Bacchus was the Roman god of wine and his worship involved feasting, dancing and drinking. His cult, originally infamous for its excesses, was later regulated and became a fundamental element of Roman popular religion. The 4th century AD was a time of great insecurity, when civil society and communities were breaking down. People looked for comfort in religions which offered personal salvation. Christianity was one, but pagan cults like the worship of Mithras and of Bacchus also became very popular.

Bacchus is often shown with his retinue of lesser gods, goat-footed Pan and the fat, bald Silenus, as well as a crowd of animals and mythical creatures like satyrs and centaurs. Signs associated with Bacchus, like bunches of grapes and vine leaves, as well as depictions of him and his retinue are often carved on coffins of the late Roman period, symbolising immortality. Bacchic subjects decorate all sorts of objects from Roman Britain. One of the most striking is a large silver plate found at Mildenhall in Suffolk. The Mildenhall silver treasure dates from the 4th century, when Britain was under attack from Germanic tribes, and many valuable things were buried for safety.