lycurgus and dionysus

‘But if you are one of the immortals descended from Olympus, I am not the man to fight against the gods of the skies. (6.130) Why, not even powerful Lycurgus, Dryas’ son, survived his quarrel with the gods of the skies for very long. This murderous Lycurgus chased the nurses of the wild god Dionysus down from the holy hills of Nysa, and they all scattered the god’s emblems to the ground as he struck them with his ox-goad. Dionysus fled and found sanctuary under the salt sea waves where the Sea-nymph Thetis took him to her bosom, terrified and shaking violently from Lycurgus’ threats. But the immortals who live at ease resented what Lycurgus had done – and Zeus struck him blind. (6.140) He did not live long after that, since all the immortals hated him. So I will not be fighting against the blessed gods.

summary: 

Lycurgus, son of Dryas, attacked Dionysus and his nurses on the sacred hills of Nysa, chasing them and scattering the god’s symbols with his ox-goad. Dionysus fled in terror and hid beneath the sea with the nymph Thetis. The gods were enraged by Lycurgus’s actions—Zeus struck him blind, and soon after, he died, hated by all the immortals.

purpose of this story:

shows what happens if you mess to the gods but its different to how he acted in book 5, lesson of how he acted. cautionary tale. 

homer adds this as a break of the tension in the fighting to slow it down. almost shows that he’s fighting for something rather than lycurgus as he just goes for violence against dionysus. gives a break in the fighting, relieves the tension for the reader so its not difficult to process. getting the audience to think about other myths humanises the gods as dionysus gets ‘bullied’, so he’s presented as slightly mortal. 

myth of bellerophon