Essay Archive - Dionysus
Dionysus
Dionysus was the most widely worshipped and popular god in ancient
Greece. It's not difficult to see why; he was their god of wine, merriment,
ritual dance, warm moisture, and later, civilization. He was often depicted as
a handsome young man, dressed in fawnskin, and carrying a goblet and an ivy-
covered staff.
Some myths hold that Dionysus was the son of Zeus--the king of the god--
and Persephone--queen of the underworld--but most myths state that he is the son
of Zeus and a mortal woman named Semel. This woman Semele was not any mortal,
though. She was a princess, and a beautiful one at that. Zeus was ....
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