Dionysos

by Seaford; Richard

• ISBN13: 9780415324878
• ISBN10: 0415324874
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2006-08-18
• Publisher: Routledge

Summary

Dionysosis one of the most-studied ancient Greek gods for students and academics. He is popularly known as the god of wine and frenzied abandon, and has great significance for theatre -- drama, in fact, originated as part of the cult of Dionysos. However, Seaford's book covers a wider range of issues, such as mystery, cult and philosophy, which have been overlooked by many studies. As a volume in theGods and Heroesseries, this work will provide an indispensable introduction to the subject, or reference point for higher levels of study.

Author Biography

Richard Seaford is a Professor in the Department of Classics at Exeter.

Table of Contents

Series foreword	ix
Illustrations	xiii
WHY DIONYSOS?	1	(12)
Introducing Dionysos	3	(10)
Introduction: the unity of Dionysos	3	(1)
Why does Dionysos matter in the modern world?	4	(2)
Previous versions of Dionysos	6	(6)
Overview	12	(1)
KEY THEMES	13	(118)
Nature	15	(11)
Introduction	15	(1)
Wine	15	(3)
The Anthesteria	18	(4)
Vegetation	22	(1)
Animals	23	(2)
Overview	25	(1)
Communality	26	(13)
Introduction	26	(1)
Dionysos in Homer	27	(1)
Dionysos and the polis	27	(3)
The return of Hephaistos	30	(2)
The thiasos	32	(3)
The tension between communalities	35	(1)
Communality and the autocrat	36	(2)
Overview	38	(1)
Epiphany	39	(10)
Introduction	39	(1)
Ritual and crisis	40	(1)
The epiphanies in Euripides' Bacchae	41	(3)
Epiphany and society	44	(2)
Public epiphany and intimate epiphany	46	(2)
Overview	48	(1)
Mystery-Cult	49	(27)
Introduction: what is mystery-cult?	49	(2)
The first four centuries	51	(7)
Roman Italy	58	(5)
The Roman Empire	63	(7)
Festival and mystery	70	(2)
Ritual, myth, and the next world	72	(3)
Overview	75	(1)
Death	76	(11)
Introduction: mystery-cult and death	76	(1)
Early evidence	76	(2)
Dionysos in the underworld	78	(3)
Dionysiac initiates in the underworld	81	(2)
Uniting this world with the next	83	(1)
The death of Dionysos	84	(2)
Overview	86	(1)
Theatre	87	(18)
Introduction	87	(1)
The genesis of drama	87	(4)
Drama about Dionysos	91	(3)
Is Athenian drama Dionysiac?	94	(4)
Dionysos and drama after the fifth century BC	98	(6)
Overview	104	(1)
Psychology and Philosophy	105	(15)
Introduction	105	(1)
Psychological possession	105	(5)
Philosophy	110	(1)
Dismemberment and the soul	111	(7)
Overview	118	(2)
Christianity	120	(11)
Introduction	120	(1)
Dionysos and the Jews	120	(2)
The New Testament	122	(4)
Dionysos under Christianity	126	(4)
Overview	130	(1)
DIONYSOS AFTERWARDS	131	(21)
After Antiquity	133	(13)
Introduction	133	(1)
Renaissance Italy	133	(5)
Nineteenth-century Germany	138	(7)
Overview	145	(1)
Dionysos and Money, Then and Now	146	(6)
Further reading	152	(3)
Works cited	155	(1)
Index	156