One of the most unusual and uncharacteristic inhabitants of Olympus for the Hellenes is, of course, Dionysus. Nevertheless, it is well known to researchers - there are many legends, and many of its images on a variety of household utensils have survived to this day. So, it’s worth telling about it in more detail.
Holidays of Dionysus:
- Lenaea - 12 Gamelion (January 10, 2022)
- Anthesteria - from 11 to 13 Anthesterion (February 12, 2022)
- Dionysia - from 9 to 14 Elaphebolion (from March 11, 2022)
- Osphoria - 7 Pianopsion (October 13, 2021)
- Small (rural) Dionysia - 7 Poseidon (December 12, 2021)
- Haloa - Poseideon 13 (December 30, 2021)
Quotes from Classical Ancient Greek Literature
Homeric hymns. XXVI. To Dionysus. 1-12. (Source: Hellenic poets of the 8th - 3rd centuries BC / Translation by V.V. Veresaev. - M.: Ladomir, 1999. - P. 172-173) (Greek epic 7-4 centuries BC .):
“I will begin to praise the noisy Dionysus, crowned with hops,
Much-praised son of Kronid and glorious Semele.
Lush-haired nymphs nursed the baby, taking
To your breast from the lord-father, and lovingly in the valleys...
Homeric hymns. VII. Dionysus and the robbers. 3-6. (Source: Hellenic poets of the 8th - 3rd centuries BC / Translation by V.V. Veresaev. - M.: Ladomir, 1999. - P. 166) (Greek epic 7-4 centuries BC) :
“[Dionysus appeared] On a protruding promontory, like a very young
To the young man. Beautiful curls waved around her head,
Blue-black. The cloak covered the powerful shoulders
Purple"…
Read all quotes about Dionysus >>
A little about the name
Let's start with the fact that the ancient Greek god Dionysus had other names in Hellas - Bacchus and Bacchus. But in Rome they called him under a different name - Liber.
But, like most gods, he had not only real names, but also nicknames. It was believed that it was not worth remembering God once again, so as not to attract undue attention to one’s modest person. Most often it was called:
- Apaturius,
- Digon (literally - twice born),
- Anfiy,
- Lenya,
- Kiss,
- Oinos (literally - wine),
- Flay,
- Egoball.
And this is not a complete list of nicknames - in fact, it is much more extensive. Apparently, the Hellenes often remembered God, but avoided using the real name of the god Dionysus once again.
A very short preface
is intended to explain why I wove together these three frequent themes of my poems. Because three phenomena constantly accompany our lives: drinking gives us mental relief, the idea of God gives us illusory hopes, and love gives us a short-lived feeling of happiness. Well, of course, in the mouth of such a cynic, skeptic and sneer as I seem to be, these three marvelous phenomena become overgrown with all sorts of details. Read this collection little by little - what if you like something, dear reader? I will be very happy about this.
What is its function?
Now it’s worth figuring out what the patron of the ancient Greek god Dionysus is. On the one hand, everything is quite simple here - he is the god of winemaking and viticulture. It is not for nothing that he is almost always depicted with a crater or amphora filled with wine. But in addition, Dionysus is also considered the patron of theater, religious ecstasy and inspiration. According to some sources, he is also the god of fertility.
What’s interesting is that the first mentions of God are found in clay tablets dating back to the 15th century BC. However, Dionysus gained real popularity much later - around the 5th-7th centuries AD, when the collapse of the powerful empire was practically over, and the people themselves fell into decline.
Taliesin
In Welsh legends, Taliesin is a culture hero, poet, trickster, bard and merry fellow. It is believed that he patronizes those who are able to travel outside their body, that is, poets, priests and even cheerful drunkards. It is obvious that his prototype was a real-life poet from the early Middle Ages, whose works have survived to this day and now make up the “Book of Taliesin.” By the way, Deep Purple named their second album after Taliesin.
Alternative origin
Many scholars who study Hellenic history and specifically mythology, express the opinion that, unlike other gods, Dionysus was not born in Hellas, but was brought from the east - possibly from Persia or other countries of the Middle East.
This point of view is not accidental. Most of the gods of Olympus are characterized by the presence of certain frameworks; they all sought to distance themselves from chaos, destruction and madness. Even if not all of them were champions of strict morality (the love affairs of Zeus alone are worth it!), not one of them consciously sought to fall into madness and violence.
The situation is completely different with Bacchus - he regularly gets drunk deliberately and behaves like an animal, which was not at all encouraged among the Hellenes - rather reserved people, and in some places downright prim. So, the theory that Dionysus is an alien has some basis.
Pecco
Finno-Ugric deity, which was revered by Estonians, Finns and Sami, and the Sami and some Estonians worshiped him until the 20th century. Pecco was the giver of prosperity, harvest and hops. During the festivities in his honor, which took place at the end of summer, beer was supposed to be offered to a wooden idol depicting this deity. It was believed that this spirit was quite capricious and would not come unless you called him well, so the holiday began with calls: “Pecco, Pecco come and drink beer!” And he came.
In the next part of the article we will talk about which booze gods existed and still exist in Asia, Africa and America.
Birth of Dionysus
Having briefly understood what the god of Dionysus (Bacchus) is in Greek mythology, we should talk about his biography. Moreover, not every god of Hellas can boast of such an unusual origin.
So, the story of Dionysus, the god of wine and fun, began in the glorious city of Thebes. It was there that Semele, the daughter of a local ruler, lived. She was so beautiful that Zeus once again could not resist temptation, fell in love with her and often dropped in to visit.
Hera, the wife of the unfaithful Zeus, endured for a long time and turned a blind eye to what was happening. Only when Semele became pregnant did she decide to take revenge on the mortal who dared to occupy a place in the thoughts of the head of Olympus. Having entered her chambers, Hera took on the appearance of Semele's nurse and persuaded the unfortunate woman to ask Zeus to appear before her in his true form. And at the same time she taught me how to force God to fulfill a request.
And when the hero-lover visited his pregnant lover once again, she begged Zeus to fulfill his wish. And when he promised to do this, she demanded that he swear by the waters of the Styx - such an oath even the gods could not break. And after this, poor Semele expressed a desire for him to take on his true, divine form. Zeus, bound by an oath, could not refuse her and fulfilled her request. However, the true power of the Thunderer is not reserved for palaces built by mere mortals. As a result, the chambers caught fire, and the frightened Selena gave birth to early labor (according to some sources, she was burned alive, but Zeus managed to save the baby).
Dionysus was born so weak that he probably would not have survived. But Zeus did not want to lose his son and sewed him into his thigh. Only a few months later, when the child had grown up and became stronger, God removed his son from his thigh. Thus, Dionysus was born a second time - hence one of the hypostases of the Greek god Dionysus (Bacchus), called Digon or twice-born.
Youth
Zeus, well aware of the vindictive nature of his wife Hera, decided to hide his newly born son Dionysus so that he would grow stronger and would not become an easy prey. He gave him to be raised by the nymphs, who really liked the plump, handsome boy.
Fact ! There is also a version that Dionysus was raised by the goddess Cybele, who was almost as powerful as Hera.
Young Dionysus spent whole days in the company of beautiful nymphs. And soon he met the old, wise satyr Ampelius. They spent a lot of time together, talking and playing.
Seonaidh, aka Shoni
The deity of waters, fishermen and at the same time ale. He was revered in Ireland, Scotland, the Isle of Man and the Hebrides. This spirit was supposed to be presented with a cup or a corked bottle of ale so that the sea would be calm, the boats would not leak, and the fish would go into the net. In other words, if you decide to honor any deity with beer and fish, then Seonaid is the best choice.
The world's first wine
Of course, the main symbol of the god Dionysus is wine. And it appeared precisely thanks to his old friend Ampelius. One day he died when he found himself in the path of an angry bull. However, there is also a version according to which Ampelius died because a rock fell on him.
Dionysus is inconsolable. He did everything to revive his old friend and teacher. He even poured ambrosia on his body, hoping that he would come to life. But the effect was not at all as expected. The body of the unfortunate satyr suddenly turned... into a grapevine. And when the grapes ripened on it, Dionysus squeezed the juice out of it, which soon produced the first wine. After this, the young god went on a long journey throughout Hellas, as well as far beyond its borders, including India. Everywhere he planted grapes and taught local residents how to make wine from them.
This was a terrible gift to mere mortals from the cheerful god.
John Barleycorn aka John Barleycorn
The English embodiment of the spirit of grain and everything related to grain crops. Pies, ale, lager and whiskey, that is, what a good person needs for a holiday - this character is responsible for all such things. The English folk song about John Barleycorn ends with the words:
But in the whiskey John the Kid came to life,
And in beer, dark as a nut,
And proved to his enemies
That he is the strongest!
Family life
Despite his very quarrelsome character and frequent outbursts of anger, Dionysus acquired a wife. All fans of Hellenic mythology are familiar with the name of Ariadne - the one who helped Theseus kill the terrible Minotaur. However, the short-sighted hero deceived the girl who fell in love with her and broke her heart. She even wanted to commit suicide by throwing herself off a cliff, but playful Dionysus, the Greek god of wine, was nearby.
Having fallen in love with a girl, he made her his wife. They lived together for quite a long time, having had many children. According to various sources, their number differs - many legends are intertwined, and their characters often merge with each other. But experts agree that the children of Dionysus and Ariadne are:
- Foant,
- Stafil,
- Enopion.
With other characters the story is not so clear, so their names are not worth mentioning to avoid unnecessary confusion.
Alas, the age of mere mortals is short-lived. And in Antiquity it was even shorter. Ariadne died during childbirth. Then Dionysus persuaded his father Zeus to make the unfortunate woman a goddess, endowing her with immortality.
Curious ! In some works there is a mention that Ariadne did not die, but was turned into stone by Perseus, who fought with Dionysus.
However, the eccentric and cheeky god of winemaking was not known for marital fidelity. Therefore, he also had children on the side. For example, Arefirea gave birth to his son Fliant, and Teleta was born to the naiad Nikea.
Madness of Dionysus
But the mythology of the Ancient Greek god Dionysus (Bacchos) would not be complete without mentioning such an important and unpleasant aspect as his madness.
Unfortunately, it is an integral feature of excessive wine consumption. And Dionysus rarely limited himself to it. Therefore, God himself often became very irritable, aggressive, and cruel. The reasons for this are different. Some experts believe that it was Dionysus’ rampant drunkenness that made him like this. Others believe that this is Hera’s revenge - at one time she sent the same madness to Hercules (another illegitimate son of Zeus), because of which he killed his entire family.
Fact ! One day, Dionysus descended into the underground kingdom of the dead and brought out his mother Semele, who later gained immortality, becoming a goddess.
Be that as it may, madness has always accompanied the god of wine. He traveled to different lands, as mentioned above, and planted vines everywhere. But at the same time, he also sowed madness, punishing with it everyone who dared to disobey him or doubt his divine origin.
Here is just a short list of his victims:
- King Lycurgus killed his son with an axe, believing that he was cutting down a grape vine.
- King Pentheus was torn to pieces by the crowd, maddened by the influence of Dionysus.
- In Argos, women ate their children.
By the way, Dionysus himself also often flew into a rage and killed those around him.
Attributes
Not a single self-respecting god from Olympus can do without attributes. From them, researchers can easily understand which celestial being is invented in the picture, minted on a coin or carved in stone.
Of course, Dionysus also has certain attributes. Most often he was depicted with:
- grapevine,
- thyrsus (staff) topped with a pine cone,
- ivy.
And each of these attributes is not at all accidental. Everything is clear with the grapevine - wine is made from these berries. The pine cone that adorns the staff of the god Dionysus also appeared for a reason. According to some reports, cones were used in Hellas in the production of wine. Finally, according to the beliefs of the ancient Greeks, ivy protected against intoxication. It is no coincidence that you can see paintings and bas-reliefs in which feasters put wreaths woven from ivy on their heads.
Cult
According to legend, life has always been in full swing around Dionysus. He was surrounded by satyrs and maenads, who were fairly drunk. It is not surprising that getting in the way of such a horde was downright dangerous - intoxicated people and demi-humans could tear apart any traveler displeased by God. By the way, this is exactly how the famous poet Orpheus died - his blood on the hands of drunken maenads. The name of such celebrations - bacchanalia - appeared from the second name of the patron of winemaking.
But how was the holiday of the god Dionysus actually celebrated?
Before our era, he was not at all among the most revered inhabitants of Olympus. It began to gain strength when powerful Hellas fell into decline - approximately in the 5th-7th centuries. Now the fans have gone all out!
Of course, wine was consumed without any measure during such celebrations. Moreover, if on ordinary days the Hellenes heavily diluted it with water, then on holidays they drank alcohol in its pure form, which led to the ignition of instincts. Therefore, a variety of incidents occurred at the festivities - from mass orgies to murders. Concerned about this, the authorities decided to sharply limit people praising Bacchus. It was forbidden to hold holidays more than once every two years, and the place for them was sharply limited - only on Mount Parnassus. In the rest of Greece, bacchanals were completely banned. The holidays that gardeners and farmers organized to appease Bacchus became much more modest. Bloody sacrifices (there used to be such!) were replaced by a modest offering of fruits, and instead of rampant drunkenness and orgies, mummer games were left.
Even earlier, the fight against drunkenness and bacchanalia began in Rome. When local residents adopted the culture of the Greeks, the authorities quickly realized the dangers of excessive worship of Dionysus. Therefore, already in the second century BC, large-scale repressions were carried out against bacchanalia and participants. So, here there were no real orgies, such as those found in Ancient Greece.
How wonderful it is that peace and freedom come to us from alcohol!
When a glass is raised, any sadness and misfortune fall away faster than the skirt of a girl in a hurry to fall.
* * *
What the hell is curdled milk when we only live once and the firmament is an empty cup of everything that has been drunk before us.
* * *
In vain does the doctor scold the bottle - there is no harm or filth in it, but there are wings, and a crutch, and the most faithful drinking companion.
* * *
Without the main thing, it is impossible to understand your unity, Russia: everyone has their own path, everyone has the same anesthesia.
* * *
Pour it for us, friend! Glasses, food, a bottle of cool water are already ready, and our future widows are willing to have fun with us.
* * *
Without being tormented by my conscience at all, I live for years in drunken pleasure; The Lord is not omniscient enough to suffer about our whoreness.
* * *
Neither everyday torture nor the vanity of the surrounding bastard is difficult, as long as there are drinks and the voluptuousness of bookish bitterness in the world.
* * *
How we party on the spot, and the feast is celebrated everywhere! So Rome once rejoiced, and Attila, the unknown Hun, grew up.
* * *
So that children do not waste themselves either on dreams or on attempts, strong drinks ooze from all the breasts of their motherland.
* * *
If it weren’t for the Lord’s will, we wouldn’t recognize alcohol; which means that drunkenness is not a vice, but a lesson in the highest goodness.
* * *
Even an idiot knows how to soar in spirit: drink a glass a moment before soup, and repeat after soup.
* * *
When, having closed the flow of years, the Last Judgment comes, my skeleton will appear there, holding a beer vessel.
* * *
There my friend comes to me again and brings cold wine; The time we spend luxuriously is money that we don’t have anyway.
* * *
Yes, yes, I was born in a shirt, I remember it very well; but he grew up and, having reached the point, drank away the treasured linen.
* * *
It is given to us to live and feel, to look for the way to God’s kingdom and to drink clear wine - the best medicine for life.
* * *
Don't believe anyone who says that drunkenness is the enemy; he is either a stupid invalid or a sick fool.
* * *
Our entire journey is a pastime marked by drinking on both sides: from drinking that promises birth to drinking after a short funeral.
* * *
I have learned a lot from old people who understand everything soberly and calmly raise their glasses with sluggish, veiny hands.
* * *
The hair of my mane turns gray, the swelling of my nose turns red, and my mouth grins crookedly at my legs hobbling askance.
* * *
While my boat glides through fire and flood, I preferred a pen and a corkscrew to all the instruments of existence.
* * *
Having experienced the taste of peace and wandering, I realized what the support and foundation are: any cup of our trials becomes easier with the addition of alcohol.
* * *
Enjoying abstinence, I wait for eternity to pass, touching the flesh of the drinking glass with adoration.
* * *
We drink and destroy our liver, doctors shout into our deaf ears, but we can heal our liver on occasion, and sobriety dries up our souls.
* * *
At the bottom of the glasses I emptied, and the glasses poured for the girls, there is such a darkness of questions resolved that it’s time to rest and get a hangover.
* * *
Yesterday respectability came knocking on my door, she found me in my gray hair, but I read Rabelais and drank a little, and again she left offended.
* * *
The ascetic, the hermit, the dervish, the stoic are probably right - I don’t judge; but by drinking thick wine, I serve the Lord just as much.
* * *
Dresses of any religion are alien to me, but I rule with pleasure, and I follow all religious ceremonies where drinking is included in the ritual.
* * *
The statues of great people glow sadly in the darkness when revelers pour libations at their feet.
* * *
What a blessing - the calendars are different and my range of soul is not narrow: on Friday I drink vodka like a Jew, on Saturday after the bath I drink like a Russian.
* * *
Pascal would have learned a lot if he had seen and heard a drunken thinking reed sing “The reeds rustled.”
* * *
No, I didn’t know any better fun than burning tobacco, a little tipsy, among the reigning bitches and knotted-up queens.
* * *
Yesterday I got completely drunk again, I have no willpower; God threw it into my cradle with a trembling, hangover hand.
* * *
And it’s scary to think that a century later, having refreshed its spirit with enlightenment, Russia, coming from the bathhouse on Saturday, will drink kefir with disgust.
* * *
When my friends sat down to drink bottles, being stuck in business is such a torment that I fly towards my cherished goal like a corkscrew launched from a bow.
* * *
Somewhere in the sky, drinking from a common cup for excitement, God and the devil are playing cards, putting our destinies on the line.
* * *
One summer in January I saw an elephant in a bucket, the elephant lit a cigarette, blowing smoke, and said to me: “Don’t drink, son.”
* * *
“Why keep good things in a piggy bank? After all, there is no life after death,” the sage said to the empty bottle, having sold his skeleton to the scientists.
* * *
Love for our homeland glimmers in abundance in everyone’s chest, it’s better that we drink it to the dregs, but we won’t give offense to the enemy.
* * *
When I die one night, my loved ones, putting sadness on their faces, should still bring me a drink in the morning to soothe my hangover, just in case.
Sculptures and paintings
It cannot be said that Dionysus was among the most revered gods. But still, it was quite often depicted in the form of sculptures and even more often - on various dishes, especially on amphoras and craters intended for wine. For the sake of completeness of the article, it will be useful to give some of the most interesting examples.
For example, this amphora, made in the fifth century BC, discovered near Rome, in a place called Vulci, depicts Dionysus with a cup and a vine.
But this elegant marble bas-relief depicts not only Bacchus himself, but also his wife Ariadne. The first one clutches his trusty thyrsus, crowned with a cone, in his hand, and the second one plays the cithara, pleasing the ear of her husband. The bas-relief is dated to approximately the middle of the first century BC.
But in this majestic sculpture, Bacchus holds two of his attributes at once - a bunch of grapes in his left hand and a short staff with a pine cone in his right. The statue was created around the second century. Today it is kept in the Hermitage.
This concludes the article. Now the reader who is interested in the myth and descriptions of the god Dionysus knows more about this very controversial character - from his biography to his occupation.
