Legends of Greece and Rome
Dionysus
Dionysus was the child of a mortal woman. Zeus courted the Theban princess Semele, and eventually swore by the river Styx that he would do anything she asked. On hearing this, Hera planted a thought into Semele's mind and she asked to see his true face not the guise of a mortal which she always saw.
Zeus pleaded with Semele to ask something else of him but she refused. Eventually Zeus relented, bound by the vow of the river Styx, and showed her his true form. Semele immediately fell down dead. Zeus took the unborn child (Dionysus) from her womb and placed him in his thigh where the child grew and eventually emerged.
As soon as Dionysus was born the Titans, on Hera's orders, lured him away from his father and tore him limb from limb, roasted and ate his flesh. Athena managed to save his heart however, and zeus buried his limbs in the ground where Rhea brought him back to life.
Hermes was then left in the care of King Athamus where he was disguised as a girl to fool Hera. Hera discovered him however, and caused Athamus to fly into a rage killing his own son. Dionysus blinded him to prevent him killing Ino (Athamus' concubine). Ino threw herself into the sea in grief and Zeus transformed her into the sea goddess Leucothea. Zeus then changed Dionysus into a goat and left him in the care of the Oreads (mountain nymphs). Here Dionysus learned how to create wine through his experiments with the grapes that grew on the mountain side.
Dionysus became the god of wine. He personified both the madness of drunken rage and the calm introspection that drunkeness can create. He also personified the cycle of nature. Life, death and rebirth. It was believed that he died every year like a grapevine, and was reborn again in spring.
Source: 'Myths and Legends of Ancient Greece and Rome'
Morgan J. Roberts
