Bacchus et Pīrātae

Among the Roman gods, farmers worshipped not only Ceres but Bacchus too, and held him in the highest honor.

For Bacchus gave wine to human beings and taught many skills.

To Bacchus’s altars the farmers brought many gifts, especially grapes and delightful wine, and decorated the altars with bright flowers and vine leaves.

Therefore the god cared for Italian vines and defended them from danger.

The god was handsome, and because he loved vines, he often adorned his own hair with vine leaves.

He taught not only Italians and Greeks, but sailed to distant lands, gave wine to other peoples, and taught them farming skills.

Once, while the god was sailing across the Aegean Sea, he steered his ship to a small island; tired from long wanderings, he lay down on the shore and refreshed his body and spirit with peaceful sleep.

Soon, however, pirates too—wicked men—drove a ship toward the island.

When they saw the handsome young man on the shore, then in great delight they said, “Look! We shall not sail home without plunder.

We shall seize the man and secretly put him aboard the ship; then we shall quickly sail the ship to Africa with our captive.

The inhabitants of Africa want slaves and will give us a great deal of money if we hand over such a handsome young man.”

Then the pirates, wicked and cowardly men, seized the god and put him aboard the ship; yet they did not wake the exhausted young man from his sleep.

But when Bacchus awoke from sleep and saw blue waves all around, neither angry nor frightened, he said, “I do not fear fools and cowards; soon, however, the pirates will see my divine power and be terribly afraid.”

Then a vine sprang into bloom from the middle of the ship and climbed high into the air.

From the vine branches blossomed, from the branches vine leaves, and from the highest branches purple grapes hung.

The sails were white no longer, but shone with a purple light.

When the sailors saw the wondrous vine in the middle of the ship, they gazed at the god in great fear; the hair on their heads stood on end.

Suddenly fierce tigers and lions climbed from the waves onto the ship and charged at the terrified sailors.

The pirates, full of terror, threw themselves from the ship into the sea.

Then Jupiter, moved by pity, transformed the men into dolphins.

Meanwhile Neptune filled the purple sails with favorable winds, and Bacchus sailed alone to distant lands beneath the shade of the vines.