"#Dionysos was named twice-born by the ancients, counting it as a single and first birth when the plant is set in the ground and begins to grow, and as a second birth when it becomes laden with fruit and ripens its grape-clusters. The god is thus considered to have been born once from the earth and again from the vine."
Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca historica 3.62.5
Dionysos Liknites, “Dionysos of the Winnowing-fan” is an epithet of #Dionysos because at birth he is said to have been laid on a winnowing-fan. Placing newborn children in winnowing-fans is “an omen of wealth and fruitfulness”.
Hermes, too, was "laid in swaddling-bands on the winnowing fan".
"Seilenos (#Silenus), who was his adviser and instructor in the most excellent pursuits and contributed greatly to the high achievements and fame of #Dionysos."
Diodorus Siculus, Library of History 4.4.3
🏛️ Baby Dionysos in the arms of #Silenos, his foster father. From #Myrina, dated 2nd century CE. Today in the Musée du Louvre.
"And golden-haired #Dionysos made blonde-haired #Ariadne, the daughter of Minos, his buxom wife: and [Zeus] the son of Kronos made her deathless and unageing for him."
Hesiod, Theogony 947
🏛️ Painted terracotta figures of Bacchus and Ariadne, 50 BCE - 50 CE, Thappsus, Sicily; now in the #Ashmolean Museum, #Oxford
Exquisite gold offering bowl engraved with the drinking contest between #Bacchus and #Hercules. We know this story from art but no written account of this myth has survived.
🏛️ #Dionysos and #Herakles, Drinking Contest Detail, Patera of Rennes, Roman bowl, ca 210 CE. Today in the Bibliothèque Nationale de France, #Paris.
This is one of my favourite depictions of #Dionysos in ancient art. My written version of him is largely based on this gold relief of drunken Dionysos and a panther, supported by a #satyr friend.
🏛️ Naiskos ("little temple") relief framed by the columns and pediment of a temple, 2nd century BCE, National Archaeological Museum #Athens
This bronze bust of the wine god Dionysos used to decorate a Thracian or Roman chariot.
🏛️ Bronze bust of #Dionysos from ancient Philipopolis (modern Plovdiv, #Bulgaria) dated to the 2nd century CE. He was the face of the 2020 Bulgarian Archaeology Exhibition in the National Institute and Museum of Archaeology in Sofia.
"After #Hera inflicted madness upon him [#Dionysos], he wandered over #Egypt and Syria. The Egyptian king Proteus first welcomed him."
Pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheca 2. 29
🏛️ Dionysos and #Ariadne, #Coptic Egyptian tapestry from the 4th century CE.
"#Dionysos showed himself on the island [of Naxos], and because of the beauty of #Ariadne he took the maiden away from #Theseus and kept her as his lawful wife, loving her exceedingly."
Diodorus Siculus, Library of History 4.61.5
🏛️ Dionysos and Ariadne, #fresco from the Triclinium in the House of Vettii, #Pompeii
"Let us be merry and drink wine and sing of Bakkhos [#Dionysos], the inventor of the choral dance, the lover of all songs, leading the same life as the Erotes, the darling of Kythere [#Aphrodite]."
The Anacreontea, Fragment 38
🏛️ Roman terracotta relief dated 20 BCE - 50 CE. Today in the British Museum.
"Let us be merry and drink wine and sing of Bakkhos [#Dionysos], the inventor of the choral dance, the lover of all songs, leading the same life as the Erotes, the darling of Kythere [#Aphrodite]."
The Anacreontea, Fragment 38
🏛️ Roman terracotta relief dated 20 BCE - 50 CE. Today in the British Museum.
Silver #coin depicting the god #Dionysos sitting in his biga, a chariot drawn by a team of two animals. Dionysos is holding his iconic thyrsos, a staff of giant fennel. #Apollon Kitharoidos, Apollon the kithara player, is sitting beside him. The biga is drawn by a panther and a goat, both of which are animals sacred to Dionysos.
"I swear by the cluster-bearing delight of Dionysos' vine."
Euripides, Bacchae 535
🏛️ Marble sculpture of #Dionysos found in Italy, dated 2nd century CE. Arms and legs were heavily restored in the 18th century. Today in the Musée du Louvre.
This beautiful mosaic shows #Dionysos, also known in Latin as #Bacchus or #FatherLiber, pouring wine from a rhyton, a vessel from which wine or water were intended to be drunk or to be poured, either in a libation or at table. In this scene, Dionysos is pouring it to his pet panther.
🏛️ Roman mosaic, today in the National Museum of #Beirut
#Eros adjusts the kottabos stand, a popular game at #ancientGreek symosia. #Dionysos reclines on a couch, his lower body richly draped, holding a thyrsos in his left hand and a wine cup in his right.
🏛️ Red-figure vase painting on a bell krater, dated 395–375 BCE.
Daddy Dionysos and #Herakles enjoying each other's company at a symposion. Note the chest hair! Both Dionysos and Herakles were demigod sons of Zeus who were deified and ascended to Olympos later in life. #Dionysos was born before Herakles and thus was a god when he was still mortal.
🏛️ Red-figure vase painting. Today in the British Museum.
"When Seirios [#Sirius, the star] scorches the flesh, when the crude grapes which #Dionysos gave to men - a joy and a sorrow both - begin to colour." #Hesiod, The Shield of Herakles 398
🏛️ Dionysos holding a kantharos, Roman statuette, Archaeological Museum of #Eleusis
"When Seirios [#Sirius, the star] scorches the flesh, when the crude grapes which Dionysos gave to men - a joy and a sorrow both - begin to colour."
Hesiod, The Shield of Herakles 398
🏛️ Dionysos holding a kantharos, Roman statuette, Archaeological Museum of Eleusis