Dionysus

For the pope, see Pope Dionysius.

Dionysus (die-oh-NIS-ee-us, also spelt Dionysos, Dionysius) is the Greek god of frenzies, festivities, spiritual ecstasy, wine, and alcohol in general. Amongst the Orphists (who are a select group of followers of the Ancient Greek Religion) Dionysus is considered a saviour.

Dionysus
God of the vine, grape-harvest, wine-making, wine, fertility, ritual madness, religious ecstasy, theatre
2nd-century Roman statue of Dionysus, after a Hellenistic model (ex-coll. Cardinal Richelieu, Louvre)[1]
Symbol	Thyrsus, grapevine, bull, panthers and other big cats
Personal information
Consort	Ariadne
Children	Priapus, Hymen, Thoas, Staphylus, Oenopion, Comus, Phthonus, the Graces, Deianira
Parents	Zeus and Semele Zeus and Persephone (Orphic) Ammon and Amaltheia
Siblings	Aeacus, Angelos, Aphrodite, Apollo, Ares, Artemis, Athena, Eileithyia, Enyo, Eris, Ersa, Hebe, Helen of Troy, Hephaestus, Heracles, Hermes, Minos, Pandia, Persephone, Perseus, Rhadamanthus, the Graces, the Horae, the Litae, the Muses, the Moirai
Equivalents
Greek equivalent	Iacchus, Zagreus
Roman equivalent	Bacchus, Liber
Etruscan equivalent	Fufluns
Egyptian equivalent	Osiris

Mythology

There are two stories on how Dionysus was born. One says that he was the son of Zeus and Semele. The other says that he was the son of Zeus and Persephone, queen of the Underworld. Either way, in both stories Dionysus is sent to the Underworld by Zeus' jealous wife Hera. After that, he is saved and brought to life. Other sources say that he was half god half mortal and then later turned into a full god

Dionysus was the god of celebrations. He was also the god of wine. According to a myth, the Titans lured Dionysus with toys and wanted to eat him. When Zeus found out, it was too late and they had eaten everything except his heart. With that Zeus put the heart in the womb of Semele and he was born again.

Related pages

• Bacchus - Roman mythology version of Dionysus
• Dionysian Mysteries