Dionysus In Greek Mythology

The god of wine and festival is a god who is celebrated by his cult. His followers knew what his message was. Dionysus was a liberator of people; he was not feared but loved by his followers. In Euripides Bacchae, Dionysus was trying to spread his message to all. He says, “Thebes is the first of all the towns of Greece to hear my followers’ ecstatic cries” (Powell, 272). This quote demonstrates his goal and reason for traveling to Greece. Dionysus disguised as a stranger was not perceived the same way as the when he was not in disguise. King Pentheus was threaten by this stranger, he said to him, “just who are you? What’s your family?” (Powell, 275). The stranger said that he had the right to come to Greece by the god Dionysus (himself). Dionysus followers viewed Dionysus as the god of festival and wine, but when he is the stranger King Pentheus does not fell the same way that his followers

This paper will focus on the Statue of Dionysos leaning on a female figure. Also known as the Hope Dionysos. The statue is displayed at the Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art and is located on the first floor Roman and Greek art chamber. Upon entering this sector, you will notice a grand statue that catches your eyes and captivates you as it welcomes you in gracefully. The exhibition is set up in the back center of the room, and is noticeable due to the largeness in scale and the enigmatic yet calming disposition the statue portrays. My first impression of the sculpture was how detailed and realistic the statue is. Since the statue was so defined you would be able to identify what he was wearing and how his body was shaped to how long his hair was during this time period. I was profoundly intrigued by how peaceful the statue of Dionysos embodied and found myself coming back to it and looking in awe. In curiosity, I would choose this statue for my assignment because I wanted to learn more about the history of the Hope Dionysos. In this essay I will be describing my formal analysis of the artwork, the subject matter behind it, the artist and the historical content of the statue of Dionysos.

The culture where the sculpture was produced was Roman. During this period of time, Dionysus was a religious cult figure at the temples. As a mythological personification, Dionysus was believed to be a youthful, joyful and effeminate figure. He was the God of wine, celebration and divine intoxication of power. The female figure standing next to him is Spes, the Goddess of hope, who brought harmony to society. Both statues together represented peace, calm and prosperity to the lands.

I chose to compare and contrast two works of art that featured the god Dionysos. Dionysos was a god of celebration and wine, promoting both the intoxicating power of wine and its social benefits for bringing people together. He was an advocate of peace and a promoter of peaceful civilization. Both The Hope Dionysos and the Triumph of Dionysos and the Seasons Sarcophagus represent why Dionysos was such an important and celebrated figure in mythology, which is why I chose to analyze two works of art that centered on him. My first impression of each piece was of Dionysos as a peaceful, benevolent and joyful figure. I was struck by the calm peacefulness he embodied in The Hope Dionysos and the happiness he shared on the Triumph of Dionysos and the Seasons Sarcophagus. Though there are many elements to compare and contrast, my analysis will show that both pieces are tributes and representations of Dionysos meaning and purpose in Roman art.

1. Dionysus was the god of wine and festivity but is also considered a patreon of the arts.

Dionysus’ birth was imaginatively created by the Greeks to fit along with Dionysus’ role in the world.

Dionysus : He is the god of fertility of nature and men, wine and intoxicated ecstasy. He is also the of of God of Theater and is also considered to be a bringer of destruction and delight . Dionysus is the son of Semele ( a mortal woman) and Zeus. There are numerous myths surrounding his birth, one being that after Semele's death, Dionysus was saved by being sown in Zeus's thigh. There are numerous festivals which are celebrated in Dionysus' honor, like Anthesteria and Country Dionysia. Dionysus ends up marrying Ariadne, who is the daughter of king Minos. Dionysus is important for the study of Greek Myth because he defies categorization. For example , he is a twice born god, he was raised as a girl and he is the immortal who died. Additionally,

As the embodiment of wine, Dionysus was a prevalent god in everyday Grecian life; it is evident through archaeological findings that wine and theatre has always been an important part of life in Greece. The Greeks knew the nutritional value of wine as it became a part of their daily regimen and also played a huge role in the evolution of the Ancient Grecian economy. Many festivities were held in honour of Dionysus, such as the celebration of wine known as “Anthestiria”

Euripides uses the god Dionysus in The Bacchae in order to emphasize that humans need to embrace irrational behavior in their day to day lives. In Thebes, Dionysus finds a structured and ordered society, with their goal simply being to work as hard as possible, while Dionysus aims to simply live to have fun and make merry. Due to the disrespect given to him by the Thebans as a result of their differences, Dionysus aims to take revenge and force the people to worship him by destroying their society and recreating it in his image. Dionysus and Theban society are complete opposites. Dionysus is considered to be the god of wine and merriment.

The similarity between the two Gods is striking. Dionysus is associated with wine and revelry. Christ forever associated himself with wine and celebration through the act of Communion and the

In the light that Dionysus was a Greek god, the depiction on the cup provides a reflection of personality, that was developed in Greek myths and epics, as well as the rituals of worship that dominated the society. Although the rituals performed by the Greek were suited to enhance divine personality, they can hardly be seen as ignoring personality (Bowra, 1968). In the view that Dionysus is carried by the slaves, it might be argued that he was unique in the respect of the members of the society. Other Greek gods may have enhanced the performance of rituals that suited their personalities, but the Dionysian processions show that Dionysus developed a personality that sought to suit the rituals that were being performed.

The Festival of Dionysus is an ancient, dramatic festival in which tragedy and comedy originated. Four times a year, the Athenians and citizens from all over Greece would congregate to worship Dionysus, the god of wine. The largest and most abounding of these festivals was Great Dionysia, which commenced in late March. This festival allowed the Greeks to sing, dance and worship the god in a spontaneous manner. Whilst under the influence of alcohol, goats were sacrificed in Dionysus’s honour. On the first day of festival, a large statue of Dionysus was transported from the temple to the Theatre of Dionysus. This procession was of much importance to the Athenians. Prior to the performance of the plays, the theatre was sprinkled with the blood of sacrificial

“Zeus gave Dionysus to Hermes to protect the baby from Zeus' wife, who was jealous” because Zeus was unfaithful to his wife Hera with Dionysus’s mother, Semele (Bergman). Hermes, the messenger of the Greek gods, is sculpted leaning against what appears to be a tree covered in draping. His right arm, that is broken, reaches upwards as if he is holding something. His left arm, holds a small child, Dionysus, who reaches towards something that Hermes may have been holding. Dionysus is the god of wine and fertility. The tree trunk alludes to symbolism of Dionysus as he is also the god of “things that grow by leaps and bounds suddenly in spring” (Csapo 258). Dionysus was also known for the chaos and parties that would erupt around him. Hermes appears to be looking at Dionysus. They are both sculpted nude as many sculptures of this time were. Hermes’s body language suggests that he is very relaxed. The sculpture also appears to be unfinished and features some “rasp and chisel marks [that] reveal a partial reworking of the back”, as well as, “Traces of red paint may indicate that Hermes' hair, lips, and sandals were gilded originally” (Wilcox Classical Museum). The statue of Hermes and Dionysus laid a foundation for sculpture of the later eras.

In a way, when Dionysus went to warn Pentheus this was nice enough considering this does not happen to many people especially it being a warning and a God going out of his way to help a mortal. However, Dionysus is this God of wine and like it says in the book wine is both good and bad. It is good tasting after a while, but can be very bitter as well. Looking at it in a health perspective, wine can be very good for you in moderation, but can also be very bad for you in excess. It is finding that balance that makes a good wine and in this case a good

Dionysus is an important figure of Greek mythology. He is the Olympian god of wine, vegetation, festivity and pleasure. He represents humanity’s longing for pleasure and desire to celebrate. Dionysus is also the god of hallucination, theatre, reincarnation and homosexuality. He is called: “the youthful, beautiful, but effeminate god of wine. He is also called both by Greeks and Romans Bacchus (Bakchos), that is, the noisy or riotous god…” (Roman 201).