CLAS104 Chapter Notes - Chapter 13: Greco-Roman Mysteries, Maenad, Civil Religion
26 Aug 2016
School
Department
Course
Professor
Document Summary
Romans associated dionysus with the god liber, which means free: attributes. Thyrsus (rod with a pinecone on the end, thought of as a penis) Character: realms, vegetation (esp. the vine) so he is some kind of fertility god and god of vegetation, freedom ecstasy and freedom from inhibitions(restrictions) especially sexual, patron god of drama. Tragic plays were put on during festival of dionysus (people put off the real world , and became somebody else in these plays) Freedom from their boundaries of their person: mysteries. Every city state had civic religion so a few days each year would celebrate. Mystery religion people could find personal salvation by voluntarily joining. Dionysus comes into the stories where other gods and heroes are worshipped. Historical idea he"s not one of the original gods. In the mycenaean times greeks didn"t worship him but at one point in history (probably dark or bronze age) he came from the east (thrace) and the greeks adopted him.
