Erigone, ensnared by Dionysus, reaching for grapes on a vine. Lithograph by B.-R. Julien, 1835, after L. Poyet.

Erigone was the daughter of Icarius of Athens, to whom Dionysus, by deceiving Erigone, gave the gift of wine. Icarius shared it with shepherds, who, confused by the alcohol, killed him. Erigone hanged herself and was transformed into the constellation Virgo. The people of Attica were subjected to plague until they instituted a festival in honour of Erigone and Icarius (Reid, loc. cit.). The presnt depiction shows how Dionysus ensnared Erigone with the vine (Ovid, Metamorphoses 6.125 "Liber ut Erigonen falsa deceperit uva")