of Theseus and the Minotaur. The Athenians fell under attack from Minos for killing his son; they asked for terms, which included sacrificing seven young men and seven maidens every seven to nine years to the Minotaur. One year, the sacrificial party included Theseus, who volunteered to come and kill the Minotaur. Ariadne fell in love at first sight and helped him by giving him a sword and a ball of thread so he could find his way out of the Minotaur's labyrinth. After that, she eloped with Theseus after he achieved his goal; however, according to Homer, "He had no joy for her, for ere that, Artemis slew her in a seagirt Dia because of the witness of Dionysus," speculating that she was already married to Dionysus when Theseus ran away with her (Oxford Classical Dictionary). Theseus thus abandoned Ariadne sleeping on Naxos; Dionysus rediscovered and wedded her. This object is part of "Scan The World", a non-profit initiative introduced by MyMiniFactory, through which we are creating a digital archive of fully 3D printable sculptures, artworks, and landmarks from across the globe for the public to access for free. Scan the World is an open-source, community effort; if you have interesting items around you and would like to contribute, email stw@myminifactory.com to find out how you can help.