Dionysus
is
the god of wine and of drunkenness, a good friend
of the young and the elder. As I was in school they once took us to see a theater
play about the ancient gods; the actor who was playing
Dionysus was so funny that I will never forget this god. But also in the
society he played an important role. It is said that he is a child of
Semele and Zeus, although his birth is
a really strange story hard to imagine: during the sixth month of the
pregnancy, the palace of his mother Semele burned down and she died. Then
Zeus and Gaia saved the little embryo and Zeus raised it up
in his tight. Because of this, he is also called "god of twice birth".
After, because he had to hide of
Hera, Zeus transformed him into a goat and
raised him up in Asia. There he wandered around a long
time. In some cities they received him friendly while in other they did not even
let him pass by their city because of the fear of Hera.
Dionysus was
the god of the wine but also of the vegetation and fertility of vine.
He let the people escape of their routine and
during his celebrations people danced, sang and, of course, drank a lot of wine.
He had always in the company of nymphs, silenen, satyr and manaeden.
The Beginning / Gods of the Olympus / Smaller Gods
