Dionysus Known as (Bacchus) God of the Vine, grape harvest, Winemaking, wine and ritual Madness, religions ecstasy and theaters and drunkenness and fertility patron of Arts and the Son of Zeus and Semele in some version he is son of Hades and Persephone
Birth
Dionysus had an unusual Birth that evokes the difficulty in fitting him into the Olympian pantheon his mother was Semele (Daughter if Cadmus), a mortal women, and his father Zeus, the king of the gods. Zeus's wife Hera, a jealous and vain goddess, discovered the affair while Semele was pregnant appearing as an old crone (in other stories a nurse), Hera befriended Semele, who confided in her that her husband was actually Zeus. Hera pretended not to believe her and planted seeds of doubt in Semele's mind. Curious, Semele demanded of Zeus that he reveal himself in all his glory as proof of his godhood through Zeus begged her not to ask this, she persisted and he agreed. Mortals however cannot look upon a god without dying and she perished. Zeus resumed the fetal Dionysus,however, by sewing him into his thigh. A few months later, Dionysus was Born.
In another version of the same story Dionysus was a son of Hades and Persephone the king and queen of the underworld when instead of changing legitimate the sons of Ares and Hephaestus who chose Zagreus the son of Hades and Persephone as his Heir a jealous Hera again attempted to kill the child, this time by finding Titans to rip Zagreus the pieces after luring the baby with toys. Zeus drove the Titans away with his Thunderbolt but only after the Titans ate everything by the heart which would save, Variousl, by Athena Rhea or Demeter. Zeus said that usually the heart to recreate him in the womb of Semele, hence he was again the twice-born. Sometime people said he gave semele the heart to eat to impregnate her the reaper in both versions of the story is the primay Reason he was Worship in the mystery religion ask his death and rebirth was even of mythical reverence this narrating was appearing used in certain Greek and Roman mystery religions Variants of it are found in callimachys and nomnus who realize to this Dionysus under the title Zegreus, and as in several fragmentary poems attributed to Orpheus.
Parents
Hades and Persephone ( In some versions )
Spouse and Lovers
Ariadne (Lover)
Aphrodite (Lover)
Children
Thoas (Tauri King) Children by Ariadne
Staphylus Children by Ariadne
Priapus children by Aphrodite
Hyman ( God ) Children by Aphrodite
Deianira children by Althaea
Oinopion children by Ariadne
Gallery of Dionysus
