Greek Theatre and Dionysian Mythology

Vocabulary terms based on lecture notes regarding the mythological origins of Dionysus, the development of ritual worship, and the rise of Greek Drama.

Dionysus

The Greek god of fertility and wine whose name means 'twice-born' and is associated with the life-cycle of birth, growth, decay, death, and rebirth.

Zeus

The father of Dionysus who snatched the unborn god from fire and sewed him into his thigh until he was born later.

Hera

The wife of Zeus who was angered by his child with Persephone and had Dionysus killed and dismembered by the Titans.

Semele

A mortal through whom Dionysus was given rebirth, but who was consumed by flames after wishing to see Zeus in his godlike form.

Osiris

The Egyptian god of vegetation and fertility whose earlier myths and dramatic rituals regarding death and rebirth served as an offshoot for the Dionysus myth.

Abydos Passion Play

An Egyptian dramatic ritual enacted for many centuries concerning the god Osiris.

Greek Drama

A dramatic form that arose $2500$ years ago from the drive for survival, combining history, religion, entertainment, social enquiry, and moral discussion.

Fertility

Defined as fruitfulness or productiveness; it was essential to the Greeks for creating successful farmers and great warriors.

Homer

The individual who structured ancient legends into the accepted history of the Greek race.

Identification with the god

The state achieved by worshippers of Dionysus through sacrificing a bull and a goat and consuming the flesh and blood.

Nymph

A spirit of nature in the form of a beautiful young woman that lives in rivers and woods.

Satyrs

Nature spirits who, alongside nymphs, were part of the procession for the god Dionysus.