Classical Studies 2200 Lecture Notes - Lecture 8: Eleusinian Mysteries, Greco-Roman Mysteries, Homeric Hymns

• School: Western University
• Department: Classical Studies
• Course: Classical Studies 2200
• Professor: Aara Suksi

Document Summary

Dionysus (dissolver of boundaries/bacchus/liber: from autochthonous family at thebes. Zeus, disguised as a mortal, impregnated semele: hera tricked semele, who was destroyed by a lightning bolt, hermes rescued the child from her womb, he was inserted into the thigh of zeus, and later born again (twice-born) Hera"s persecution of dionysus: he was hidden from hera on mt. Nysa, raised by nymphs, changed into a goat: hermes gave infant dionysus to athamas and ino, who raised him as a girl. Athamas hunted and killed his elder son learchus, thinking he was a deer. Lycurgus, minyads: dionysus marries ariadne of crete (a mortal princess, who is deified through her marriage). Delphi: dionysus and apollo represent complementary aspects of life. It was thought that apollo left delphi for the three winter months, and that. Intoxication (wine: ecstasy, communion, loosening of cares, disinhibition, theater. Fertility and rebirth: dionysus is associated with wild plants and vines (ivy, grape, evergreen).