Rites of Bacchus banned

March 19, 2021

The tension between the wild women of Dionysus and the Roman patriarchy came to a head in 186 BC when Paculla Annia, the female high priestess of Dionysus from the Magna Graecia region, refused to initiate any men over the age of 20 into the cult.

The Roman Senate was incensed that women could gain control over these tender young men. They worried that, after initiation, they would come to prefer love to war and enjoy the company of women more than the company of soldiers. So, the rites of Bacchus/Dionysus were declared illegal.

https://quillette.com/2021/03/19/sex-drugs-and-antiquity/