Dionysus

Title	Dionysus
# of Words	664
# of Pages (250 words per page double spaced)	2.66

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 notorious for being rather prolific, and when his wife, the goddess Hera heard that he had gone off and mated with a mortal, she became quite upset.  Hera, in an attempt to exact her revenge, appeared to Semele and told her to ask Zeus to appear to her in his divine form.  When Zeus obliged, Semele was immediately consumed in flames, for no mortal can look upon a god in his natural state.  However, Zeus saved the unborn Dionysus by sewing him up in his thigh, thus incubating him.
     What happened next is different in every story.  Some myths say he lived with a king and queen loyal to Zeus until Hera discovered him, and, in a jealous rage, warped their brains.  In this version of the story, Dionysus was turned into a goat by his father in an attempt to hide him from Hera; from then on he had small horns on his head.
     After he was safe, he went to live with the nymphs, who taught him to make wine.  Hera eventually found him again, and this time she also warped his brain.  The nymphs rejected him, and he went to live with the satyrs, who were men with goat legs and horns, and their leader Silenus.  Dionysus traveled with the satyrs, who disgusted everyone they encountered with their rude, drunken behavior.


     Silenus is usually portrayed as a fat drunken man who rides on an ass.  ...This is ONLY a preview of the article. If you would like to view the entire document, you must subscribe to Electronic References. Please register below now!

Get This Full Article After Registration

When you subscribe to Electronic References, you get complete access to the meta-collection of full text articles and papers written by researchers and students spanning the last 5 years. For $19.95 a month, you will receive unlimited access and the ability to expand your research opportunities and knowledge.
This subscription package includes:

24-hours-a-day, 7 days a week unlimited access on any computer with Internet access

Complete access to all 60,000 articles, essays, and research papers

Ability to view, save, print and download any document you find

Ability to browse through perfectly arranged catalog of articles

Superior search and relevancy ranking techniques using our optimalized search engine

Instant access to the online database after registration

You can pay by credit card or checking account. You get instant access after registration:

1 Month ($ 19.95)

3 Months ($ 29.95)

6 Months ($ 39.95)

You will be billed $19.95 every 30 days or $29.95 every 90 days (recurring billing) starting on the day you subscribe.
Your credit card or checking account will automatically be renewed for your convenience until you cancel.

Home | Register | Login | Logout | Privacy Policy | Disclaimer | Help | FAQ | Contact Us | Cancel Subscription
Copyright 1998-2007 Electronic References. Electronic References is designed only to assist students and researchers in the preparation of their own work. Anybody who use our services are responsible not only for writing their own papers, but also for citing Electronic References as a source when doing so. By accessing and using this page you agree to the Disclaimer.