Greek deities series
Primordial deities
Titans (predecessor deities)
Greek sea gods (aquatic deities)
Chthonic deities
Muses (personified concepts)
Other deities
The Twelve Olympians
Zeus Hera Poseidon Hermes Hestia Demeter Aphrodite Athena Apollo Artemis Ares Hephaestus

Dionysus or Dionysos (in Greek, Διόνυσος or Διώνυσος; associated with Roman Liber), is the god of wine, the inspirer of madness, and a major figure of Greek mythology. The British Museum is a Museum of human history and culture in London. Greek mythology is the body of stories belonging to the ancient Greeks concerning their gods and Heroes the nature of the world and the origins and significance The ancient Greeks proposed many different ideas about primordial deities in their mythology, which would later be largely adapted by the In Greek mythology, the Titans ( Greek: Tītā́n; plural Tītânes) were a race of powerful Deities that ruled during the legendary The ancient Greeks had a large number of sea deities. The philosopher Plato once remarked that the Greek people were like frogs sitting around a pond -- their Chthonic (from Greek χθόνιος khthonios "of the earth" from khthōn "earth" pertaining to the Earth; earthy subterranean In Greek mythology, the Muses ( Ancient Greek, hai moũsai: perhaps from the Proto-Indo-European root * men- "think" are Asclepius (pronounced /æsˈkliːpiːəs/, Greek, transliterated Asklēpiós; Latin Aesculapius) is the god of Medicine The Twelve Olympians, also known as the Dodekatheon ( Greek: Δωδεκάθεον Zeus (zjuːs in Greek: nominative: Zeús /zdeús/ genitive: Diós; Modern Greek /'zefs/ in Greek mythology In the Olympian pantheon of classical Greek Mythology, Hera (ˈhɪərə or /ˈhɛrə/ Greek) or Here ( in Ionic and Homer In Greek mythology, Poseidon ( Greek:; Latin: Neptūnus) was the god of the Sea and as "Earth-Shaker" Hermes ( Greek,, ˈhɝmiːz in Greek mythology, is the Olympian god of boundaries and of the travelers who cross them of Shepherds and In Greek mythology, virginal Hestia, (Roman name Vesta daughter of Kronus and Rhea, ( ancient Greek) is the Goddess Demeter (dɨˈmiːtɚ Greek:, possibly "distribution-mother" from the noun of the Indo-European mother-earth * dheghom * mater ATHENA was an Antimatter research project that took place at the AD Ring at CERN. In Greek mythology, Artemis language|Greek] ( Nominative), ( Genitive))] was the daughter of Zeus and Leto, and the twin sister In Greek mythology, Ares ( Ancient Greek:, Μodern Greek Άρης) is the son of Zeus and Hera. Hephaestus (hɨˈfiːstəs or /hɨˈfɛstəs/ Greek Hēphaistos) was a Greek god whose Roman equivalent was Vulcan. The Ancient Greek language is the historical stage in the development of the Hellenic language family spanning the Archaic (c Ancient Roman religion encompasses the collection of Beliefs and Rituals practised in Ancient Rome in the form of Cult practices In Roman mythology Liber was originally associated with husbandry and crops but then was assimilated with Dionysos. God, as a male Deity, contrasts with female deities or " goddesses " Wine is an Alcoholic beverage made from the fermentation of Grape juice Greek mythology is the body of stories belonging to the ancient Greeks concerning their gods and Heroes the nature of the world and the origins and significance He represents not only the intoxicating power of wine, but also its social and beneficial influences. Toxicity is the degree to which a substance is able to damage an exposed organism The geographical origins of his cult were unknown, but almost all myths depicted him as having "foreign" (i. e. non-Greek) origins. ^[1]

He was also known as Bacchus^[2] and the frenzy he induces, bakcheia. He is the patron deity of agriculture and the theatre. Agriculture refers to the production of goods through the growing of plants and fungi and the raising of domesticated Animals The study of agriculture Theatre (or theater, see spelling differences) is the branch of the Performing arts defined by Bernard Beckerman as what "occurs when one He was also known as the Liberator (Eleutherios), freeing one from one's normal self, by madness, ecstasy, or wine. ^[3] The divine mission of Dionysus was to mingle the music of the aulos and to bring an end to care and worry. The aulos ( Greek αυλός, plural αυλοί, auloi or tibia ( Latin) was an ancient Greek musical instrument ^[4] Scholars have discussed Dionysus' relationship to the "cult of the souls" and his ability to preside over communication between the living and the dead. ^[5]

In Greek mythology Dionysus is made to be a son of Zeus and Semele; other versions of the myth contend that he is a son of Zeus and Persephone. Zeus (zjuːs in Greek: nominative: Zeús /zdeús/ genitive: Diós; Modern Greek /'zefs/ in Greek mythology Stimula redirects here For the Genus of Grass skipper Butterflies, see Stimula (butterfly. See also Mythology Myth is derived from the Greek word μύθος mythos, which simply means 'story' In Greek mythology, Persephone ( Kore or Cora) was the embodiment of the Earth's fertility at the same time that she was the Queen of the Underworld He is described as being womanly or "man-womanish". ^[6]

The name Dionysos is of uncertain significance; its -nysos element may well be non-Greek in origin, but its dio- element has been associated since antiquity with Zeus (genitive Dios). The over-lifesize marble Dionysus with Panther and Satyr in the Palazzo Altemps, Rome is a Roman work of the second century CE found in the sixteenth century on The National Museum of Rome ( Museo Nazionale Romano in Italian is a set of museums in Rome, Italy, split between various branches across the city Rome ( Roma ˈroma Roma is the capital city of Italy and Lazio, and is Italy's largest and most populous city with more than 2 In Grammar, the genitive case or possessive case (also called the second case) is the case that marks a Noun as modifying another Nysa, for Greek writers, is either the nymph who nursed him, or the mountain where he was attended by several nymphs (the Nysiads), who fed him and made him immortal as directed by Hermes. In Greek mythology, the mountainous district of Nysa, variously associated with Ethiopia, Libya, Tribalia or Arabia by Greek In Greek mythology, a nymph is any member of a large class of mythological entities in human female form The Nysiads or Nysiades (Νυσιάδες were the Nymphs who cared for and taught the infant Dionysus. Hermes ( Greek,, ˈhɝmiːz in Greek mythology, is the Olympian god of boundaries and of the travelers who cross them of Shepherds and ^[7]

The retinue of Dionysus was called the Thiasus and comprised chiefly Maenads. A retinue is a body of persons "retained" in the service of a noble or royal personage a suite (literal French meanings what follows of " In Greek mythology, the Thiasus (Greek thiasos) was the ecstatic Retinue of Dionysus, often pictured as inebriated revelers

Contents 1 Worship 1.1 Bacchanalia 1.2 Appellations 2 Mythology 2.1 Birth 2.2 Early life 2.3 Other stories 2.3.1 Pentheus 2.3.2 Lycurgus 2.3.3 Prosymnus 2.3.4 Ampelos 2.3.5 Secondary myths 2.4 Consorts/Children 3 In art 3.1 Classical 3.2 Post-classical 4 Parallels with Christianity 5 Modern views 6 Names originating in Dionysus 7 Notes 8 References 9 Bibliography 10 External links

Worship

Main article: Cult of Dionysus

The above contradictions suggest to some that we are dealing not with the historical memory of a cult that is foreign, but with a god in whom foreignness is inherent. The Cult of Dionysus is strongly associated with Satyrs Centaurs and Sileni, and its characteristic symbols are the bull, the serpent And indeed, Dionysus's name is found on Mycenean Linear B tablets as "DI-WO-NI-SO-JO",^[8] and Karl Kerenyi^[9] traces him to Minoan Crete, where his Minoan name is unknown but his characteristic presence is recognizable. Mycenaean is the most ancient attested form of the Greek language, spoken on the Greek mainland and on Crete in the 16th to 11th centuries BC, before the Linear B is a script that was used for writing Mycenaean, an early form of Greek. One of the founders of modern studies in Greek mythology, Károly (Carl Karl Kerényi ( January 19, 1897 &ndash April 14 1973 The Minoan civilization was a Bronze Age civilization which arose on the island of Crete. Clearly, Dionysus had been with the Greeks and their predecessors a long time, and yet always retained the feel of something alien.

The bull, the serpent, the ivy and the wine are the signs of the characteristic Dionysian atmosphere, and Dionysus is strongly associated with satyrs, centaurs, and sileni. Appearances of the Bull (also known as Taurus) in Mythology and worship are widespread in the ancient world Serpent is a word of Latin origin (from serpens serpentis "something that creeps snake" that is commonly used in a specifically mythic or Hedera (English name ivy, plural ivies) is a genus of 15 species of climbing or ground-creeping Evergreen woody plants in the family In Greek mythology, satyrs (Σάτυροι Satyroi) are a troop of male companions of Pan and Dionysus – " Satyresses quot In Greek mythology, the centaurs (from Ancient Greek: Κένταυροι - Kéntauroi are a race of creatures composed of part Human He is often shown riding a leopard, wearing a leopard skin, or in a chariot drawn by panthers, and may also be recognized by the thyrsus he carries. The leopard (lɛpɚd Panthera pardus) is an Old World Mammal of the Felidae family and the smallest of the four roaring A Panther is a creature out of ancient myth that resembles a big cat with a multicoloured hide In Greek mythology, a thyrsus ( thyrsos) was a staff of giant fennel ( Ferula communis) covered with Ivy vines and leaves sometimes Besides the grapevine and its wild barren alter-ego, the toxic ivy plant, both sacred to him, the fig was also his symbol. Ficus is a Genus of about 850 Species of woody Trees Shrubs Vines Epiphytes and hemi-epiphytes in the family The pinecone that tipped his thyrsus linked him to Cybele, and the pomegranate linked him to Demeter. A cone (in formal botanical usage Strobilus, plural strobili is an organ on Plants in the division Pinophyta ( Conifers Originally a Hittite and Phrygian Goddess, Cybele (Κυβέλη was a deification of the Earth Mother and was worshipped in The pomegranate ( Punica granatum) is a Fruit -bearing Deciduous Shrub or small Tree growing to between five and eight metres tall Demeter (dɨˈmiːtɚ Greek:, possibly "distribution-mother" from the noun of the Indo-European mother-earth * dheghom * mater The Dionysia and Lenaia festivals in Athens were dedicated to Dionysus. The Dionysia was a large religious festival in ancient Athens in honor of the god Dionysus, the central event of which was the performance of tragedies The Lenaia was an annual festival with a Dramatic competition but one of the lesser festivals of Athens and Ionia in Ancient Greece. Athens (ˈæθənz Αθήνα Athina,) the Capital and largest city of Greece, dominates the Attica periphery as one of the world's Initiates worshipped him in the Dionysian Mysteries, which were comparable to and linked with the Orphic Mysteries, and may have influenced Gnosticism. The Dionysian Mysteries probably began as an ancient initiation society or family of similar societies centred on a primeval nature god (and his consort apparently associated with Orphism (more rarely Orphicism) is the name given to a set of religious beliefs and practices in the ancient Greek and Thracian world associated with literature Gnosticism (γνώσις gnōsis, Knowledge) refers to a diverse Syncretistic Religious movement consisting of various Belief systems

Bacchanalia

Main article: Bacchanalia

Introduced into Rome (c. The bacchanalia were wild and mystic festivals of the Roman and Greek god Bacchus. Bacchus (c1595 is a painting by Italian Baroque master Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (1571-1610 Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, usually just known as Caravaggio, (28 September 1571 – 18 July 1610 was an Italian Artist active in Rome Rome ( Roma ˈroma Roma is the capital city of Italy and Lazio, and is Italy's largest and most populous city with more than 2 200 BC) from the Greek culture of southern Italy or by way of Greek-influenced Etruria, the bacchanalia were held in secret and attended by women only, in the grove of Simila, near the Aventine Hill, on March 16 and 17. Events By place Seleucid Empire Antiochus III's forces continue their invasion of Coele Syria and Palestine. Etruria &mdash usually referred to in Greek and Latin source texts as Tyrrhenia &mdash was a region of Central Italy, located in an area The Aventine Hill is one of the seven hills on which ancient Rome was built Events 597 BC - Babylonians capture Jerusalem, replace Jehoiachin with Zedekiah as king Events 45 BC - In his last victory Julius Caesar defeats the Pompeian forces of Titus Labienus and Pompey the Younger Subsequently, admission to the rites were extended to men and celebrations took place five times a month. The notoriety of these festivals, where many kinds of crimes and political conspiracies were supposed to be planned, led in 186 BC to a decree of the Senate — the so-called Senatus consultum de Bacchanalibus, inscribed on a bronze tablet discovered in Calabria (1640), now at Vienna — by which the Bacchanalia were prohibited throughout all Italy except in certain special cases which must be approved specifically by the Senate. Events By place Roman Republic The rapid spread of the Bacchanalia cult throughout the Roman Republic, which it is claimed The Roman Senate was a political institution in Ancient Rome. Calabria ( Latin: Brutium) is a region in southern Italy, south of Naples, located at the "toe" of Vienna ( in Wien; see also other names) is the Capital of Austria, and is also one of the nine States of Austria. In spite of the severe punishment inflicted on those found in violation of this decree, the Bacchanalia were not stamped out, at any rate in the south of Italy, for a very long time.

Dionysus is equated with both Bacchus and Liber (also Liber Pater). In Roman mythology Liber was originally associated with husbandry and crops but then was assimilated with Dionysos. Liber ("the free one") was a god of fertility, wine and growth, married to Libera. In Roman mythology, Libera is a goddess of fertility and the Earth His festival was the Liberalia, celebrated on March 17, but in some myths the festival was also held on March 5. The Liberalia ( 17 March) is the festival of Liber Pater and his consort Libera. Events 45 BC - In his last victory Julius Caesar defeats the Pompeian forces of Titus Labienus and Pompey the Younger Events 363 - Roman Emperor Julian moves from Antioch with an army of 90000 to attack the Sassanid Empire, in a

Appellations

Dionysus sometimes has the epithet Acratophorus, by which he was designated as the giver of unmixed wine, and worshipped at Phigaleia in Arcadia. Tsingtao Brewery ( (, is China 's largest Brewery. Founded in 1903 by German settlers it claims about 12% of domestic market share ( is a coastal province of eastern People's Republic of China. China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National An epithet (from Greek ἐπίθετον - epitheton, neut of ἐπίθετος - epithetos, "attributed added" is a Arcadia or Arkadía ( Greek Αρκαδία is a region of Greece in the Peloponnesus. ^[10][11] In Sicyon he was worshiped by the name Acroreites. For the modern municipality see Sikyona. Sicyon (Σικυών was an ancient Greek city situated in the northern Peloponnesus ^[12] As Bacchus, he carried the Latin epithet Adoneus, "Ruler". ^[13] Aegobolus, "goat killer", was the name under which he was worshiped at Potniae in Boeotia. Boeotia, Beotia, or Bœotia ( Greek: Βοιωτία - English biːˈoʊʃiə formerly Cadmeis was a region of Ancient Greece, north of the ^[14] As Aesymnetes ("ruler" or "lord") he was worshipped at Aroë and Patrae in Achaea. Aesymnetes ( Ancient Greek:) was an Epithet of the Greek god Dionysus, which signifies the "Lord" or "Ruler" and under Patras ( Demotic Greek: Πάτρα, Pátra, ˈpatra Classical Greek: Πάτραι, Pátrai, Patrae is Greece Achaea (Αχαΐα Achaïa, axaˈia in Polytonic orthography) is an ancient province and a present prefecture of Greece, on the northern Another epithet was Bromios, "the thunderer" or "he of the loud shout". As Dendrites, "he of the trees", he is a powerful fertility god. Dithyrambos is sometimes used to refer to him or to solemn songs sung to him at festivals; the name refers to his premature birth. The dithyramb was originally an ancient Greek hymn sung to the god Dionysus. Eleutherios ("the liberator") was an epithet for both Dionysus and Eros. Other forms of the god as that of fertility include the epithet in Samos and Lesbos Enorches ("with balls"^[15] or perhaps "in the testicles" in reference to Zeus' sewing the babe Dionysus into his thigh, i. Samos (Σάμος is a Greek island in the North Aegean Sea, south of Chios, north of Patmos and the Dodecanese, and off Lesbos (Λέσβος also transliterated Lesvos, Midilli is a Greek island located in the northeastern Aegean Sea. e. , his testicles). ^[16] Evius is an epithet of his used prominently in Euripides' play, The Bacchae. Euripides ( Ancient Greek:) (ca 480 BC–406 BC was the last of the three great tragedians of classical Athens (the other two being Aeschylus The Bacchae (Βάκχαι / Bakchai; also known as The Bacchantes) is a Athenian Tragedy by the ancient Greek Iacchus, possibly an epithet of Dionysus, is associated with the Eleusinian Mysteries; in Eleusis, he is known as a son of Zeus and Demeter. In Greek mythology, Iacchus (Ίακχος is an Epithet of Dionysus, particularly associated with the Mysteries at Eleusis, where he was considered The Eleusinian Mysteries (Ἐλευσίνια Μυστήρια were initiation ceremonies held every year for the cult of Demeter and Persephone Elefsina (Ελευσίνα Ancient/ Katharevousa: Eleusis is a town and municipality about 20 km NW of Athens. Zeus (zjuːs in Greek: nominative: Zeús /zdeús/ genitive: Diós; Modern Greek /'zefs/ in Greek mythology Demeter (dɨˈmiːtɚ Greek:, possibly "distribution-mother" from the noun of the Indo-European mother-earth * dheghom * mater The name "Iacchus" may come from the Ιακχος (Iakchos), a hymn sung in honor of Dionysus. With the epithet Liknites ("he of the winnowing fan") he is a fertility god connected with the mystery religions. Mystery Religions, Sacred Mysteries or simply Mysteries, were "religious cults of the Graeco-Roman A winnowing fan was similar to a shovel and was used to separate the chaff from the grain. A shovel is a Tool for lifting and moving loose material such as Coal, Gravel, Snow, Soil, or Sand and is an In addition, Dionysus is known as Lyaeus ("he who unties") as a god of relaxation and freedom from worry, and as Oeneus he is the god of the wine press. A wine press is a device used to extract Juice from crushed Grapes during Wine making.

In the Greek pantheon, Dionysus (along with Zeus) absorbs the role of Sabazios, a Phrygian deity. A pantheon (from Greek Πάνθειον - pantheion, literally "a temple of all gods " neut Zeus (zjuːs in Greek: nominative: Zeús /zdeús/ genitive: Diós; Modern Greek /'zefs/ in Greek mythology Sabazios is the nomadic horseman and sky father god of the Phrygians and Thracians. In antiquity Phrygia (Φρυγία was a kingdom in the west central part of Anatolia, in what is now modern-day Turkey. In the Roman pantheon, Sabazius became an alternate name for Bacchus. Roman mythology, or more appropriately Latin mythology, refers to the mythological beliefs of the Italic people inhabiting the region of Latium and its ^[17]. . .

Mythology

Birth

Dionysus had a strange birth that evokes the difficulty in fitting him into the Olympian pantheon. The Twelve Olympians, also known as the Dodekatheon ( Greek: Δωδεκάθεον His day of birth was December 25 in the calendar we have today. Events 274 - Roman Emperor Aurelian His mother was a mortal woman. Semele, the daughter of king Cadmus of Thebes, and his father Zeus, the king of the gods. Stimula redirects here For the Genus of Grass skipper Butterflies, see Stimula (butterfly. Cadmus, or Kadmos (Κάδμος in Greek mythology, was a Phoenician prince son of Agenor and the brother of Phoenix, Cilix Thebes may refer to one of the following places Thebes Greece, Boeotia Prefecture Ancient Thebes (Boeotia (gmy 𐀳𐀣 Zeus (zjuːs in Greek: nominative: Zeús /zdeús/ genitive: Diós; Modern Greek /'zefs/ in Greek mythology Zeus' wife, Hera, a jealous and prudish goddess, discovered the affair while Semele was pregnant. In the Olympian pantheon of classical Greek Mythology, Hera (ˈhɪərə or /ˈhɛrə/ Greek) or Here ( in Ionic and Homer Appearing as an old crone (in other stories a nurse), Hera befriended Semele, who confided in her that Zeus was the actual father of the baby in her womb. HAG is a Swiss maker of Model trains in HO scale. These are high quality trains made of die-cast metal with reliable mechanisms Hera pretended not to believe her, and planted seeds of doubt in Semele's mind. Curious, Semele demanded of Zeus that he reveal himself in all his glory as proof of his godhood. Though Zeus begged her not to ask this, she persisted and he agreed. Therefore he came to her wreathed in bolts of lightning; mortals, however, could not look upon an undisguised god without dying, and she perished in the ensuing blaze. Zeus rescued the foetal Dionysus by sewing him into his thigh. A few months later, Dionysus was born on Mount Pramnos in the island of Ikaria, where Zeus went to release the now-fully-grown baby from his thigh. For the Utopian place see the entry for Étienne Cabet Icaria, also spelled Ikaria (Ικαρία locally Nikaria In this version, Dionysus is borne by two "mothers" (Semele and Zeus) before his birth, hence the epithet dimētōr (of two mothers) associated with his being "twice-born".

In another version of the same story, Dionysus was the son of Zeus and Persephone, the queen of the Greek underworld. In Greek mythology, Persephone ( Kore or Cora) was the embodiment of the Earth's fertility at the same time that she was the Queen of the Underworld The Greek Underworld is a general term used to describe the various realms of Greek mythology which were believed to lie beneath the earth or beyond the horizon A jealous Hera again attempted to kill the child, this time by sending Titans to rip Dionysus to pieces after luring the baby with toys. In Greek mythology, the Titans ( Greek: Tītā́n; plural Tītânes) were a race of powerful Deities that ruled during the legendary Zeus drove the Titans away with his thunderbolts, but only after the Titans ate everything but the heart, which was saved, variously, by Athena, Rhea, or Demeter. ATHENA was an Antimatter research project that took place at the AD Ring at CERN. Rhea ( ancient Greek) was the Titaness daughter of Uranus, the sky and Gaia, the earth in classical Greek mythology Demeter (dɨˈmiːtɚ Greek:, possibly "distribution-mother" from the noun of the Indo-European mother-earth * dheghom * mater Zeus used the heart to recreate him in the womb of Semele, hence he was again "the twice-born". Other versions claim that Zeus gave Semele the heart to eat to impregnate her.

The rebirth in both versions of the story is the primary reason why Dionysus was worshipped in mystery religions, as his death and rebirth were events of mystical reverence. Mystery Religions, Sacred Mysteries or simply Mysteries, were "religious cults of the Graeco-Roman This narrative was apparently used in several Greek and Roman cults, and variants of it are found in Callimachus and Nonnus, who refer to this Dionysus with the title Zagreus, and also in several fragmentary poems attributed to Orpheus. Callimachus ( Greek:, 310 BC/305 BC-240 BC was a native of the Greek colony of Cyrene, Libya. Theophanes Nonnus was a Byzantine physician For the saint of this name see Saint Nonnus. Zagreus is also the name of a genus of ladybird beetle See Zagreus for more information Orpheus ( Greek: Ὀρφεύς ˈɔrfiəs ( OHR-fee-uhs) or /ˈɔrfjuːs/ ( OHR'-fews) in English is a figure from Greek mythology born in

Early life

The legend goes that Zeus gave the infant Dionysus into the charge of Hermes. One version of the story is that Hermes took the boy to King Athamas and his wife Ino, Dionysus' aunt. Athamas is also a genus of Jumping spiders. The king of Orchomenus in Greek mythology, Athamas ( Greek In Greek mythology Ino was a mortal queen of Thebes, the second wife of Athamas, the mother of Learches and Melicertes, daughter of Hermes bade the couple raise the boy as a girl, to hide him from Hera's wrath. ^[18] Another version is that Dionysus was taken to the rain-nymphs of Nysa, who nourished his infancy and childhood, and for their care Zeus rewarded them by placing them as the Hyades among the stars (see Hyades star cluster). In Greek mythology, a nymph is any member of a large class of mythological entities in human female form In Greek mythology, the mountainous district of Nysa, variously associated with Ethiopia, Libya, Tribalia or Arabia by Greek In Greek mythology, the Hyades ( Ancient Greek: Ὑάδες English: ˈhaɪədiz English translation "the rainy ones" are a sisterhood of The Hyades ( Greek Ὑάδες also known as Melotte 25 or Collinder 50 or Caldwell 41 is the nearest Open cluster to the Other versions have Zeus giving him to Rhea, or to Persephone to raise in the Underworld, away from Hera. Alternatively, he was raised by Maro.

When Dionysus grew up he discovered the culture of the vine and the mode of extracting its precious juice; but Hera struck him with madness, and drove him forth a wanderer through various parts of the earth. In Phrygia the goddess Cybele, better known to the Greeks as Rhea, cured him and taught him her religious rites, and he set out on a progress through Asia teaching the people the cultivation of the vine. In antiquity Phrygia (Φρυγία was a kingdom in the west central part of Anatolia, in what is now modern-day Turkey. Originally a Hittite and Phrygian Goddess, Cybele (Κυβέλη was a deification of the Earth Mother and was worshipped in The most famous part of his wanderings is his expedition to India, which is said to have lasted several years. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country Returning in triumph he undertook to introduce his worship into Greece, but was opposed by some princes who dreaded its introduction on account of the disorders and madness it brought with it. (See Pentheus or Lycurgus. In Greek mythology, Pentheus was a king of Thebes, son of the strongest of the Spartes, Echion, and of Agave, daughter of )

As a young man, Dionysus was exceptionally attractive. Once, while disguised as a mortal sitting beside the seashore, a few sailors spotted him, believing he was a prince. They attempted to kidnap him and sail him far away to sell for ransom or into slavery. They tried to bind him with ropes, but no type of rope could hold him. Dionysus turned into a fierce lion and unleashed a bear onboard, killing those he came into contact with. Those who jumped off the ship were mercifully turned into dolphins. The only survivor was the helmsman, Acoetes, who recognized the god and tried to stop his sailors from the start. Acoetes ( Greek:) was the name of two men in Greek and Roman mythology. ^[19] In a similar story, Dionysus desired to sail from Icaria to Naxos. For the Utopian place see the entry for Étienne Cabet Icaria, also spelled Ikaria (Ικαρία locally Nikaria Naxos (in Greek, Νάξος) is a Greek island the largest island ( in the Cyclades island group in the Aegean. He then hired a Tyrrhenian pirate ship. The Tyrrhenians ( Attic Greek Turrēnoi) or Tyrsenians ( Ionic Tursēnoi, Doric Tursānoi) is an Exonym But when the god was on board, they sailed not to Naxos but to Asia, intending to sell him as a slave. So Dionysus turned the mast and oars into snakes, and filled the vessel with ivy and the sound of flutes so that the sailors went mad and, leaping into the sea, were turned into dolphins.

Other stories

Topics in Greek mythology
Gods Primordial gods and Titans Zeus and the Olympians Pan and the nymphs Apollo and Dionysus Sea-gods and Earth-gods
Heroes Heracles and his Labors Achilles and the Trojan War Odysseus and the Odyssey Jason and the Argonauts Perseus and Medusa/Gorgon Oedipus and Thebes Theseus and the Minotaur Triptolemus and the Eleusinian Mysteries
Related Satyrs, centaurs and dragons Religion in Ancient Greece

When Hephaestus bound Hera to a magical chair, Dionysus got him drunk and brought him back to Olympus after he passed out. Greek mythology is the body of stories belonging to the ancient Greeks concerning their gods and Heroes the nature of the world and the origins and significance The ancient Greeks proposed many different ideas about primordial deities in their mythology, which would later be largely adapted by the In Greek mythology, the Titans ( Greek: Tītā́n; plural Tītânes) were a race of powerful Deities that ruled during the legendary Zeus (zjuːs in Greek: nominative: Zeús /zdeús/ genitive: Diós; Modern Greek /'zefs/ in Greek mythology The Twelve Olympians, also known as the Dodekatheon ( Greek: Δωδεκάθεον Pan ( Greek, Genitive) is the Greek god of shepherds and flocks of mountain wilds hunting and rustic music paein means to pasture In Greek mythology, a nymph is any member of a large class of mythological entities in human female form The ancient Greeks had a large number of sea deities. The philosopher Plato once remarked that the Greek people were like frogs sitting around a pond -- their Chthonic (from Greek χθόνιος khthonios "of the earth" from khthōn "earth" pertaining to the Earth; earthy subterranean In Greek mythology, Heracles or Herakles ("glory of Hera " or The Twelve Labours of Hercules (Greek Δωδεκαθλος, dodekathlos) age a series of archaic episodes connected by a later continuous narrative concerning "Achilleus" redirects here For the emperor with this name see Achilleus (emperor. In Greek mythology, the Trojan War was waged against the city of Troy by the Achaeans after Paris of Troy stole Helen from her grc-Latn Odysseus or la Ulysses ( Greek grc-Latn Odysseus; Latin: la Ulixes or more commonly Ulysses) oʊˈdɪsiəs The Odyssey ( Greek: Ὀδύσσεια or Odússeia) is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. Jason ( Greek: Ἰάσων, Etruscan: Easun, Laz: Yason) was a late ancient Greek mythological In Greek mythology, the Golden Fleece (Χρυσόμαλλον Δέρας is the fleece of the winged ram Chrysomallos (Χρυσόμαλλος Perseus, Perseos, or Perseas ( Greek: Περσεύς, Περσέως, Περσέας) the Legendary founder In Greek mythology, Medusa ( Greek: Μέδουσα (Médousa "guardian protectress" was a monstrous Chthonic female character gazing upon In Greek mythology, a gorgon ( Greek: γοργώ or γοργών transl Oedipus (pronounced /ˈɛdəpəs/ in American English or /ˈiːdəpəs/ in British English; Greek: Oidípous meaning "swollen-footed" The Seven against Thebes (Επτά επί Θήβας Epta epi Thēbas) is a mythic narrative whose classic statement is found in the play by Aeschylus (467 BCE For other uses see Theseus (disambiguation Theseus (Θησεύς was a Legendary king of Athens, son of Aethra, and fathered In Greek mythology, the Minotaur ( Greek:, Mīnṓtauros) was a creature that was part man and part bull. Buzyges redirects here For the Genus of Grass skipper Butterflies, see Buzyges (butterfly. The Eleusinian Mysteries (Ἐλευσίνια Μυστήρια were initiation ceremonies held every year for the cult of Demeter and Persephone Mystery Religions, Sacred Mysteries or simply Mysteries, were "religious cults of the Graeco-Roman In Greek mythology, satyrs (Σάτυροι Satyroi) are a troop of male companions of Pan and Dionysus – " Satyresses quot In Greek mythology, the centaurs (from Ancient Greek: Κένταυροι - Kéntauroi are a race of creatures composed of part Human Dragons play a role in Greek mythology. Ladon was a Dragon -like beast that was slain by Heracles in the garden of the Hesperides during the Twelve Greek religion encompasses the collection of beliefs and rituals practiced in Ancient Greece in the form of both popular public religion and cult practices. Hephaestus (hɨˈfiːstəs or /hɨˈfɛstəs/ Greek Hēphaistos) was a Greek god whose Roman equivalent was Vulcan. In the Olympian pantheon of classical Greek Mythology, Hera (ˈhɪərə or /ˈhɛrə/ Greek) or Here ( in Ionic and Homer

Pentheus

Euripides wrote a tale concerning the destructive nature of Dionysus in The Bacchae. Bacchus and Ariadne (1520-23 is an Oil painting by Titian. It is one of a cycle of paintings on mythological subjects produced for Alfonso d'Este Tiziano Vecelli or Tiziano Vecellio (c 1485 &ndash August 27 1576 better known as Titian, was the leading painter of the 16th-century Venetian Euripides ( Ancient Greek:) (ca 480 BC–406 BC was the last of the three great tragedians of classical Athens (the other two being Aeschylus The Bacchae (Βάκχαι / Bakchai; also known as The Bacchantes) is a Athenian Tragedy by the ancient Greek Since Euripides wrote this play while in the court of King Archelaus of Macedon, some scholars believe that the cult of Dionysus was malicious in Macedon but benign in Athens. Archelaus I ( Greek: Άρχέλαος Α΄ was king of Macedon from 413 to 399 BC following the death of Perdiccas II. Macedon or Macedonia ( Greek grc Μακεδονία grc-Latn Makedonía) was the name of a kingdom centered in the northern-most Athens (ˈæθənz Αθήνα Athina,) the Capital and largest city of Greece, dominates the Attica periphery as one of the world's In the play, Dionysus returns to his birthplace, Thebes, ruled by his cousin, Pentheus. Thebes ( Classic Greek Θῆβαι, Mod Θήβα) is a city in Greece, situated to the north of the Cithaeron range which divides In Greek mythology, Pentheus was a king of Thebes, son of the strongest of the Spartes, Echion, and of Agave, daughter of He wanted to exact revenge on the women of Thebes, his aunts Agave, Ino and Autonoe and his cousin Pentheus, for not believing his mother Semele when she said she had been impregnated by Zeus, and for denying that Dionysus was a god and therefore not worshipping him. In Greek mythology, Agave (or Agaue, English translation: "illustrious" was the daughter of Cadmus, the king and founder of the city In Greek mythology, Autonoë ( Ancient Greek:) was a daughter of Cadmus, founder of Thebes Greece, and the goddess Harmonia. Pentheus was slowly driven mad by the compelling Dionysus, and lured to the woods of Mount Cithaeron to see the Maenads, female worshippers of Dionysus who often experienced divine ecstasy. Cithaeron is also a spider genus ( Cithaeronidae) Kithairon (Κιθαιρών -ῶνος is a mountain range ("No corner of When the women spotted Pentheus, they tore him to pieces like they did earlier in the play to a herd of cattle. Brutally, his head was torn off by his mother Agave as he begged for his life.

Lycurgus

When King Lycurgus of Thrace heard that Dionysus was in his kingdom, he imprisoned all the followers of Dionysus; the god fled, taking refuge with Thetis, and sent a drought which stirred the people into revolt. Thrace (Тракия Trakiya or "Trakija" or Trakia, Θράκη Thráki, Trakya is a historical and geographic area in southeast Europe This article is about the Greek sea nymph Thetis should not be confused with Themis, the embodiment of the laws of nature but see the sea-goddess Tethys. Dionysus then made King Lycurgus insane, having him slice his own son into pieces with an axe, thinking he was a patch of ivy, a plant holy to Dionysus. An oracle then claimed that the land would stay dry and barren as long as Lycurgus was alive, so his people had him drawn and quartered; with Lycurgus dead, Dionysus lifted the curse. An oracle is a person or agency considered to be a source of wise counsel or prophetic opinion an Infallible authority usually spiritual in nature To be hanged drawn and quartered was the penalty once ordained in England for the crime of High treason.

Prosymnus

A better-known story is that of his descent to Hades to rescue his mother Semele, whom he placed among the stars. ^[20] He made the descent from a reputedly bottomless pool on the coast of the Argolid near the prehistoric site of Lerna. Argolis (Αργολίδα Argolída, aɾɣo̞ˈliða Argolís in Ancient Greek and Katharevousa) is one of the fifty-one Prefectures of In classical Greece Lerna was a region of springs and a former lake near the east coast of the Peloponnesus, south of Argos. He was guided by Prosymnus or Polymnus, who requested, as his reward, to be Dionysus' lover. Prosymnus or Polymnus, in Greek mythology, was a shepherd living near the reputedly bottomless Alcyonian Lake, hazardous to swimmers which lay in the In Ancient Greece, the erastes ( "lover" (pl erastae was an adult male involved in a pederastic relationship with an adolescent Prosymnus died before Dionysus could honor his pledge, so in order to satisfy the shade of his erastes the god fashioned a phallus from an olive branch and sat on it at Prosymnus' tomb. The word phallus can refer to an erect Penis, or to an object shaped like a penis ^[21] This tradition was widely known but treated as a secret not to be divulged to those not privy to the god's mysteries. It was the source of the custom of parading wooden phalloi at the god's festivities. ^[22] This story is told in full only in Christian sources (whose aim was to discredit pagan mythology). It appears to have served as an explanation of the secret objects that were revealed in the Dionysian Mysteries. The Dionysian Mysteries probably began as an ancient initiation society or family of similar societies centred on a primeval nature god (and his consort apparently associated with ^[23]

Ampelos

Another pederastic myth of the god involves his eromenos, Ampelos, a beautiful satyr youth whom he loved dearly. Greek Pederasty, as idealised by the Greeks from archaic times onward was a relationship and bond between an adolescent boy and an adult man outside In the pederastic tradition of Classical Athens, the eromenos ( Greek ἐρώμενος pl Ampelos (grc ἄμπελος is the Ancient Greek for " Vine " In Greek mythology, satyrs (Σάτυροι Satyroi) are a troop of male companions of Pan and Dionysus – " Satyresses quot According to Nonnus, Ampelos was killed by the river Pactolus, riding a bull maddened by the sting of Ate's gadfly, as foreseen by his lover. Theophanes Nonnus was a Byzantine physician For the saint of this name see Saint Nonnus. Pactolus (Sart Çayı is a river near the Aegean coast Turkey. Ate, (in Greek ατή two syllables in either language a Greek word for "ruin folly delusion" is the action performed by the hero usually because of his or her Hubris The Fates granted Ampelos a second life as a vine, from which Dionysus squeezed the first wine. The Moirae or Moerae (in Greek – the " apportioners " often called the The Fates) in Greek mythology, were the white-robed ^[24]

Secondary myths

A third descent by Dionysus to Hades is invented by Aristophanes in his comedy The Frogs. Aristophanes (Ἀριστοφάνης ˌærɪˈstɒfəniːz in English ca Frogs ( Ancient Greek: grc Βάτραχοι grc-Latn Bátrachoi) is a comedy written by the Ancient Greek playwright Aristophanes. Dionysus, as patron of the Athenian dramatic festival, the Dionysia, wants to bring back to life one of the great tragedians. After a competition Aeschylus is chosen in preference to Euripides. Aeschylus (ˈɛskɨləs or /ˈiːskɨləs/ Greek: Ασχύλος, Aischylos, 525 BC/524 BC 456 BC/455 BC was an ancient Greek Playwright Euripides ( Ancient Greek:) (ca 480 BC–406 BC was the last of the three great tragedians of classical Athens (the other two being Aeschylus

When Theseus abandoned Ariadne sleeping on Naxos, Dionysus found and married her. For other uses see Theseus (disambiguation Theseus (Θησεύς was a Legendary king of Athens, son of Aethra, and fathered Ariadne, in Greek mythology (Latin Arianna French Arianne was daughter of King Minos of Crete and his queen Pasiphaë, daughter She bore him a son named Oenopion, but he committed suicide or was killed by Perseus. Perseus, Perseos, or Perseas ( Greek: Περσεύς, Περσέως, Περσέας) the Legendary founder In some variants, he had her crown put into the heavens as the constellation Corona; in others, he descended into Hades to restore her to the gods on Olympus. Hades (from Greek, Hadēs, originally, Haidēs or, Aidēs, probably from Indo-European *n̥-wid- 'unseen' refers both to the ancient

Callirhoe was a Calydonian woman who scorned a priest of Dionysus who threatened to inflict all the women of Calydon with insanity (see Maenad). Callirhoe, the poppy mallows, is a Genus of nine species in the Mallow family ( Malvaceae) native to the Prairies and Calydon ( Greek: Καλυδών was an ancient Greek city in Aetolia, situated on the west bank of the river Evenus. The priest was ordered to sacrifice Callirhoe but he killed himself instead. Callirhoe threw herself into a well which was later named after her.

Acis, a Sicilian youth, was sometimes said to be Bacchus' son. The 3D ACIS Modeler ( ACIS) is a 3D modelling Kernel (or engine owned by Spatial Corporation (formerly Spatial Technology) Sicily ( Italian and Sicilian: Sicilia) is an autonomous region of Italy.

Consorts/Children

In art

Classical

Naturally, the god appeared on many kraters and other wine vessels from classical Greece. In Greek mythology, a Charis (Χάρις is one of several Charites (Χάριτες Greek: " Graces " goddesses of charm beauty Aglaea or Aglaïa ( Greek: Ἀγλαΐα is the name of five figures in Greek mythology. In Greek mythology, Euphrosyne (Εὐφροσύνη (juːˈfrɒzəni] was one of the Charites, known in English also as the "Three Graces" Thalia can refer to four distinct entities in Greek mythology, two of whom were daughters of Zeus, and a third of whom bore him sons In Greek mythology, Hymenaios (also Hymenaeus, Hymenaues, or Hymen; Ancient Greek:) was a god of Marriage ceremonies In Greek mythology, Priapus (Πρίαπος was a minor rustic fertility god protector of Livestock, fruit plants gardens and male Genitalia. Ariadne, in Greek mythology (Latin Arianna French Arianne was daughter of King Minos of Crete and his queen Pasiphaë, daughter In Greek mythology, Oenopion ( Ancient Greek: grc Οἰνοπίων English translation: "wine drinker" "wine-faced" son of Thoas (Θώας son of Andraimon, was one of the heroes who fought for the Greeks in the Trojan War. For the German theologian see Friedrich Staphylus. For the Skipper butterfly Genus, see Staphylus (butterfly. In Greek mythology, Phthonus (ὁ Φθόνος was the personification of jealousy and envy especially in matters of love The 3D ACIS Modeler ( ACIS) is a 3D modelling Kernel (or engine owned by Spatial Corporation (formerly Spatial Technology) In Greek mythology, Althaea (also commonly spelled Althea, Greek Αλθαία, Althaía) was the daughter of Thestius Deïanira or Dejanira (Latinized in Greek, Δηϊάνειρα or Δῃάνειρα; Deïaneira 'man-destroyer' In Greek mythology, Circe ( sərsē; Greek Κίρκη Kírkē, falcon is a Queen Goddess (or sometimes a Nymph In Greek mythology, Comus or Komos is the God of festivity revels and nocturnal dalliances For the Landform crater see Crater. A krater (in Greek: κρατήρ kratēr, from the Verb κεράννυμι The term ancient Greece refers to the period of Greek history lasting from the Greek Dark Ages ca His iconography became more complex in the Hellenistic period, between severe archaising or Neo Attic types such as the Dionysus Sardanapalus and types showing him as an indolent and androgynous young man (such as this one). Neo-Attic or Atticizing is a sculptural style of the 2nd c BCE onwards copying adapting or closely following the style shown in reliefs and statues of the Classical

E. Kessler has theorized that a mosaic appearing on the triclinium floor of the House of Aion in Nea Paphpos, Cyprus details a monotheistic worship of Dionysus. Cyprus (Κύπρος transliterated: Kýpros,; Kıbrıs officially the Republic of Cyprus (Κυπριακή Δημοκρατία Kypriakī́ Dīmokratía ^[25] In the mosaic, other gods appear but may only be lesser representations of the centrally-imposed Dionysus.

Post-classical

Parallels with Christianity

Martin Hengel argued Dionysian religion and Christianity to be significantly parallel, stating that "Dionysus had been at home in Palestine for a long time", and Judaism was influenced by Dionysian traditions. The Dionysus Sardanapalus is a common Hellenistic-Roman Neo Attic sculpture-type of the god Dionysus, misnamed after the king Sardanapalus. The National Museum of Rome ( Museo Nazionale Romano in Italian is a set of museums in Rome, Italy, split between various branches across the city ^[26]

The modern scholar Barry Powell thinks that Christian notions of eating and drinking the "flesh" and "blood" of Jesus were influenced by the cult of Dionysus. Barry Powell (footballer - English footballer of the 1970s and 80s Barry B In another parallel Powell adduces, Dionysus was distinct among Greek gods as a deity commonly felt within individual followers. Another example of possible influence on Christianity, Dionysus' followers, as well as another god, Pan, are said to have had the most influence on the modern view of Satan as animal-like and horned. Pan ( Greek, Genitive) is the Greek god of shepherds and flocks of mountain wilds hunting and rustic music paein means to pasture Satan, ( Standard Hebrew Satan'el, English accuser) is a term that originates from the Abrahamic faiths, being traditionally A horn is a pointed projection of the Skin on the head of various Mammals consisting of a covering of horn ( Keratin and other Proteins ^[27]

Wine was important to Dionysus, imagined as its creator; the creation of wine from water figures also in Jesus's Marriage at Cana. The Marriage at Cana or Wedding at Cana is an event reported by the Gospel of John but not by any of the Synoptic Gospels. In the 19th century, Bultmann and others compared both themes and concluded that the Dionysian theophany was transferred to Jesus; Heinz Noetzel's Christus und Dionysos disagrees,^[28] arguing Dionysus never actually did turn water into wine. The 19th century of the Common Era began on January 1, 1801 and ended on December 31, 1900, according to the Gregorian calendar Martin Hengel replied that opposing traditions would be anachronistic, and that since all Palestinians were familiar with the transformation of water to wine as a miracle, it was expected from the Messiah to perform it.

Peter Wick argues that the use of wine symbolism in the Gospel of John, including the story of the Marriage at Cana at which Jesus turns water into wine, is intended to show Jesus as superior to Dionysus. The Gospel of John (literally According to John; Greek, Κατὰ Ἰωάννην Kata Iōannēn) is the fourth Gospel in the canon The Marriage at Cana or Wedding at Cana is an event reported by the Gospel of John but not by any of the Synoptic Gospels. ^[29]

Possible parallels have also been suggested between Pentheus' arrest and questioning of Dionysus in Euripides' Bacchae and the arrest and questioning of Jesus by Pontius Pilate. Some people have also argued that the attitude of Dionysus is similar to Jesus' attitude as presented in the Gospels.

Modern views

Dionysus has remained an inspiration for artists, philosophers and writers into the modern era. The term modern period or modern era (sometimes also modern times) is the period of history that followed the Middle Ages between c In his book The Birth of Tragedy, the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche contrasted Dionysus with the god Apollo as a symbol of the fundamental, unrestrained aesthetic principle of force, music, and intoxication versus the one of sight, reason, form, and beauty represented by the latter. The Birth of Tragedy ( Die Geburt der Tragödie aus dem Geiste der Musik, 1872 is a 19th Century work of philosophy by Friedrich Nietzsche. Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (October 15 1844 August 25 1900 ( was a nineteenth-century German philosopher and classical philologist Aesthetics or esthetics ( also spelled æsthetics) is commonly known as the study of sensory or sensori-emotional values sometimes called The two remain intrinsically related and dependent upon one another in an endless state of conflict.

The Russian poet and philosopher Vyacheslav Ivanov elaborated the theory of Dionysianism, which traces the roots of literary art in general and the art of tragedy in particular to ancient Dionysian mysteries. The Russian people (Русские— Russkie) are an East Slavic Ethnic group, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries A poet is a person who writes Poetry. Etymology From the Ancient greek: ποιέω, poieō: "I make or compose" Philosophy is the study of general problems concerning matters such as existence knowledge truth beauty justice validity mind and language Vyacheslav Ivanovich Ivanov (Вячеслав Иванович Иванов ( February 16 ( 28) 1866&ndash July 16, 1949) was a Russian His views were expressed in the treatises The Hellenic Religion of the Suffering God (1904), and Dionysus and Early Dionysianism (1921).

Inspired by James Frazer, some have labeled Dionysus a life-death-rebirth deity. The category life-death-rebirth deity also known as a "dying-and-rising" or "Resurrection" Deity is a convenient means of classifying the many divinities The mythographer Karl Kerenyi devoted much energy to Dionysus over his long career; he summed up his thoughts in Dionysos: Archetypal Image of Indestructible Life (Bollingen, Princeton) 1976. One of the founders of modern studies in Greek mythology, Károly (Carl Karl Kerényi ( January 19, 1897 &ndash April 14 1973

Dionysus is the main character of Aristophanes' play The Frogs, later updated to a modern version by Stephen Sondheim ("The time is the present; The place is ancient Greece"). Frogs ( Ancient Greek: grc Βάτραχοι grc-Latn Bátrachoi) is a comedy written by the Ancient Greek playwright Aristophanes. Stephen Joshua Sondheim (born March 22 1930 is an American musical and film composer and lyricist winner of an Academy Award, multiple Tony Awards (seven In the play, Dionysus and his slave Xanthius venture to Hades to bring a famed writer back from the dead, with the hopes that the writer's presence in the world will fix all nature of earthly problems. In Aristophanes' play, Euripides competes against Aeschylus to be recovered from the underworld; In Sondheim's, George Bernard Shaw faces William Shakespeare. Euripides ( Ancient Greek:) (ca 480 BC–406 BC was the last of the three great tragedians of classical Athens (the other two being Aeschylus George Bernard Shaw ( (26 July 1856 &ndash 2 November 1950 was an Irish Playwright. William Shakespeare ( baptised

Both Eddie Campbell and Grant Morrison have utilised the character. Eddie Campbell (born 10 August 1955) is a Scottish Comics artist and Cartoonist who now lives in Australia. Grant Morrison (born January 31 1960 is a Scottish Comic book writer and artist Morrison claims that the myth of Dionysus provides the inspiration for his violent and explicit graphic novel Kill Your Boyfriend, whilst Campbell used the character in his Deadface series to explore both the conventions of super-hero comic books and artistic endeavour. Kill Your Boyfriend is the title of a Comic book one-shot written by Grant Morrison and drawn by Philip Bond and D'Israeli Bacchus is a Comics character created by Eddie Campbell and based upon the Roman god of wine and revelry known to the Greeks as Dionysus. A superhero (sometimes rendered super-hero or super hero) is a Fictional character "of unprecedented physical prowess dedicated to acts of derring-do A comic book (often shortened to simply comic and sometimes called a comic paper or comic magazine) is a Magazine or Book of narrative

Walt Disney has depicted the character on a number of occasions. Walter Elias Disney (December 5 1901 – December 15 1966 was a multiple Academy Award -winning American Film producer, director, Screenwriter The first such portrayal of Dionysus was in the "Pastoral" segment of Walt Disney's 3rd classic Fantasia. Pastoral, as an adjective refers to the lifestyle of Shepherds and Pastoralists moving livestock around larger areas of land according to seasons and availability He is portrayed as an overweight drunk man who rides a drunken donkey; wears a tunic and cloak, and grape leaves on his head; and carries a goblet of wine. The donkey or ass, Equus asinus, is a member of the Equidae or horse family and an odd-toed ungulate. A tunic is any of several types of Clothing for the body with or without Sleeves and of various lengths reaching from the hips to the ankles He is friends with the fauns and centaurs, and is shown celebrating a harvest festival. In Roman mythology, fauns are place-spirits ( genii) of untamed woodland In Greek mythology, the centaurs (from Ancient Greek: Κένταυροι - Kéntauroi are a race of creatures composed of part Human Other portrayals have appeared in both the Disney movie and spin-off TV series of Hercules. Hercules is a 1997 Animated feature, produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures on June Hercules The Animated Series is an animated series based on the Disney 's 1997 feature film and the Greek myth. He was depicted as an overweight drunkard as opposed to his youthful descriptions in myths. He has bright pink skin and rosy red cheeks hinting at his drunkenness. He always carries either a bottle or glass of wine in his hand, and like in the myths, wears a wreath of grape leaves upon his head. He is known by his roman name in the series 'Bacchus', and in one episode headlines his own festival known as the 'Bacchanal'.

In music Dionysius (together with Demeter) was used as an archetype for the character Tori by contemporary artist Tori Amos in her 2007 album American Doll Posse, and the Canadian rock band Rush refer to a confrontation between Dionysus and Apollo in the Cygnus X-1 duology. Demeter (dɨˈmiːtɚ Greek:, possibly "distribution-mother" from the noun of the Indo-European mother-earth * dheghom * mater Tori Amos (born Myra Ellen Amos on August 22, 1963) is a Pianist and Singer-songwriter of dual British and American Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. American Doll Posse is the ninth studio album by Singer-songwriter Tori Amos. Rush is a Canadian rock band originally formed in August 1968 in the Willowdale neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario, currently comprised of Rush 's Cygnus X-1 Duology consists of Book I The Voyage and Book II Hemispheres

In literature, Dionysius has proven equally inspiring. Rick Riordan's series of books Percy Jackson & The Olympians presents Dionysus as an uncaring, childish and spoilt god who as a punishment has to work in Camp Half-Blood. Rick Riordan (born June 5, 1964) is an American author from Texas famous for his Percy Jackson and the Olympians series Percy Jackson & The Olympians is a series of adventure books written by Rick Riordan, based on Greek mythology. In Fred Saberhagen's 2001 novel, God of the Golden Fleece, a young man in a post-apocalyptic world picks up an ancient piece of technology shaped in the likeness of the Dionysus. Fred Thomas Saberhagen ( May 18, 1930 &ndash June 29, 2007) was a Chicago -born American Science fiction and Fantasy Here, Dionysus is depicted as a relatively weak god, albeit a subversive one whose powers are able to undermine the authority of tyrants. A version of Bacchus also appears in C. S. Lewis' Prince Caspian, part of the Chronicles of Narnia. Prince Caspian The Return to Narnia is a Novel for children by C Lewis depicts him as dangerous-looking, androgynous young boy who helps Aslan awaken the spirits of the Narnian trees and rivers. He does not appear in the 2008 film version.

Names originating in Dionysus

• Dion, Deon, Deion
• Denise (also spelled Denice, Daniesa, Denese, and Denisse)
• Denis or Dennis (including the derivative surnames Denison and Dennison)
• Denny
• Nis (as of the Nordic surname Nissen)
• Nils (Nicholas is another origin)
• Dénes (Hungarian)
• Bacchus (Roman)
• Dionisio, Dyonisio (Filipino), Dionigi (Italian)
• Διονύσιος, Διονύσης (Dionysios, Dionysis; Modern Greek)
• Deniska (diminutive of Russian Denis, itself a derivative of the Greek)

Notes

References

• Dalby, Andrew (2005), written at London, The Story of Bacchus, British Museum Press, ISBN 0714122556 (US ISBN 0-89236-742-3)
• Farnell, Lewis Richard, The Cults of the Greek States, 1896. Volume V, cf. Chapter IV, Cults of Dionysos; Chapter V, Dionysiac Ritual; Chapter VI, Cult-Monuments of Dionysos; Chapter VII, Ideal Dionysiac Types.
• Fox, William Sherwood, The Mythology of All Races, v. 1, Greek and Roman, 1916, General editor, Louis Herbert Gray.
• Jameson, Michael. "The Asexuality of Dionysus. " Masks of Dionysus. Ed. Thomas H. Carpenter and Christopher A. Faraone. Ithaca: Cornell UP, 1993. ISBN 0-8014-8062-0. 44-64.
• Kerényi, Karl, Dionysos: Archetypal Image of Indestructible Life, (Princeton: Bollingen) 1976. One of the founders of modern studies in Greek mythology, Károly (Carl Karl Kerényi ( January 19, 1897 &ndash April 14 1973
• Pickard-Cambridge, Arthur, The Theatre of Dionysus at Athens, 1946.
• Powell, Barry B. , "Classical Myth," 5th edition, 2007. ISBN
• Ridgeway, William, Origin of Tragedy, 1910. Kessinger Publishing (June 2003). ISBN 0-7661-6221-4.
• Ridgeway, William, The Dramas and Dramatic Dances of non-European Races in special reference to the origin of Greek Tragedy, with an appendix on the origin of Greek Comedy, 1915.
• Riu, Xavier, Dionysism and Comedy, Rowman and Littlefield Publishers (1999). ISBN 0-8476-9442-9. [2]
• Smith, William, Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology, 1870, article on Dionysus, [3]
• Sutton, Dana F. Sir William Smith (1813 &ndash 1893 English Lexicographer, was born at Enfield in 1813 of Nonconformist parents The Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology (1849 originally published 1844 under a slightly different title is an Encyclopedia / Biographical dictionary , Ancient Comedy, Twayne Publishers (August 1993). ISBN 0-8057-0957-6.

Bibliography

• Livy, History of Rome, Book 39:13, Description of banned Bacchanalia in Rome and Italy
• Albert Henrichs, Between City and Country: Cultic Dimensions of Dionysus in Athens and Attica, (April 1, 1990). Department of Classics, UCB. Cabinet of the Muses: Rosenmeyer Festschrift. Paper festschrift18.
• Seaford, Richard. Titus Livius (traditionally 59 BC &ndash AD 17 known as Livy in English, was a Roman historian who wrote a monumental history of Rome Dionysos (Gods and Heroes of the Ancient World). Oxford: Routledge, 2006 (hardcover, ISBN 0-415-32487-4; paperback, ISBN 0-415-32488-2).
• Taylor-Perry, Rosemarie The God Who Comes: Dionysian Mysteries Revisited. New York: Algora Press, 2003 (hardcover, ISBN 0-87586-214-4; paperback, ISBN 0-87586-213-6).

External links

• Theoi Project, Dionysos myths from original sources, cult, classical art
• Iconographic Themes in Art: Bacchus | Dionysos
• Temenos of Dionysos, Hellenic polytheist site
• Thiasos Lusios, pagan Dionysian organization
• Dionysos Links and Booklist (A huge list of links. )
• Mosaic of Dionysus at Ephesus Terrace Home-2
• Bacchus the Musical
• List of archaic and modern Dionysus references.
• The birth of Dionysus from the thigh of Zeus - Volute crater from Apulia, Italy

Greek deities series
Primordial deities | Titans | Aquatic deities | Chthonic deities
Twelve Olympians
Zeus | Hera | Poseidon | Hestia | Demeter | Aphrodite Athena | Apollo | Artemis | Ares | Hephaestus | Hermes

Apulia ( Italian: Puglia) is a region in southeastern Italy bordering the Adriatic Sea in the east the Ionian Sea Greek mythology is the body of stories belonging to the ancient Greeks concerning their gods and Heroes the nature of the world and the origins and significance The ancient Greeks proposed many different ideas about primordial deities in their mythology, which would later be largely adapted by the In Greek mythology, the Titans ( Greek: Tītā́n; plural Tītânes) were a race of powerful Deities that ruled during the legendary The ancient Greeks had a large number of sea deities. The philosopher Plato once remarked that the Greek people were like frogs sitting around a pond -- their Chthonic (from Greek χθόνιος khthonios "of the earth" from khthōn "earth" pertaining to the Earth; earthy subterranean The Twelve Olympians, also known as the Dodekatheon ( Greek: Δωδεκάθεον Zeus (zjuːs in Greek: nominative: Zeús /zdeús/ genitive: Diós; Modern Greek /'zefs/ in Greek mythology In the Olympian pantheon of classical Greek Mythology, Hera (ˈhɪərə or /ˈhɛrə/ Greek) or Here ( in Ionic and Homer In Greek mythology, Poseidon ( Greek:; Latin: Neptūnus) was the god of the Sea and as "Earth-Shaker" In Greek mythology, virginal Hestia, (Roman name Vesta daughter of Kronus and Rhea, ( ancient Greek) is the Goddess Demeter (dɨˈmiːtɚ Greek:, possibly "distribution-mother" from the noun of the Indo-European mother-earth * dheghom * mater ATHENA was an Antimatter research project that took place at the AD Ring at CERN. In Greek mythology, Artemis language|Greek] ( Nominative), ( Genitive))] was the daughter of Zeus and Leto, and the twin sister In Greek mythology, Ares ( Ancient Greek:, Μodern Greek Άρης) is the son of Zeus and Hera. Hephaestus (hɨˈfiːstəs or /hɨˈfɛstəs/ Greek Hēphaistos) was a Greek god whose Roman equivalent was Vulcan. Hermes ( Greek,, ˈhɝmiːz in Greek mythology, is the Olympian god of boundaries and of the travelers who cross them of Shepherds and

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