by iakul

Created on: November 18, 2009

In Greek mythology, Dionysus was the god of wine, agriculture, theatre, and ecstasy. He is also known as Bacchus, Zagreus or The Liberator.

There are two accounts of how he was born. In one account, he was the son of Zeus, king of the gods, and the mortal woman Semele. While Dionysus was still in her womb, Semele was killed by Zeus' lightning bolts, and Zeus placed Dionysus in his thigh, where Dionysus underwent a second birth.

In other stories, he was the son of Zeus and Persephone, Queen of the Underworld. The infant Dionysus was ripped to shreds and devoured by the Titans due to Hera's machinations, and only his heart is saved (depending on the stories, by either Athena, Rhea,Persephone,Hermes or Demeter). Zeus remade Dionysus from his heart, and placed him in Semele's womb, where in this story, Dionysus also undergoes a second birth. In some versions, Zeus fed Semele Dionysus' heart in a drink to impregenate her.

Dionysus' childhood also varies in the stories. He was either raised by Maro, by Persephone, by nymphs or by the King Athamas and his wife, Ino. Dionysus was said to have discovered how to culture wine when growing up, and he is credited with teaching the people of Asia how to cultivate wine. He was said to have wandered through various parts of the world, though this was in part due once again to Hera's machinations, who inflicted Dionysus with a madness during his early years that would only be cured by the goddess Rhea when Dionysus' wanderings led him to Phrygia.

Dionysus was said to be exceptionally attractive as a young man, and in some descriptions, he has been depicted as womanly or man-womanly.

Most stories featuring Dionysus involve him exacting revenge on mortals. He is frequently depicted moving into a city to spread his religion, meeting with opposition and then destroying them. In other stories, he turns sailors into dolphins as they have either attempted to kidnap him for ransom, or intend to sell him as a slave.

However, one of the more well-known stories which featured Dionysus is not one where he punishes a mortal, but instead rewards him, although the reward in question does wreck much destruction. In this story, Midas had taken care of Dionysus' foster father, Siensus when he had wandered away while drunk into Midas' domain. Dionysus granted Midas a wish, and Midas requested that whatever he touched might turn into gold. Dionysus consented, although he expressed his regret that Midas had not made a better choice. Midas rejoiced in his new power, but soon found that this ability meant that he could never eat or drink again, for whatever touched his lips turned into gold. In an attempt to embrace his daughter, he also turned his daughter into solid gold.

Seeking deliverance from this gift he now saw as a bane, he prayed to Dionysus, and the god told Midas to wash in the river Pactolus. Midas did so and his power flowed into the river, and the river sands turned to gold. This explained why the river Pactolus was rich in gold.

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