Dionysus, one of many gods in Greek mythology, is known as the god of wine. His father is Zeus and his mother is the mortal Semele. Let’s take a closer look at Dionysus, who is described as a different character in each of the countless stories told about him, and see his legendary story.
There are many gods, goddesses and supernatural characters in the culture that was once the ancient Greek religion and today we call Greek mythology. One of them is Dionysus. The son of Zeus, the god of gods, and Semele, a mortal woman, Dionysus is the god of wine. Greek mythology as well as Roman mythology He is a character that has found his place.
There are many different stories about Dionysus, and in each of them our character is defined by a different feature. What is common to all stories is its relationship with wine. Its place in pagan culture even influenced Christianity for a while. Let’s take a journey in Greek mythology and see some of the stories of this interesting god through the question of who is Dionysus, the god of wine.
Who is Dionysus? A baby born from Zeus’ calf:
Dionysus, also known as Dionysus, is also known by names such as Bromios, Euhios, Bacchus, Dithyrambos, Iakkhos, Iobakkhos in different stories. He is the god of wine in Roman and Greek mythology. Dionysus represents the social effects and positive features of wine as well as its intoxicating feature.
Dionysus’ father is Zeus, the god of gods, and his mother is the princess Semele, a mortal woman. His birth story is very interesting. It is said that after Zeus and Semele fell in love with Semele and became pregnant with Semele, Zeus’ wife Hera became jealous of this situation and cast a doubt in Semele’s heart.
When Semele doubted whether Zeus was really a god, she asked him to show her his true form. When Zeus showed himself with all his deity, Semele was burned to ashes on the spot. At that time, Dionysus, who was seven months old, fell and Zeus took him and placed him on his calf. When the time came, Dionysus was born from the calf of Zeus. For this reason, Dionysus is also called the twice-born god.
Hera’s anger never ceases:
After Dionysus was born, Zeus gave the baby to Hermes, known as the messenger god. Thus, the baby was protected from Hera and Raised by fairies called nymphs. But Hera’s anger did not subside despite Semele’s death. Hera sent a magical mirror to Dionysus, causing him to go crazy.
Dionysus in another story by the titans shredded and boiled in a cauldron but her grandmother Rhea takes pity on her and unites her with Athena. Dionysus, who was given to his aunt to take care of him, cannot find peace here either because he is driven mad by his aunt Hera. Just when he was about to be thrown into the cauldron, Dionysus was rescued by Zeus and sent to Nysa Mountain as a goat.
Dionysus invented wine and hit the roads:
Dionysus invents wine either after he went mad or after he was sent to Mount Nysa by Zeus. After discovering this delicious drink He assembles a team of fairies called nymphs and half-human half-goat creatures called satyrs. He falls on the road with his team and comes to Egypt to visit.
According to the stories, Dionysus, who was still crazy under the influence of Hera when he came to Egypt, here he is healed by the god Rhea. Purified from all the sins he committed during his insane period, Dionysus is now on the road again as an innocent god as the day he was born, and goes to Thrace.
The god of wine encountering the enemy of wine:
When Dionysus, who set out from Egypt, arrived in Thrace, he met King Lykorgas there. Because Lykorgas is an enemy of wine and even grapes, he has Dionysus and his entire team arrested. Dionysus escapes at the last moment and comes to Thetis. As the gods were enraged by this, King Lykorgas went mad and smashed his son for likening him to hanging.
It is said that Dionysus was sold as a slave on his next journey. The pirates who caught him every time they try to tie it because the thread untie itself they realize that he is god. Meanwhile, when the wine starts to leak between the boards of the ship and the hull starts to turn into a vine, the pirates get scared and jump into the sea.
Dionysus finds the love of his life:
Dionysus, who got rid of all this confusion, kidnaps Aridne, the daughter of the Cretan king Minos in a story, and takes her to Lemnos Island. After having three or four children Dionysus introduces Aridne to her father, Zeus. As Zeus is pleased with this situation, he grants Aridne immortality and declares the two of them eternally equal.
Besides being a traveler, he is actually a great conqueror:
Although countless stories are told about Dionysus, the common thing among all of them is that he was a traveler who brought wine and entertainment wherever he went. Everywhere he goes, there are fun fairies, satyrs and people who drink wine like him. Nymphs, Satyrs, Pans, Silenus, leopards, tigers, lynxes, snakes and many more animals and creatures went with him wherever he went.
According to what is told, the journey of Dionysus begins in Greece and It spreads all over Asia via Türkiye. Dionysus is actually a conqueror and conquers wherever he sets his feet. Moreover, vines grow wherever he sets foot, and wonderful wines are obtained from those vines. Dionysus never fights or uses weapons. With plenty of wine and lots of dancing, he conquers wherever he goes.
Feasts were held in his honor:
Dionysus was a god, and as with all gods, they were worshiped in his honor. Of course, because he is the god of wine. these rites were like a feast. Just like the creatures next to him who traveled with him from land to land, those who believed in Dionysus in the places he conquered held a kind of feasting rituals.
According to a story, a feast was held in the name of Dionysus in Thebes, the city where Dionysos’ mother was born. King Pentheus, on the other hand, opposed the Dionysian belief. Those present as he secretly watched this ritual to see what they were up to. Thinking that Pentheus was a wild animal, they shattered it with their hands. Moreover, among those who tore him apart was Petheus’ mother. It is said that whoever opposes the Dionysian belief will end up like Pentheus.
Dionysus and his influence on Christianity:
According to Islam, Christianity is one of the religions sent by Allah, but later corrupted by humans. In this corruption, there are pagan beliefs from ancient Greek and Roman religions. One of them is thought to be the belief of Dionysus, the god of wine. So much so that even today, the wine of Christians is Hz. The reason why they accept it as the blood of Jesus is seen as Dionysus. Of course, let us remind you that this is only a theological theory.
In Greek mythology, the god of wine, described as the son of the god Zeus and the mortal Semele We answered the question of who is Dionysus and shared some of his stories in mythology. Who knows what they went through to think that even wine would have a god.