#semele greek mythology

[sarafangirlart]

Why characterize Leto as a home wrecker when Semele is right there? Not only did she willingly have an affair with Zeus for several months, she had the audacity to ask him to “come to her like he comes to his wife” which is nasty as hell. Hera was completely justified in tricking her.

[kyleesarthell]

Sorry, Semele...

[katerinaaqu]

Heracles and Dionysus Drinking contest (Early 2nd AD century, Antioch, Imperial Roman mosaic)

This mosaic from an Atrium House in Antioch depicts a funny small story known in classical art as a drinking contest between Heracles (Hercules) and Dionysus (Bacchus). According to the story, Heracles challenges Dionysus in a drinking contest and of course loses. The result of their contest seems to be an anecdotal story that he joins his Thiasus for a short while.

In this mosaic we can spot Heracles naked and kneeling while chugging down from his cup (the lion mane and club resting before his knees). To the far left we can detect the figure of a double-flute playing menad while we see Dionysus casually resting upon pillows, holding a thyrsus/spear to his hand and showing his own empty cup to Heracles while being surrounded by the satyr Silenus (far right) and his cup-bearer, the little satyriscus to the center. One can also detect the golden-colored crater in the middle.

The parallels between the two figures seem to be incredible:

Both are sons of Zeus and both are arguably the youngest of their classes (Dionysus is the youngest god of the Olympians born by Zeus and Heracles according to some roman sources is the last demi-god from the last mortal lover Zeus takes)

Both are born by a mortal woman (Alcmene and Semele respectably)

Both have been induced in madness by Hera (Dionysus repeatedly while Heracles was turned mad and threw his children with Megara in the fire), and continusly targeted by the wrath of the goddess

Both become divine just in different ways (Dionysus is established as one of the 12 gods of Olympus while Heracles becomes a god post-mortem)

Both seem associated with Elysian mysteries

Both are associated one way or another with theater or role-playing (Dionysus being the god of theater among others while Heracles had at some point dress as a woman while living with Omphale)

One is associated with strength and power (Heracles) while the other is associated with art but also Madness (Dionysus)

Both are associated with the youth (Heracles for his war achievements while Dionysus is also portrayed as a youth many times)

Dionysus according to some myths is married to a god-made woman (Ariadne) while god-made Heracles marries a goddess (Hebe)

Both figures travel to the underworld (Heracles during his 12 labors when he goes to take Cerberus while Dionysus according to orphic traditions as Zagreus descends to the underworld to come back out as Dionysus through Semele)

Consequently to above, both figures suffered a painful death (Dionysus as Zagreus being torn to pieces and/or eaten by Titans, Heracles poisoned by Hydra's poison in Nessus's blood through his marital chiton and consequently burnt)

Both figures have been iconically depicted in association with a wild animal (Heracles wearing a lion skin, Dionysus either riding or wearing a leopard)

Both figures have myths that associate them with non-human creatures (Heracles having good time with the Centaurs, Dionysus being followed by Satyrs)

I find it interesting how we do not have more art or talk about these two iconic mythological figures!

[june-prokopio]

shout out to omegaverse Zeus giving birth to Athena AND Dionysus

[aliciavance4228]

Okay but Dionysus' birth and family tree are actually way more disturbing than they seem, purely because of how many people actually suffer in these myths.

If you go by the Orphic version then we have Persephone being raped by her own father after her mother hid her in a cave so that no god could take advantage of her.

This moment makes the abduction of Persephone by Hades more tragic both for Persephone and Demeter, especially considering the fact in Homeric Hymns to Demeter she is angry on Zeus rather than Hades for what happened. As for Persephone, if you go by the versions where Hades raped her then she basically relived what she experienced a long time ago.

Then we have Zagreus being torn into pieces by the Titans. Keep in mind the fact that gods technically cannot die but can feel pain, so there's a chance that Dionysus might still remember that moment from his past life.

Dionysus' mother, Semele, was left pregnant by her own great-grandfather, then tricked by his wife, and then killed by him. She died before giving birth to her son. Both her and Persephone lost the same child.

Then there's Ares, Semele's grandfather. His own granddaughter was left pregnant by his father, fooled by his mother and then killed his father. He either had no idea what happened, or if he did them he couldn't do anything about it.

Not to mention Cadmus and Harmonia's entire family line, since Dionysus is one of their descendants. Jocasta has slept with her own son without knowing that and had children with him. Actaeon was turned into a doe and then brutally murdered by his own dogs after accidentally seeing Artemis naked. Learchus was killed by his own father, whereas his mother, Ino, threw his brother into the sea and then jumped herself too after what happened. Agave was not only Pentheus' mother but also Semele's sister, which makes her Dionysus' aunt. So the scene where Dionysus made her tear her own son limb to limb is way more disturbing than it seems.

God, this whole family is completely fucked up.

[galahadwilder]

This has been bouncing around in my head for a year now and I need to share it before it drives me actually insane (which, given the subject matter, is entirely appropriate)

In the Overly Sarcastic Productions video for The Theogony, they mention that Metis was prophesied to bear thoughtful children greater than their father—first a daughter, then a son. Zeus proceeds to avert this prophecy by eating her, yet Athena is born from his body anyway.

Now the thing is, nowhere else in the surviving Greek mythos is it possible to avert a prophecy. It just doesn’t happen. The path you take to avoid it frequently leads to the prophecy being fulfilled.

Then, in their video for Dionysus, it’s mentioned that in some versions of the myth, Zagreus/Dionysus (not just the god of parties—he was also the god of madness, divine inspiration, and rebirth from death) was supposed to be Zeus’ successor. And Dionysus is the only other god to be born from Zeus’ body instead of from a mother. Just like the daughter of Zeus and Metis was.

Greek mythology/religion has no established canon, especially since it evolved organically, and the chances of these two myths connecting to each other is slim to none. And yet I can’t help noticing the similarities in the myths and how they fill each other’s holes. Can’t help conflating them.

So: I want a story where Dionysus isn’t just the son of Zeus and the mortal Semele, but also—because of getting sewn into his father’s body—the son of Metis as well. And therefore, because he is the firstborn son of Zeus’ first wife—and also Zeus’ youngest son, following the Ouranos-Kronos-Zeus “youngest child succeeds” pattern—the true heir of the Olympian throne.

Make it happen, Riordan. You know you want to.

[gingermintpepper]

In light of my recent Asclepius and Apollo musings, I feel like it's the perfect time to post this, actually.

How do you build a human being? 

Bold question. Foolish question. But a question it is all the same. 

The memory of his father’s consternated expression is still bright behind his eyes, that unusually furrowed brow, the tension in his gentle jaw. He didn’t falter in his setting of Asclepius’ broken shin, hands perpetually steady and sure, but he hesitated for a conspicuously long moment as though reluctant to give an answer. In this body, he resembled Orpheus something fierce. The same flaxen curls of his hair, the same delicate eyelashes that stand stark against the dark brown of his skin. Often Asclepius wondered if his elder brother was nothing but a body built to suit their father’s preferences. The subtle wrinkle of skin around their eyes when they smiled was the same, and the steadiness of their hands, the soothing power of their presence. 

And Orpheus did not bleed like Asclepius did. The blood in Asclepius’ veins were as red as any human’s, any mortal’s, but Orpheus seemed not to bleed at all. Even when he’d suffered the same fall down the crumbling cliff as Asclepius had. Even when his skirts had ripped and jagged stone sliced into his shanks. 

Even so, Orpheus was unmistakably alive. His eyes were rich with grief fresher than any blood spilt from the worst of Asclepius’ wounds, his counsel too, was tempered with the wisdom of a life well lived. So even at the apex of his most perfect, inhuman beauty, Asclepius never once doubted that his brother was a human being. Just that he was more divine construct than flesh and blood. Just that their father had built for himself a son that would not break as easily as all the others. 

His father stayed silent for so long that Asclepius assumed it would be one of the million questions that would go unanswered. Then, just when the last of his bandages had been wrapped - 

“A human body is easy to build,” he’d had that faraway look on his face as he spoke, like he was speaking to the horizon. Or a version of Asclepius that was not quite here. Such things happened from time to time. “Any flesh would do. From men, or animals, or even monsters. Any flesh would do.” Their gazes had locked then, and Asclepius would never forget the flecks of gold which swirled in his father’s blue eyes, the weight of divine words rattling at the boundaries of their mortal apparatus, “But the breath of life, a living soul? That is beyond your means as a mortal man. You ought never seek it.” 

(Asclepius would remember these words when he revives a man for the first time at the age of nineteen. He’s surprised to find that his father is wrong for once. Souls are easy to source when they’re already eager to return to their mound of flesh.) 

[bugwolfsstuff]

Was thinking about the dehumanisation and horror of becoming a god which lead to me thinking the fact that in Greek myth the gods true forms are pure light and burn mortals (Semele) so would becoming a god be painful?

So i made dis.

-------

Mousai tell me,

Do you think when ivy haired Dionysos

Drank nectar to become a god

He thought of the burning,

Of his first birth?

[thegarden-ofeden]

dionysus aesthetic [c12]

gods and goddesses masterlist

[sarafangirlart]

“Hera should punish Zeus instead of his lovers” I mean ig if you are talking about Alcmene or Leto sure, but Semele deserved that shit.

[yourcurrentany]

Zeus: It is forbidden to divinize mortals without my consent and bring back to life death people.

Dionysus with a dick-shaped stick up his ass and 18 pounds of cokane going down the underworld: was

[godsofhumanity]

Dionysus: I JUST TURNED MY MORTAL MOTHER SEMELE INTO A GODDESS SO SHE CAN LIVE WITH ME IN OLYMPUS <3 Apollo: Nice, I put my mum in a state of constant worry for my wellbeing

[katerinaaqu]

Hey katerinaaqu,

I was wondering if you might know something about apotheosis/deification of mortals in greek mythology. Specifically how it was decided what domain they would become a god of. From what I've gathered it seems like actions in their mortal lives tends to lead to what their domains in divinity is.

Thanks for any help/info you can provide!

Oh that is a very good question. I believe there are indeed plenty of examples in greek mythology of Apotheosis.

Arguably the first one is Dionysus himself. Given how Dionysus is born out of a mortal mother (Semele) and an Olympian god (Zeus). According to Orphic traditions, Dionysus was probably set for divinity since he was born once more as Zagreus before dying and being reincarnated through Semele. It seems like he would prbably be another demigod like Heracles if it weren't for Zeus to finish the pregnancy himself by sewing him into his hip so in a way he got extra divine essence from Zeus. After that he experienced the persecution of Hera and madness induced by her before earning his place as a god among the Olympians

Ever since Dionysus we do see other examples of humans turning into gods. There also seems to be a difference between an Apotheosis and a worship of a hero. For example Heracles was known to become a god after death but not others like Achilles at least in Homer it is not implied that Achilles becomes a god and yet along with Patroclus and Antilochus he is given offerings to his tomb, worshipped more as a hero rather than as a god.

So what is the factor that makes a mortal a god? Well there are many. It could be the mortal's connection to a god as a parent (see Dionysus, Heracles etc) or marriage (Ariadne and Dionysus) or other reations (Dionysus reviving Semele and giving her immortality). For others it seems like it has to do with their heroic deeds on earth. For example we have Heracles who arguably became the greatest hero of Greek mythology or Diomedes who spread Greek culture to Italy by founding plenty of cities. It could also be linked to a mortal have some sort of attribute that is considered sacred or divine in the first place. A good example is Ganymedes who was having the attribute of beauty and youth that are on their own divine properties, thus leading Zeus take interest in him and thus offering him immortality and making him his cup brearer.

Now when it comes to Dionysus for example yes his attributes seem to be reflecting his life. He was the god of rebirth and regeneration of nature (due to his Orphic tradition of dying as Zagreus and coming back to life) or god of madness since he was induced to madness himself. Now for the culivation of vine and winemaking of course depending on the myths involving him like the beautiful satyr, Ampelus could be an indicator. Also the vine is a plant that comes out during late summer and early autumn which again is linked to the regeneration of nature. Also the wine-making as coming from the crushing of grapes and passage of time for alcohol to froment also rings to me the bell of Dionysus's story of regeneration (almost the opposite of Persephone who comes out of the Underworld with Spring, Dionysus is celebrated a lot in winter (see his celebration of Dionysia in December), symbolizing the constant mystery of nature. With his connection to nature seems to be also reflecting his madness and his several roaming about the world in a mad and disoriented state thus he is also considered god of wilderness and several of his followers are satyrs and Maenades, reflecting his roaming and primitive state at that time. The induced madness and alcoholic beverange association and in his life also links to his attributes of divine ecstasy, disoriantation, confusion and daresay savagery. He was also linked to prophetic powers on occasion since he is also known for coming and going from the Hyperborean lands due to his trips in mythology and taking over from Apollo to the sanctuary of Delphi thus sharing the sanctuary. Consequently to that of course and with the above he is also linked to theater; while roaming in the wild he was not himself the same much as the sacred nature of theater is also linking him to rituals and offerings. A sample of theater is the full masks and costumes, which resembles a lot ancient rituals in which masks or even skulls are involved to cover one's face and linked to dancing, singing, unifying of masses etc. Arguably some of the dionysian celebrations of that kind are some of the most ancient known celebrations in Greece and certain festivals even nowadays are said to have the roots to them. All in all he is linked a lot to thinks that have to do with humanity and that is probably because he comes from it himself.

So, having in mind examples such as Dionysus whenever a mortal turns into a god might or might not get an attribute but I believe most of time their attribute or fields are determined by their life story or their mythology. They are also heavily inspired by local traditions in regards to the hero (for example if they are worshipped as city-protector, as protector of youths etc) so it depends on what kind of mythology they have behind. On the occasions we discover offerings or hymns attributed to the deified mortal we can also make assumption on their worship. Oftentimes a sanctuary is also linked to a hero's death or life stops. One example that comes to my mind is a series of mentions to the sanctuary of Protesilaus, the man that stepped first in Troy and losing his life first. The sanctuary is placed in several places according to the sources and they seem to memorize the hero's courage in battle.

So yes it seems that by n large their mortal lives or local myths do determine their domains and attributes. I hope the examples help a bit. I will be happy to dig deeper if you want.

[deathlessathanasia]

That awkward moment when you ask your great grandpa to do you like he does his wife but then it turns out his wife is into some seriously freaky stuff and you end up killed. Oopsie.

[aliciavance4228]

Perseus 🤝 Ares

Having a granddaughter who was left pregnant by their father and then suffered horribly because of his wife.

[dixnysos]

"Semele dared a wish— to see;

That her eyes might equal be

With her heart and lips and ears:

Night on perfect night she pled

Sudden lightning drank her tears,

Life and sweetness: she lay dead."

—Thomas Sturge Moore, Semele