DIONYSUS (dye-oh-NYE-sus; Roman name Bacchus) is the god of transformation, wine and theater. Dionysus is the son of Zeus and the mortal heroine Semele.
Dionysus (Roman name: Bacchus) is the god of wine, theater, mystic ecstasy, and essentially the god of transformation. Dionysus is the son of the god Zeus and the mortal heroine Semele. His birth is quite remarkable; Dionysus was rescued from Semele's womb when she was killed by the jealous goddess Hera, Zeus' wife. Zeus implanted Dionysus into his thigh from where he was eventually born. Dionysus fell in love with and married Ariadne, a princess who had been a moon goddess, and they had several children. Dionysus is one of the few Greek gods who remained faithful to their wives. It was Dionysus who granted Midas the power to turn whatever he touched into gold, and then was kind enough to take the power back when it proved inconvenient.
DIONYSUS AND DRAMA: An orchestra, or a dancing ground, of Dionysus with an arrangement for spectators ( theatron ) was built in Athens in the early sixth century. It became the great center for drama where plays by Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides were first performed. Drama is produced at festivals honoring Dionysus, in his theatre, under the presidency of his priest, by performers wearing masks and special dress. That is how tragedy (which originally meant goat song for Dionysus) began and quickly reached heights never surpassed. Any formal tragedy involves disaster: physical, moral, or spiritual. The hero is doomed. Tragedy deals with human suf fering and the courage of a hero who resists the inevitable. Pathos or melodrama is acceptance submissively or without comprehension of misfortune. These ideas are found in Aristotle's Poetics, the work from which our appraisal of tragedy is found. Aristotle also notes the "tragic flaw" in the hero. This defect of character, or inability to understand a situation makes his destruction inevitable. At some point in the drama the hero should see the truth of his situation, cease resistance, and accept his fate. The audience identifies with the hero, and feels pity or fear, but the catharsis of these feelings leaves the audience exalted or in tears.