Dionysus
| Dionysus | |
|---|---|
God of the vine, grape-harvest, wine-making, wine, fertility, ritual madness, religious ecstasy, theatre | |
 2nd-century Roman statue of Dionysus, after a Hellenistic model (ex-coll. Cardinal Richelieu, Louvre)[1] | |
| Symbol | Thyrsus, grapevine, bull, panthers and other big cats |
| Personal information | |
| Consort | Ariadne |
| Children | Priapus, Hymen, Thoas, Staphylus, Oenopion, Comus, Phthonus, the Graces, Deianira |
| Parents | Zeus and Semele Zeus and Persephone (Orphic) Ammon and Amaltheia |
| Siblings | Aeacus, Angelos, Aphrodite, Apollo, Ares, Artemis, Athena, Eileithyia, Enyo, Eris, Ersa, Hebe, Helen of Troy, Hephaestus, Heracles, Hermes, Minos, Pandia, Persephone, Perseus, Rhadamanthus, the Graces, the Horae, the Litae, the Muses, the Moirai |
| Equivalents | |
| Greek equivalent | Iacchus, Zagreus |
| Roman equivalent | Bacchus, Liber |
| Etruscan equivalent | Fufluns |
| Egyptian equivalent | Osiris |
Dionysus (die-oh-NIS-ee-us, also spelt Dionysos, Dionysius) is the Greek god of frenzies, festivities, spiritual ecstasy, wine, and alcohol in general. Amongst the Orphists (who are a select group of followers of the Ancient Greek Religion) Dionysus is considered a saviour.
Mythology
[change | change source]There are two stories on how Dionysus was born. One says that he was the son of Zeus and Semele. The other says that he was the son of Zeus and Persephone, queen of the Underworld. Either way, in both stories Dionysus is sent to the Underworld by Zeus' jealous wife Hera. After that, he is saved and brought to life. Other sources say that he was half god half mortal and then later turned into a full god
Dionysus was the god of celebrations. He was also the god of wine. According to a myth, the Titans lured Dionysus with toys and wanted to eat him. When Zeus found out, it was too late and they had eaten everything except his heart. With that Zeus put the heart in the womb of Semele and he was born again.
Related pages
[change | change source]- Bacchus - Roman mythology version of Dionysus
- Dionysian Mysteries
References
[change | change source]- ↑ Another variant, from the Spanish royal collection, is at the Museo del Prado, Madrid: illustration.
Other websites
[change | change source]
Media related to Dionysos at Wikimedia Commons
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