Liber. A name frequently given by the Roman poets to the Greek Bacchus or Dionysus. But the god Liber and the goddess Libera were ancient Italian divinities, presiding over the cultivation of the vine and the fertility of the fields. Hence they were worshiped in early times in conjunction with Ceres. The vine and ivy and the panther were especially sacred to him. Goats were usually offered in sacrifice to him, because they are particularly injurious to the vine.
