The god Dionysos was the god of wine. Dionysos was a Greek/Roman god that many worshipped, especially those dealing with viticulture. Dionysos was said to have brought the vine from the east and distributed it to the west. While this is another important aspect as to why the mosaic is so important to the Emperor, the main reason he is drawn to this god has more to do with the myth of the god’s heritage. The palace provides evidence of Galerius’ fascination with Dionysos through the many archeological discoveries that have been made at Felix Romuliana.

            The god Dionysos is depicted in many of the decorations that cover the palace, which gives us the understanding that the god of wine played a significant role in the Emperor’s life. For example, there is a pilaster that depicts Dionysos and Sileni, his close companion, picking grapes (Živić 2011,109). The various examples of art, whether from this mosaic or the pilaster, reflect that the Emperor Galerius was a pagan; he believed in many gods. It is also interesting to look at the parallels between the heritage of the god Dionysos and the Emperor himself. Emperor Galerius believed himself to be connected to the god Dionysos. The myth says that Dionysos’ mother was a mortal woman who had relations with a god called Zeus (Živić 2011). Galerius seemed to be in the same kind of situation because his step-father Diocletian was supposed to represent a “god among men” as emperor, and his mother was mortal (Živić 2011). Therefore, Galerius and Dionysos shared a common trait.

            An important aspect of Roman culture was the idea that the ruler of the empire was looked at as a divine being. Henry Burton explains in his essay, “The Worship of the Roman Emperors,” that, “the distinguishing attribute of deity was power.” Within his essay he explains that the Roman emperors were looked at as divine by the common people and that they were worshiped as such (Burton 1912, 80-87). Therefore, it is understandable that the emperor Galerius compared himself with a god when the culture of the empire thought of him as a divine being as well.  The myth of the god Dionysos, especially within the mosaic found at Romuliana, signifies the “god’s aspiration to bring humans into the world of gods after making them immortal,” (Živić 2011, 138). Not only does this give us an understanding of Galerius’ personal religion, but it also gives us a better understanding of how he thought of himself. The palace at Felix Romuliana represented more than just a place for Galerius to live. It also was a physical representation of his beliefs and wants as well. For example, the idea that Dionysos and his mother, Semele, entered the world of the immortals on top of the hill of Olympus was replicated at Magura Hill by Galerius. He wanted his mother and himself to be buried there when they died in order to symbolize the act of being accepted by the gods and eventually becoming immortal (Živić 2011, 138). This was also the ultimate purpose of this depiction of the god Dionysos within the mosaic; he wanted to represent Dionysos giving him immortality among the gods. Therefore, this further supports the idea that Galerius related himself to the divine, through the god Dionysos.