Dionysus has been called the Father of Wine, the Bringer of Virility, and the Patron of the Theatrical Arts, of which he is most well known for. Dionysus, also known as Bacchus, Iacchus, Bassareus, Trietenicus, and Liber, is credited for the creation of wine and theatre, yet his origins and earthly powers are vague and convoluted (Apiryon, 1). His origin has long been suspected to be in a fusion of a rural, local Greek nature god and another more potent god imported from Phrygia (central Turkey) or Thrace later in Greek prehistory (Gross, 1). Contradictory, Dionysus was one of the most important deities to the Greeks, yet historically he was rarely mentioned in writing. He was the Thracian, and eventually Greek, god of ecstasy, terror, guilt and atonement, death and resurrection, vegetation, trees, wine, madness, and drama. He also represented Eleusis: ecstasy, personal delivery from the world through physical or spiritual intoxication, and initiation into secret rite

Eventually these primal forms of worship coalesced into organized rituals and holidays: Lenaea (January); festival of vats which eventually lead to dramatic performances, Anthesteria (early Spring), City Dionysia (March); the departure of winter, Oschophoria (October/November); a vintage festival, and Lesser Dionysia (December). The two most important of these are Lesser Dionysia and Greater (or City)Dinoysia. The former holiday was held for the first wine tasting of the season. It was accompanied by songs, dance, phallic processions, and impromptu performances of wandering players, who, with others in the city, took part in sports and other rustic games (Porter, 2).

In another popular story, Dionysus was the product of Zeus and Persephone, Queen of the Underworld. In the Orphic version of this story, Dionysus appears successively in three different forms: Phanes-Dionysus, the bisexual god of light, who bursts from the silver egg of the cosmos at the beginning of time. Alone, Phanes created Nyx (Night), with whom he begot Gaia (Earth) and Uranus (Heaven). They eventuall create the Titans who create the gods, as follows the popular Greek creation myth. This is the same Phanes whose grandson, Zeus, swallowed him to usurp his power and control of Chronos’ throne. Zeus then took the form of a serpent and begot the second Dionysus, Dionysus-Zagreus, the Horned Child, upon Persephone. This second Dionysus was bequeathed with rulership of the world and underworld while he was still a child, greatly angering Hera and the Titans. Hera bribed the Titans, and while Zagreus was distracted by the toys and looking glass Hera gave him, they tore him to pieces and ate him. Athena managed to save his heart, still beating, and gave it to her father, Zeus, so that he could bring Dionysus back to life. Zeus consumed the heart, then went to Semele and had her bear the third Dionysus, the one that was worshiped in Greece (Apiryon, 2). It is also said here in a slightly different version the Zeus himself caught the Titians and blew them apart with his lightning bolts. He managed to salvage Dionysus’ still beating heart, and human beings sprang forth from the mixture of Titan ash and Dionysian blood, and that is the reason for human beings’ dual nature.

The ancient komos often involved masks and costumes, and the ritualistic abuse of individuals: humiliation. Also involved was the ritualistic use of the phallos, or ritual penis, that was often too large for one person to carry and was carted around on a pole or in a cart, thus the advent of phallic (or low)comedy.These elements make up the core of comedy (slapstick, phallic, etc.) that still exists today. The roving band of chanting boys evolved into the chorus, and the Satyr men evolved into the players (1-2).

Conversely, the Satyrs were the male followers of Dionysus. They were more

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