The most famous god of wine and fun is Dionysus. His ancient Roman version is Bacchus. Legends say that he is the son of Zeus, and the mother is a mortal woman - Semel. Dionysus was considered the creator of grapes , he also had the ability to save people from worries and various problems. Throughout the world he traveled with satyrs, silenas and priestesses, called maenads.
What is known about the ancient Greek god of wine and fun?
The myth of the birth of this god is interesting. When the wife of Zeus, Hera, learned that her husband was pregnant with a mortal, she decided to destroy the child. She did everything possible so that Zeus appeared to Semele in all his strength. When a powerful god came to her in lightning, the house caught fire and the woman's body burned, but she managed to give birth to a premature baby. Zeus, to protect him weaved a wall of ivy, and after sewed the baby in his thigh. Three months later, Dionysus was born and was given up to educate Hermes.
They portrayed Dionysus as a naked young man with a wreath of ivy or grape leaves and bunches on his head. In the hands of the staff, called the Tyrs. Its tip is made of pine cones - an ancient symbol of fertility, and the leg is covered with ivy. In many paintings, Dionysus was depicted with sacrificial animals: goats and bulls. He moved on a chariot drawn by panthers and leopards.
The Greeks revered this god and often spent various holidays , which ended in drunkenness and merriment. To honor Dionysus the god of wine and fun, the Greeks performed theatrical performances and sang praises. They thanked him for being able to get rid of worries and become happy. In the power of Dionysus was to refresh the human spirit, to inflame the passions and give inspiration. People considered him also the patron of fruit plants.