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What Role Does Dionysus Play In Greek Mythology

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The Greeks are known for a multitude of things that range from their islands, language, pop culture, and more specifically their myths. The pantheon of Olypian gods have been in many iterations since their incarnation and are often described as the Greek interpretation of the human experience, reflected as such through the Olympian family. The main twelve gods within this family are Zuess, Posideon, Hades, Hera, Aphrodite, Artemis, Athena, Apollo, Demeter, Hephestus, Ares, Hestia, and the 13th Dionysus. Though twelve is the number of gods usually worshiped, Hesia and Dionysus are often switched for the twelve spot because of Hestia's partial role within the mythos while Dionysus is often absent or rarely talked about besides how he was born. …show more content…

Out of the twelve gods, Dionysus is described to rule over wine, vegetation, pleasure, festivity, fertility, and even madness; of which perfectly encapsulates the deity's identity. His appearance however fluctuates between a long haired teenager and an older, long bearded man that is said to carry a drinking cup and a thrysos, with a crown of ivory addoning him. Originally, Dinoysus was mainly worshiped as a fertility god till later versions depicted him being more of a god of wine and festivity. Dionysus was worshiped throughout Greece and had many shrines and temples (usually within the mountains) dedicated to him, including a cult that celebrated Dionysus earthly incarnation, wine. wine was the religious focus of this cult and its members thought of it as a tension reliever, something that brings joy, and divine madness. Because each of the twelve Olympians represent a different aspect of Greek society, Dionysus as a deity embodied a free spirited, unrestrained Greek version of escapism. Not being the only ones to worship him however, are the Romans who named Dionysus' Roman counterpart, Bacchus, who was often worshiped through private parties ( Bacchanalia) that attendees would use to partake in frenzies of all kinds. Now on to his birth,

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