Cult and Festivals of Dionysus in Ancient Greece

Ancient Greek religion has a polytheistic structure. It contains important gods such as Zeus, Hera, Apollo, Poseidon, and Athena. Since it does not have holy books, it does not conflict with science or philosophy. According to the ancient Greek religious belief, the gods played a role in all life, from the underworld to the sky. In Ancient Greece, people lay on entertainment for these good in holy places or temples by making music, theatre, and sports competitions. Among these religious festivals, one of the most important was the one held in the name of god Dionysus.

Dionysus was generally known as the God of Wine. It was a sign of not only the intoxicating effect of wine but also of sociability. Dionysus used wine to understand nature, but he used it to understand the relationship between humans and nature, not nature itself.

Pine trees, spring flowers, vine leaves are among the plants that affect people the most and give direction to life, and Dionysus was their god. He also symbolized the seasonal changes of nature, such as Osiris, Adonis, Attis.

Greeks who worshiped only Dionysus; had succeeded in developing the drama, the material of the highest form of literature. The god was generally called by many names such as "Bakchos, Bromios, Euhios, Dithyrambos, Iobakkhos" and this was not seen in any other Olympian god.

Nietzsche indicates in his famous work "The Birth of Tragedy from the Spirit of Music", for the ceremonies experienced in Dionysian, "These festivals are held in a certain place, in a state of solitude, without distinction between male and female; it creates an environment as if nature's most ferocious savages have let themselves go, and most strangely, extreme love and ferocity are mixed”.

There are two legends known about the birth of Dionysus. Both of these legends are based on Hera's jealousy. The first, and often the most familiar, is; Dionysus was born from Zeus and Semele. It ends with Semele's desire to see Zeus as the god of the sky, with the provocations of Zeus' wife, Hera. Zeus appears to Semele with his lightning bolts, and Zeus' burning heat is the end of Semele, but there is a miracle that is; Semele's baby is alive in her womb. She carries Dionysus, who is seven months old, in her womb. Zeus; takes Dionysus from his mother's womb and puts it on his calf, feeding him as if he were in the womb and preparing him for birth. When the time comes, he pulls his son out of his calf. Dionysus is a God who came chronologically later in the history of Ancient Greece. In the tragedy of Euripides, it is understood that Dionysus is a Lydian-Phrygian god, and his first word is "I come from the lands of Asia." He is a God who contradicts the Greek Pantheon. This legend is the product of an effort to put an outside divine being under the command of Zeus.

In the second of these legends, with a trap that Hera set up as a result of her jealousy towards Dionysus, Child Dionysus is drawn into the bush. By Hera's order, the Titans attack Dionysus and tear him apart; they boil the body with various herbs and eat them. A pomegranate tree grows where the child's bloodsheds but his grandmother, Rhea, brings together all the parts of Dionysus and brings him back to life. According to this legend, Dionysus returns to life with a bloody death. His death and resurrection from his sufferings were revived through sacred ceremonies. Here, the festivals held in the name of the god Dionysus mentioned in these legends gained importance in time that could not be compared with those of other gods. During the period from the beginning of December to the middle of April, 4 big festivals were held in Athens, called “Country Dionysia, Lenaia, Anthesteria and Great Dionysia."

These festivals, which were originally held in honor of Dionysus, were held in the form of dramatic musical performances. The priests of Dionysus, on the other hand, watched these ceremonies from the place reserved for them right in front of the orchestra. In the ceremonies, over time, interest in the humanistic rather than the religious side of the gods' stories became more important, and the applause of the earthlings was given more importance, although they were attributed to the gods. 

These fictionalized stories began to leave their place to the heroes. Thus, classical Greek theater was born. From the very beginning, the Dionysian faith began to transform the individual personality into a higher being. The choir that sang in honor of the god had become the Satyr Choir. Since the Greek word "tragos" refers to a person who performs in disguise as a Satyr, the tragedy was a song sung in honor of Dionysus. At the Rural Dionysia of Attica, the homosexual members of the parade dressed as animals, and the comedy was derived from the song they sang during the gay Komos.

Country Dionysia or Lesser Dionysia

On this Dionysos Feast celebrated in December, a "phallos" decorated with various ribbons and painted in different colors was carried to a rural area accompanied by a procession. According to what Plutarchos says, an amphora filled with wine, a basket full of figs, and an animal to be sacrificed were carried with the "phallos" in the festival. Poems were sung to bless the seed sown here. The Country Dionysia was held by local rulers in the month of Poseidon. Only single women could attend this festival, as married women were forbidden to attend. The wine was drunk at the festival, and people had a lot of fun.

The animal to be sacrificed was usually a goat and was presented as a gift to the god. The main purpose of this festival was to ensure that the grains planted in the fall were fertile in the spring.

Aristophanes gave the most comprehensive information about the festival in the theater play "Akharnaians".

The most important celebrations were made in the cities of Eleusis, Salamis, and Ikaria. This festival had its origins in a fertility festival. Aristotle mentioned that local rulers led the entertainments during this festival. Thanks to these directors, comedy has evolved and flourished.

Lenaia Festival

The Lenaea Festival was held in January and February, also known as the "marriage months", in a sacred area called the "Lenaion". During the ceremony, some dramatic contests and performances were held. Officially, only comedy and tragedy were performed at this festival. There was also no conclusive evidence about the number of plays staged.

At the festival, a torchbearer would invite the attendees to summon the god, and Dionysus appeared together with "nymphs" called "Lenae". It is estimated that the festival was held at night due to the torches.

According to some assumptions, "maenads" conduct the festival to awaken or strengthen the sleeping god. According to another view, Archon Basileus conducts the festival with the attendants of the Eleusinian mysteries next to him. The origin of the festival takes its name from the name of the month in which the joint ceremonies held for the maenads and the engaged women in Lenaion were held.

Anthesteria Festival

Anthesteria (Festival of Flowers) is celebrated in Anthesterion during the spring season. The names Anthesteria and Anthesterion were also derived from the verb anthein (to bloom). The biggest and oldest festival celebrated in the name of Dionysus was Anthesteria. It was believed that the god, who was called to the earth through other festivals in these months, came out of the underground and entered the earth among the women of Athens.

At this time of the year, the wine was ready to be drunk, and the wine containers were removed. On the first day of the feast, wines were drunk, and the next day, the wines were taken to the temple of Dionysus and distributed to the public. In addition, drinking competitions were held at this festival, and Basileus wore a king's crown on his head.

An ox statue representing Dionysus or an actor wearing a skin with a horn on his head would go to the building called Boukolion with a vehicle where Basileus' wife was, and Dionysus would be married to Basileus' wife. Thus, the king's wife would have been married to the god. On the night of the second day and the third day of the feast, porridge was made and presented to God Hermes. At the end of the festival, the people, who were empowered by the offering to God Hermes, would walk around the streets saying, "Anthesteria is over, go now spirits," and drive away from the spirits. Thus, Dionysus was referred to as a god who symbolized both death and life.

Great Dionysia

The real Dionysus festival was celebrated in the spring and the festival started in March. In the festival, the dancers danced until they passed out, drank wine, and made their way towards the mountains at the most important point of the ceremony. They sacrificed the animals they found here. The festival was celebrated not only in Athens but also in Attica, and many foreigners could watch the festival. Therefore, the magnificence of Athens was shown to everyone at the festival. During the festival, judicial activities were suspended for a specified period of time.

The administration of the festivals was in the hands of the highest official of the state. The festival initially lasted for five or six days; later this period increased to seven days. The first day is usually spent preparing for the festival, on the second day; parades were held and victims were sacrificed. In the following days, comedy and tragedy plays are performed, and on the last day; a meeting was held. At these meetings, prizes were distributed to the winners of the games.

Inappropriate events that occurred during the festival were also punished. It is the most remarkable festival of the ancient period in terms of the number of attendants and participants, as it has 700-800 choir members, 30-50 actors, and 20-40 musicians in total; it is the Great Dionysia. Dionysus occupied an important place in Rome as well as in the Greek world. It was accepted that the worship of Dionysus brought a solution to the famine problem in Rome in 496 BC.