Reference
- Dionysusis the twice-born son of *Zeus and Semele. His birth alone sets him apart. Snatched prematurely from the womb of his dying mother and carried to term by his father, he was born from the paternal thigh. Perceived as both man and animal, male and effeminate, youthful as well as mature, he is the most versatile and elusive of all Greek gods. His myths and cults are often violent and bizarre, a threat to the established social order. He represents an enchanted world filled with extraordinary experiences. Always on the move, he is the most epiphanic god, riding felines, sailing the sea, and even wearing wings. His most common cult name was Bakch(e)ios or Bakchos, after which his ecstatic followers were called bakchoi and bakchai. Adopted by the Romans as Bacchus, he was identified with the Italian Liber Pater. While modern scholars inevitably regard Dionysus as a construct of the Greek imagination, in the eyes of his ancient worshippers he was a god—immortal, powerful, and self-revelatory.
Throughout antiquity, he was first and foremost the god of *wine and intoxication. His other provinces include ritual madness or *ecstasy (mania); the mask, impersonation, and the fictional world of the theatre; and, almost antonymically, the mysterious realm of the dead and the expectation of an after-life blessed with the joys of Dionysus. If these four provinces share anything in common that reflects the nature of this god, it is his capacity to transcend existential boundaries. Exceptionally among Greek gods, Dionysus often merges with the various functions he stands for and thus serves as a role model for his human worshippers. In the Greek imagination, the god whose myths and rituals subvert the normal/social identities of his followers himself adopts a fluid persona based on illusion, transformation, and the simultaneous presence of opposite traits. Both ‘most terrible and most sweet to mortals’ in Attic tragedy (Eur. Bacch. 861), he was called ‘Eater of Raw Flesh’ (Ōmēstēs) on *Lesbos as well as ‘Mild’ (Meilichios) on Naxos in actual cult (Alc. fr. 129.9 L.-P., P. Oxy. 53.3711; FGrHist 499 F 4). - Bacchus(băk'Әs), in Roman religion and mythology, god of wine; in Greek mythology, Dionysus. Dionysus was also the god of tillage and law giving. He was worshiped at Delphi and at the spring festival, the Great Dionysia. In Rome, the mysteries of his cult were closely guarded, and he was identified with an ancient god of wine, Liber Pater. Many legends connected with Dionysus were also used in the cult of Bacchus.
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Perspectives
Inspiration: Bacchus and the Cultural History of a Creation Myth
The purpose of this book is to reveal the antique pedigree of a now commonplace term, "Inspiration," an essential creation-myth now propelling notions of "self-expression" in modern art-making. Knowledge of the ancient sources of such supposedly "modernist" fixations will make a significant contribution to historical-cultural thinking, particularly by showing in detail the facts of an unrecognized evolutionary continuity. In order to personify "Inspiration," this study initially focuses upon Michelangelo's Bacchus of 1496, so revealing now-forgotten meanings once typically to be attached in a generic way to any "Bacchus." Then it demonstrates how these "Dionysiac" concepts arose in ancient Greece. Later developments--particularly from the Middle Ages through the Renaissance--are traced here for the first time. Due to further modifications by Friedrich Nietzsche, Dionysiac "expressionism" eventually became a staple of modern art theory and practice.
Redefining Dionysos
This book contributes to the understanding of Dionysos, the Greek god of wine, dancing, theatre and ecstasy, by putting together 30 studies of classical scholars. They combine the analysis of specific instances of particular dimensions of the god in cult, myth, literature and iconography, with general visions of Dionysos in antiquity and modern times. Only from the combination of different perspectives can we grasp the complex personality of Dionysos, and the forms of his presence in different cults, literary genres, and artistic forms, from Mycenaean times to late antiquity.
Dionysus Resurrected
Dionysus Resurrected analyzes the global resurgence since the late 1960s of Euripides' The Bacchae. By analyzing and contextualizing these modern day performances, the author reveals striking parallels between transformational events taking place during the era of the play's revival and events within the play itself. Puts forward a lively discussion of the parallels between transformational eventsduring the era of the play's revival and events within the play itself The first comparative study to analyse and contextualize performances of The Bacchae that took place between 1968 and 2009 from the United States, Africa, Latin America, Europe and Asia Argues that presentations of the play not only represent liminal states but also transfer the spectators into such states Contends that the play's reflection on various stages of globalization render the tragedy a contemporary play Establishes the importance of The Bacchae within Euripides' work as the only extant tragedy in which the god Dionysus himself appears, not just as a character but as the protagonist
Dionysus: Wandering God
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Dionysus invented wine and traveled the world with a noisy retinue revealing his invention. King Lycurgus arrested the Maenads and pursued Dionysus to the sea where Thetis hide the god. Dionysus cursed the land of Thrace until Lycurgus' death. WARNING: Viewer Discretion Advised. This video contains mature themes. This video contains nudity.
Dionysian Celebrations
- Films on Demand This link opens in a new windowDionysus was highly worshipped in Athens and numerous festivals were held in his honor. WARNING: Viewer Discretion Advised. This video contains mature themes. This video may contain nudity.
The Birth of Dionysus
- Films on Demand This link opens in a new windowDionysus is the son of Zeus and the mortal woman, Semele. While Semele was pregnant with Dionysus, Zeus struck her with a lightning bolt. Zeus then pulled Dionysus from her womb and placed him in his thigh until he was ready to be born.
Dionysus's Companions
- Films on Demand This link opens in a new windowDionysus had many followers including Silenus, his teacher and faithful companion, the Satyrs, wild men with goat feet, and Maenads, who were devoted worshippers of Dionysus.
Online Resources
- Dionysus and wine in Euripides’ CyclopsThe plot of Euripides’ satiric drama Cyclops takes as its base the mythical episode of Odysseus and the Cyclops. One of the main themes of the play is the confrontation between the civilized world of the hero and the monster’s wildness. This confrontation becomes very important by the hospitality and the symposium. We pay special attention to that latter point because, besides the fact that the Cyclops is ignorant of wine gives to Odysseus the possibility of escaping, Dionysus becomes an active character in the satiric drama by his identification with his most important attribute, the wine.
- Dionysus in the Greek Magical PapyriThe paper studies the explicit and implicit references to Dionysus in the Greek magical papyri. It examines whether Dionysus undergoes the assimilation process to other gods and concepts and, more particularly, whether Dionysus' assimilation to Osiris is attested in the Greek magical papyri. Specific textual and interpretative problems are also addressed.
- The Festival of Dionysus in 2 Macc 6:7bRecent scholarship has maintained that the Dionysian rites of 2 Macc 6:7b are not historical because evidence of this cult in Seleukid official policy is seen as meager at best. A review of Antiochus IV's coinage, his procession at Daphne, his designation of Geron the Athenian as enforcer of the imposed cult, and other allusions to promiscuity in the Temple may indicate that this reference to Dionysian practices is at least plausible.