Mercury and the Infant Bacchus - Chateau Roztoky, Czech Republic-
Posted by: Groundspeak Premium Member vraatja
N 50° 09.536 E 014° 23.939
33U E 457069 N 5556474
Bronze statuary of Mercury and the Infant Bacchus in a garden of Chateau Roztoky near Prague.
Waymark Code: WMNC6F
Location: Středočeský kraj, Czechia
Date Posted: 02/11/2015
Published By:Groundspeak Premium Member saopaulo1
Views: 42

Depicted bronze casting represents statuary of Mercury, one of the main Roman gods carrying oh his shoulders the young Bacchus (Dionysus), son of Zeus and god of the grape harvest, winemaking and wine is located in the center of garden of Roztoky Chateau located in a small town Roztoky u Prahy. The stauary was removed here in 1960s from a nearby residence and it comes probably from 19th century.

Mercury is a major Roman god, being one of the Dii Consentes (12 Roman gods) within the ancient Roman pantheon. He is the patron god of financial gain, commerce, eloquence (and thus poetry), messages/communication, travelers, boundaries, luck, trickery and thieves; he is also the guide of souls to the underworld. In Greek mythology is named as Hermes.

Bacchus or Dionysus (used both by Greeks and Romans) is the god of the grape harvest, winemaking and wine, of ritual madness, fertility, theatre and religious ecstasy. His mother was Semele (daughter of Cadmus), a mortal woman, and his father Jupiter (equivalent in Greek mythology as Zeus), the king of the gods. And why is Mercury frequently just with the Infant Bacchus is explained in following story:

"Mercury was popular among the gods because he was playful, innocent, and helpful. Mercury helped his father, Jupiter, when Bacchus was born. Bacchus was the son of Semele and Jupiter. Semele was the daughter of Cadmus, the brother of Europa, and Harmonia, the daughter of Mars and Venus. When Jupiter and Semele first got to know each other, Jupiter was disguised in simple clothes. Jupiter's wife, Juno, was angry with both Jupiter and Semele. Juno disguised herself as Semele's nurse and made Semele curious about her new boyfriend. The next time Jupiter visited, Semele made him promise that the next time he came, he would come to her as he really was. On his next visit, he came as the god Jupiter, and Semele was consumed to ashes by his brillance. Jupiter took Semele's baby, Bacchus, and nurtured him until he was ready to be born. Once he was born, Jupiter gave Bacchus to Mercury to protect the baby from Jupiter's wife, who was jealous. Mercury put the baby Bacchus in the care of Io, Semele's sister."

Cited from (visit link)
Time Period: Ancient

Approximate Date of Epic Period: 900 BC

Epic Type: Mythical

Exhibit Type: Figure, Statue, 3D Art

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