Dionysus – Greek God Of Wine, Music, Ritual Madness And Ecstasy Was Born Twice

Ellen Lloyd - AncientPages.com - Followers of the Greek party god Dionysus (in Greek: Dionysos) certainly knew how to enjoy themselves. The god Dionysus was very popular in ancient Greece and associated with wine, music, ritual madness, ecstasy, and theater.

Left: Head of Dionysus (2nd century AD), in Rome, Capitoline Museums. Image credit: Wikipedia, Dwailgt - CC BY-SA 4.0 Right: Bacchus by Caravaggio. Image credit: Public domain

Theater and wine played an important role in Greece, so, understandably, the cult of Dionysus spread across the country.

As previously discussed on Ancient Pages, the history of the theater in Greece started with festivals held in honor of their gods honoring their gods. God Dionysus was celebrated with a festival called "City Dionysia." In the days of Solon, people often wandered around the streets during the celebration of Dionysus, the god of wine. The rude songs and dances greatly amused people; later, ancient Greeks regretted inventing theater.

Dionysus Was The Only Olympian God Who Had A Mortal Parent

God Zeus was known for erotic escapades and had many divine, semi-divine, and mortal offspring.  Dionysus, whose name means "Twice Born," was the child of Zeus and the human princess Semele who was the daughter of king Cadmus of Thebes.

Several versions describe the birth of Dionysus According to one legend, Hera, the wife of Zeus, became jealous when she learned her husband had a love affair with Semele. Hiding her identity, Hera went to Semele in the form of an older woman. She befriended Semele, and the mortal woman revealed that the baby's father in her womb was God Zeus.

God Zeus - Stock photo

Hera pretended not to believe her and said that if the unborn child's father was indeed God Zeus, then he should be able to prove his divine nature. It made Semele worried and doubtful. So, when Zeus visited her next time, she asked him to offer proof of his godhood. Zeus begged her not to ask this, but Semele was persistent, and finally, he agreed. He appeared before her as thunder and lightning. Semele was so scared that she gave birth to the child too early.

To save the baby, Zeus had to cut open his thigh and place the infant in it. He kept the unborn Dionysus inside his thigh for a few months until the baby was ready to be born again. Then, he released the now-fully-grown baby from his thigh, and Dionysus was born on Mount Pramnos on the island of Ikaria.

It is the reason why Dionysus's name means 'Twice Born.' The Greek god of wine is also said to have had two "mothers" - Semele and Zeus.

Hera was furious when she learned about the birth of Dionysus. Zeus had to give the baby to be raised by someone else. In Orphic legend, Dionysus appears under the name Zagreus.

Epiphany of Dionysus mosaic, from the Villa of Dionysus (2nd century AD) in Dion, Greece, Archaeological Museum of Dion. Image credit: Anonymous - Public Domain

On orders from Hera, he is torn to pieces, cooked, and eaten by the evil Titans. Fortunately, the goddess Athena saved his heart.

According to one version describing the wine god's childhood, Zeus entrusted Dionysus to the god Hermes who took the newborn to King Athamas, and Ino, who raised the child as a girl to protect him from Hera's anger. Another legend tells Dionysus was taken to the rain-nymphs of Nysa, who nourished his infancy and childhood. There are also suggestions that Dionysus was raised in the Underworld, far away from Hera.

Dionysus Taught Humans The Art Of Wine-Making

When Dionysus grew up, Hera struck him with madness, and he was forced to wander across the world and visit many distant lands.

During his journeys, he had unusual experiences and met interesting people. Dionysus discovered the culture of the vine and the mode of extracting its precious juice. He is credited with giving grapes to humans and teaching the art of wine-making. When Dionysus returned to Greece, his cult grew, and the Dionysia and Lenaia festivals in Athens were dedicated to him.

"Dionysus' origins appear to be a manifestation of the intoxication of nature, allowing a man to be free of sobriety for a time. The first time we see Dionysus as a god of wine is in Thrace, and then it was exported south to Helicon, then onto Thebes, Naxos, and then throughout Greece. Worship was carried to Sicily, Italy, and even Egypt," Stephan Weaver writes in his book Greek Gods.

Ancient Romans worshipped Dionysus as the god Bacchus.

Written by Ellen Lloyd – AncientPages.com

Updated on October 18, 2022

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