Greek Gods and Myths - Dionysus the God of Wine
Characterized by Wild Dancing, Orgies and Uninhibited Joy
Zeus is one of the gods well-known for his many wives, both goddesses and human. While married to Hera, he lusted after Semele, the beautiful daughter of Cadmus, King of Thebes, and slept with her.
The Birth of Dionysus
Hera vowed her revenge upon discovering her husband's infidelity. She knew Zeus had promised to fulfill any request Semele made and persuaded the girl to ask to see Zeus as he appeared on the day of his marriage to her.
Zeus tried without success to dissuade Semele but kept his word, appearing in his chariot before her amidst lightning and thunder. The palace went up in flames and Semele died. Zeus took the child that was growing in her and placed it in an opening in his thigh. Months later, Dionysus was born.
Life of Dionysus
In order to protect Dionysus from Hera's wrath, Zeus first asked Semele's sister, Ino, to care for his son. Later, Dionysus was moved to Asia Minor to live with nymphs on Mount Nyssa. However, Dionysus still fell into Hera's clutches and she caused him to become mad.
Dionysus and his Travel Companions
Dionysus wandered throughout Egypt and Syria before finally arriving in Phrygia where the goddess Rhea cured him. He then traveled to Greece where he spread his worship and taught the people how to cultivate wine.
He never traveled alone as the nymphs of Nyssa were his constant companions along with the Sileni, Satyrs, Maenads and Pan.
- Sileni were men with animal faces, a horse's tail and horse's legs. They loved to drink, sing and chase nymphs.
- Satyrs had the same features as the Sileni. It is believed that perhaps they were the same creature but the Sileni have the Asian Greek name while the Satyr is the mainland name. Another theory was that the Sileni were part horse and the Satyr, part goat.
- Maenads were women who worshipped Dionysus in a state of frenzied ecstasy. They are often depicted in art holding a rod with ivy and topped with a pine cone. They are also frequently shown holding animals they caught in the woods or tearing apart small deer.
- Pan was a jolly and lustful god with the horns and legs of a goat.
Wife of Dionysus
While on his travels, Dionysus passed through Naxos where he discovered Ariadne, the daughter of Minos and who had been abandoned by Theseus. He fell in love with her and they had two sons, Staphylus and Oenopion.
The Cult of Dionysus
Dionysus was known as the god of wine and more generally of fertility and vegetation. The main characteristic of the cult is that of ecstasy, "a transcending of the normal self" brought about with the help of wine and accompanied with frenzied dancing. (Read about another unusual god of fertility.)
Every two years a sacred work or "orgy" would be held on Mount Parnassus in honor of Dionysus. Only women took part, mimicking the dance of the mythical Maenads. They would fall into a state of religious hysteria and run around the mountain capturing and tearing apart any animals they caught.
Orgies were not limited to Mt. Parnassus but also took place in other parts of Greece.
Source:
Servi, Katerina. Greek Mythology. Athens, Ekdotike Athenon S.A., 2007
Dionysus by Caravaggio. Uffizi Galleries Florence
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