Dionysus (deity)
Dionysus is a prominent figure in Greek mythology, recognized as the god of wine, winemaking, merriment, and sometimes agriculture and theater. Often considered one of the twelve Olympian gods, he is the son of Zeus and the mortal Semele. His unique birth story, which involves being rescued from Semele's womb by Zeus and later born from his thigh, has earned him the title of "twice born." Dionysus is typically depicted as a youthful figure adorned with an ivy wreath, associated with symbols like wine goblets and grapes, and honored through various sacred animals, including goats and dolphins.
Worship of Dionysus spread widely beyond Greece, influencing cultures throughout Italy, North Africa, and France. His festivals, known as the Dionysia, were marked by vibrant celebrations that included music, dance, and theatrical performances, laying the groundwork for the origins of Greek theater. In Roman culture, Dionysus is known as Bacchus, whose festivities, the Bacchanalia, were so exuberant that they were eventually restricted. Dionysus's rich mythology, characterized by themes of duality, ecstasy, and the boundary between civilization and chaos, has inspired countless artists and philosophers throughout history, showcasing his lasting impact on culture and the arts.
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Subject Terms
Dionysus (deity)
Symbols: Ivy-covered staff topped with a pinecone (thyrsus); ivy wreath crown; large goblet; goat
Culture: Greco-Roman
Mother: Semele
Father: Zeus
Siblings: Apollo; Ares; Artemis; Athena; Aphrodite; Hermes; Hebe; Persephone; Perseus; Herakles; Helen of Troy
Children: Priapos; Iakkhos; Oinopion; Deianeira; Eurymedon; Thoas; Staphylos; Peparethos; Phliasos; Keramos; Hymenaios
Dionysus was one of the important gods in Greek mythology. In some accounts, he was one of the twelve gods of Olympus, having replaced Hestia, the goddess of the hearth. Dionysus was the god of wine, winemaking, and merriment. Some also called him the god of agriculture and the theater.
Dionysus’s father was the king of the gods, Zeus, and his mother was the mortal woman Semele, princess of Thebes. Dionysus was called "twice born" because Zeus took him from his mother’s womb and kept Dionysus in his own thigh until the child was ready to be born.
Zeus loved many women and had many children with them. So Dionysus had dozens of half-siblings, some of whom were gods or goddesses and some of whom were mortal. The immortals included Ares, Artemis, Apollo, Athena, Aphrodite, Hermes, Hebe, and Persephone. A few of the mortals were Herakles (sometimes spelled Heracles or Hercules), Perseus, and Helen of Troy.
Dionysus was originally shown as a bearded, older man, but later images show him as a long-haired young man. He is usually shown with an ivy wreath on his head and a goblet of wine, or a cluster of grapes, in his hand.
The goat was sacred to Dionysus, as was the grapevine, ivy, and the dolphin. Other animals and plants were sometimes also said to be sacred, such as the tiger, the ass, and the laurel.
The Roman god Bacchus is the equivalent of the Greek god Dionysus. The Romans also called him Liber or Liber Pater. Bacchus is especially associated with drunken revelry.
In Mythology
Zeus’s wife Hera was a jealous and vengeful woman. When she heard that Semele was pregnant with Zeus’s child, Hera disguised herself and went to visit the mortal woman. She convinced Semele to ask Zeus for one wish. Semele asked for one wish, and Zeus promised to grant her whatever she asked for. As suggested by Hera, Semele then asked Zeus to appear in his true form. Zeus always kept his promises. Reluctantly, he showed Semele what he looked like as a god, knowing that he was too powerful for mortals to gaze upon. His thunderbolts killed Semele, but before she died, Zeus had Hermes snatch Dionysus from her womb. Zeus placed the fetus in his thigh. When Dionysus was ready to be born, Zeus took him out again and made him immortal. Hermes took Dionysus away to be raised by nymphs on Mount Nysa and to be taught by the satyr Silenus.
According to another version of the myth, after Dionysus’s birth, Zeus turned his son into a goat to hide the child from Hera. She discovered the deception and either made the boy’s caretakers mad or drove Dionysus himself to madness.
A different story recounting Dinoysus’s origins was told in Orphic legend. Zagreus was the son of Zeus and Persephone. The jealous Hera ordered the child to be torn apart and eaten by Titans. The goddess Athena saved the child’s heart, and Zeus put it into Semele to be reborn as Dionysus. Zeus then killed the Titans, and humans came from their ashes.
When he was grown, Dionysus traveled the land, teaching people how to grow better crops and how to make wine. In myths about him, he is often accompanied by nymphs, satyrs, and drunken revelers.
Dionysus had many lovers, but he married Ariadne, the princess of Crete. They met on the island of Naxos where the hero Theseus abandoned Ariadne after she helped him escape from the labyrinth.
Another version of the myth says that Dionysus forced Theseus to leave Ariadne because Dionysus was in love with her. Dionysus made Ariadne immortal, and together, they had several children. The number and names of the children varied, but usually included Oinopion, Thoas, Staphylos, Phliasos, and Eurymedon, among others.
Dionysus traveled to the underworld to find his mother, Semele. He brought her to live on Mount Olympus under the name Thyone and later placed her in the heavens as a constellation.
Origins and Cults
Dionysus was widely worshipped in Greece and Rome as well as in other parts of Italy, north Africa, and France. Scholars believe that his cults originated somewhere other than Greece or Rome.
It is said that the worship of Dionysus spread along with the knowledge of how to grow grapevines. Many shrines and temples were erected in his honor. The temples held portraits and statues of Dionysus, often with his face painted red.
Festivals called the Dionysia were held in his honor. These festivals were accompanied by dancing, feasting, and music. Some of the dancing was performed on an oiled wineskin, a bag made of animal skin and usually filled with wine. The wineskin was filled with air for the dance. Everyone laughed at those who fell off the wineskin. A contest was often held to see who could empty a pitcher of wine first. The winner would get a wineskin.
In Athens, plays were part of Dionysus’s festivals, especially the spring festivals. Plays were specially written for the festivals, and it is said that Greek theater originated from this custom.
Dionysus was known as Bacchus in Rome. His festivals in Rome, called the Bacchanalia, became so licentious that they were banned in 186 BCE.
Dionysus was frequently depicted on ancient Greek vases as well as in statues and other sculptures. Parts of his myth that were frequently shown were his birth, his meeting with Ariadne, and his trip to the underworld. Michelangelo created a marble statue titled Bacchus in 1497. The statue shows Bacchus wearing an ivy wreath and holding a goblet of wine and a cluster of grapes. A faun behind him is eating the grapes.
Philosophers, dramatists, poets, and other writers have also been inspired by Dionysus. Homer and Hesiod wrote of him around 600 BCE. In 1872 CE, Friedrich Nietzsche discussed him in his philosophical writings.
Bibliography
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Morford, Mark P. O., Robert J. Lenardon, and Michael Sham. Classical Mythology. 10th ed. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2013. Print.
Nardo, Don. Greek Mythology. Detroit: Lucent, 2012. Print.
Riordan, Rick. Percy Jackson’s Greek Gods. Los Angeles: Disney-Hyperion, 2014. Print.
Taft, Michael W. Greek Gods & Goddesses. New York: Rosen, 2014. Print.