Dionysus: God Of Olympian, Wine, Feasts And Pleasures

Today we will review the figure of Dionysus. Know all his powers, popular legends and relationships with other gods or humans.

Dionysus, God of pleasures

Dionysus was the god of fertility and wine, later considered a patron of the arts. He created wine and spread the art of viticulture. He had a dual nature; on the one hand, he would bring joy and divine ecstasy; or he would bring brutal and blinding rage, thus reflecting the dual nature of wine. Dionysus and his followers could not be bound by shackles.

who was Dionysus?

Dionysus was the Olympian god of wine, feasts and pleasure. He was so popular among the gods and mortals that many of the feasts held during a year were in his honor. Dionysus traveled longer than home to escape the harassment of Hera. On his journey, he gained many followers and fans because, wherever he came, he taught the locals how to make wine from grapes.

With little more than a drop of wine in their bodies, they knew how to celebrate the arrival of “The Pilgrim,” a name he received as he traveled through Greece and partied with the locals. His journey took him to the eastern edge of the planet (now known as Asia) and made him known around the world. When he returned home, he was asked to take his place on Mount Olympus. Even Hera accepted him.

Birth of Dionysus

Dionysus was the son of Zeus and Semele, and was the only god with a mortal father. Zeus went to Semele in the night, unseen by human eyes, but could be felt as a divine presence. Semele was glad to be the mistress of a god, though she did not know which one. Word soon spread and Hera quickly assumed who was responsible. She went to Semele in disguise and convinced her that she should see her lover as he really was.

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When Zeus visited her again, she made him promise to grant her a wish. She went so far as to make him swear on the river Styx that he would grant her request. Zeus was madly in love and agreed. He then asked her to show him her true form. Zeus was unhappy knowing what was about to happen, but bound by his oath, he had no choice.

He appeared in his true form and Semele was instantly burned by the sight of his glory. Zeus managed to rescue the fetus Dionysus and sewed him into his thigh until he was ready to be born. At his birth Zeus conferred immortality on him.

Hera, still jealous of Zeus’ infidelity and the fact that Dionysus was alive, had the Titans kill him. The Titans tore him to pieces; however, Rhea brought him back to life. After this, Zeus arranged for his protection and gave him to the mountain nymphs to raise.

Myths of Dionysus

While traveling to Thebes, Dionysus witnessed great insolence on the part of a man named Pentheus who dismissed him as a god and prevented all the women of Thebes from joining his rites or feasts. This infuriated Dionysus, who then cast a spell of Bacchic frenzy, causing all the women to respond and come to his feast. Because of this, Pentheus had Dionysus arrested and imprisoned, thinking he was nothing more than a follower.

The prison could not contain Dionysus, who in revenge disguised himself as a woman and lured Pentheus to spy on the Bacchic ritual. Pentheus, grandson of the great Cadmus, thought he would be part of a famous orgy, but was tied to a tree because the women had seen him as a wild animal. He was torn to pieces by the women of Thebes and it was only when they were on their way back to the city and carrying his parts that his true identity was revealed by Dionysus.

In another myth, Dionysus travels to Attica to celebrate the new king of Athens. Icarius welcomed Dionysus who taught him the art of making wine. Icarius was eager to share the goodness of the god with mankind and went to some locals to present the wine. Bacchic rituals They drank it all at once, unaware of its effects, and thought they had been poisoned and consequently killed Icarius. The next day, when they woke up and realized what they had done, they buried poor Icarius. But his daughter Erígone was looking for him and her dog helped her dig up the body.

Hanged

She was so desperate that she hanged herself. Dionysus, angry again, brought drought to the land of Athens and afflicted its women with frenzy, which drove them to hang themselves. Consulting with Apollo, the Athenians softened the wrath of Dionysus by honoring and celebrating the death of Icarus and Erygone each year.

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In the myth of the Tyrrhenian pirates, he was captured by Tyrrhenian pirates who promised to take him to Naxos, but instead turned his ship back to Asia, where they had planned to sell him. They tied him up on the deck of the ship, trying to rape him when suddenly the sounds of the flute were heard and ivy and vines covered the ship, making it stop.

Lions and panthers appeared on the ship and frightened the sailors who jumped from the ship into the sea. When they fell into the water, they were transformed into dolphins. One of them was placed in the sky as the constellation (Delphinus), as a warning for the sailors to behave.

Other myths

In the more familiar myths, when Dionysus finally reached Naxos, he found Ariadne, daughter of King Minos. She was abandoned by Theseus, after helping him kill the Minotaur. Theseus and his crew abandoned her on the island while she was still asleep, after Theseus had a dream in which Dionysus came to him and ordered him to leave her behind. Dionysus came in the morning and married her.

In the other myth, Dionysus went to the underworld to look for his mother Semele. When he finally found her, he had to negotiate with Hades for her release. In the end, Hades agreed to let her go and Semele was resurrected and ascended Mount Olympus to live with her son. And it is said that it was Hestia who supposedly gave Dionysus his place on Mount Olympus. Dionysus was also involved in the myth of Hephaestus, where he had to convince the god of craftsmanship to free Hera from the magic chair.

Dionysus Worship Festivals

The festival of Dionysus was celebrated in spring, when the vines began to bear leaves. It became one of the most important events of the year and its main focal point was the theater. Most of the great Greek plays were initially written to be performed at the feast of Dionysus. All participants, writers, actors, spectators, were considered as sacred servants of Dionysus during the festival.

Appearance in the works of art

He is usually depicted as a healthy young man, wearing an ivy wreath on his head, with “thyrsos” in his hand, a light staff wrapped with ivy leaves and a pine cone on top. This god is also typically accompanied by a troop of satyrs and Maenads. He is sometimes depicted as a grown man with a large beard.