Cult Of Dionysus Essay

The time and location of the origin of the cult of Dionysus is unclear. It is clear that he came as a foreigner but there are different theories as to from where. Thrace and Phrygia are traditionally viewed as his birthplace before he migrated to Greece. Nilsson, however, proposes that Dionysus originated in three different regions: Thrace, Phrgia, and Greece itself, each time in different forms.1 Because the cult of Dionysus was so well received in the mainland of Greece, Nilson makes the assumption that the cult had been there before. As Walter F. Otto puts it, Dionysus arrival in Greece was only a “re-awakening of an age-old worship”.2 As with most things, the cult of Dionysus had variations depending on where the cult was. One variation of the cult existed in the city of Eleutherai. Here Dionysus was called Dionysus Eluthereus, Eleuthereus meaning “liberator”.3 His wine and induced madness freeing his followers from all worries and cares. While there were variations of the cult in various cities, the remainder of this paper with attempt to give a general overview of the cult. As for the date of the origin of the cult, Wilamowitz …show more content…
That is even more remarkable because Dionysus had absolutely no importance in the Homeric world.”5 These allusions include but are not limited to, comparing Andromache to a maenad6 and stories of personal relationships between Dionysus and other gods7. Because in depth and developed knowledge of Dionysus is used in the Iliad, the cult of Dionysus must have been alive long enough that these allusions could be understood by both the poet and the