Dionysos: God of Wine, Intoxication and Ecstasy

Dionysos, or Dionysus, was known as the god of wine in Greek mythology. He was also considered the god of ecstasy and the “inspirer of ritual madness”. Called the Liberator because he “freed people” from their “normal selves” and allowed them to revel in sin, he was also worshiped as the deity of agriculture and theater. Symbols associated with him include the bull, wine, and the serpent, as well as satyrs and centaurs. Dionysos traditional Greek apparel usually consisted of leopard skin, and he was considered very handsome.

• Statue: Photo of a statue of Dionysos.
• Paintings: Many links to images of Dionysos by the College of the Holy Cross.
• Dionysos' Exploits: Touches on his more famous exploits.

Dionysos was the son of Zeus and the human Semele. Semele was a priestess of Zeus, and the two fell in love. Zeus’ wife, Hera, convinced Semele that Zeus was lying about being a god, and Semele demanded that he reveal his true self to her. Reluctantly, he did so, but because humans cannot look upon Zeus without dying, she was consumed by flames. Zeus saved the fetal Dionysos by sewing him into his thigh until his birth.

• Classical Myths and Legends: A great overview of the major Greek Gods and Goddesses.
• Hera’s Revenge: Relates Zeus’ many extramarital affairs, including his tryst with Semele, resulting in Hera’s revenge.

After his birth, Dionysos was given to Hermes. There are different myths surrounding his childhood. Some myths say that he was given to his aunt to be raised as a girl to protect him from Hera. Some say he was given to rain-nymphs. After he grew up, Hera struck him with madness, and he wandered the earth. The goddess Rhea cured him and taught him her religious rites. Then, he traveled through Asia, teaching the people how to cultivate his wine.

• Dionysos: A lot of information about Dionysos including links to sources and resources.

There are many myths regarding Dionysos. One of the myths says that Dionysos was so handsome that pirates kidnapped him because they thought he was a human prince. They tried to rape him and planned to ransom him, but wild beasts came to save him. The pirates then jumped overboard, and they were turned into dolphins, one of which was put up in the sky to warn pirates to behave.

Another myth says that Pentheus, the King of Thebes and grandson of Cadmus, banned the worship of Dionysos in Thebes. Dionysos caused Pentheus’ mother and aunt, Ino and Autonoe respectively, as well as all other Thebes women, to rush a mountain in drunken frenzy. Pentheus then tried to imprison Dionysos, who lured him out to spy on Dionysos’ rites. The worshipers thought he was a wild animal, and they pulled him down and tore him apart. There are also other myths surrounding him.

• The Bacchae: A Greek myth focusing on Dionysos.
• The Wandering of Dionysos: An account of Dionysos’ adventures.
• King Midas: Discusses Dionysos and Midas.

Religious rites devoted to Dionysos were known as the Dionysian Mysteries. They usually involved intoxicants, mostly wine, to induce trances by eradicating inhibitions. The Cult of Dionysos performed rituals, but there is little concrete information about most of them. It is known that the rites centered on a death-rebirth theme and that most practitioners were “outsiders” meaning foreigners, outlaws, slaves, and especially women. It’s believed that they would go into trances and use rhythmic music in the rites.

• The Dionysian Underground: Article about the Dionysian Underground and the Mysteries of the Bacchus.