Dionysos

Dionysosis one of the most-studied ancient Greek gods for students and academics. He is popularly known as the god of wine and frenzied abandon, and has great significance for theatre -- drama, in fact, originated as part of the cult of Dionysos. However, Seaford's book covers a wider range of issues, such as mystery, cult and philosophy, which have been overlooked by many studies. As a volume in theGods and Heroesseries, this work will provide an indispensable introduction to the subject, or reference point for higher levels of study.

Richard Seaford is a Professor in the Department of Classics at Exeter

Series foreword

ix

Illustrations

xiii

WHY DIONYSOS?

1

(12)

Introducing Dionysos

3

(10)

Introduction: the unity of Dionysos

3

(1)

Why does Dionysos matter in the modern world?

4

(2)

Previous versions of Dionysos

6

(6)

Overview

12

(1)

KEY THEMES

13

(118)

Nature

15

(11)

Introduction

15

(1)

Wine

15

(3)

The Anthesteria

18

(4)

Vegetation

22

(1)

Animals

23

(2)

Overview

25

(1)

Communality

26

(13)

Introduction

26

(1)

Dionysos in Homer

27

(1)

Dionysos and the polis

27

(3)

The return of Hephaistos

30

(2)

The thiasos

32

(3)

The tension between communalities

35

(1)

Communality and the autocrat

36

(2)

Overview

38

(1)

Epiphany

39

(10)

Introduction

39

(1)

Ritual and crisis

40

(1)

The epiphanies in Euripides' Bacchae

41

(3)

Epiphany and society

44

(2)

Public epiphany and intimate epiphany

46

(2)

Overview

48

(1)

Mystery-Cult

49

(27)

Introduction: what is mystery-cult?

49

(2)

The first four centuries

51

(7)

Roman Italy

58

(5)

The Roman Empire

63

(7)

Festival and mystery

70

(2)

Ritual, myth, and the next world

72

(3)

Overview

75

(1)

Death

76

(11)

Introduction: mystery-cult and death

76

(1)

Early evidence

76

(2)

Dionysos in the underworld

78

(3)

Dionysiac initiates in the underworld

81

(2)

Uniting this world with the next

83

(1)

The death of Dionysos

84

(2)

Overview

86

(1)

Theatre

87

(18)

Introduction

87

(1)

The genesis of drama

87

(4)

Drama about Dionysos

91

(3)

Is Athenian drama Dionysiac?

94

(4)

Dionysos and drama after the fifth century BC

98

(6)

Overview

104

(1)

Psychology and Philosophy

105

(15)

Introduction

105

(1)

Psychological possession

105

(5)

Philosophy

110

(1)

Dismemberment and the soul

111

(7)

Overview

118

(2)

Christianity

120

(11)

Introduction

120

(1)

Dionysos and the Jews

120

(2)

The New Testament

122

(4)

Dionysos under Christianity

126

(4)

Overview

130

(1)

DIONYSOS AFTERWARDS

131

(21)

After Antiquity

133

(13)

Introduction

133

(1)

Renaissance Italy

133

(5)

Nineteenth-century Germany

138

(7)

Overview

145

(1)

Dionysos and Money, Then and Now

146

(6)

FREE SHIPPING

Amazon no longer offers textbook rentals. We do!

Summary

Author Biography

Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials